Tag Archive | shame

Grace Like Rain

by Sindy Nagel

May Your grace like rain

Fall down on me

Cleanse my heart

And set me free

From my sin and shame

And its grip on me

May Your grace like rain

Wash over me

By Your grace, I’m saved

Now I’m dead to sin

So that I may live

A full life again

Out of Your great love

Your Son died for me

Paid my price for sin

Now I am redeemed

God, Your grace like rain

Washes over me

By no works of mine

Your grace is free

Lord, let me testify

To Your good news

So not one of your sheep

Its life will lose

Lord, empower me

To share Your light

So that all will see

Your love and might

Let Your grace like rain

Fall down on me

Let me live the life

You designed for me

I thank You, Lord

For Your gift of grace

That You’ve given me

To run this race

Let Your favor rest

On my life in You

So that I may do

All You ask me to

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24)

Pursuing the Heart of God – Day 45 – Fully Forgiven

Pursuing the Heart of God – Day 45

 Fully Forgiven

Father God in heaven, I have the head knowledge that I am forgiven. I have confessed my sin, invited Jesus into my heart to be my Savior and Lord, and I know that He died for my sins, so that I could experience Your grace and forgiveness through a saving relationship in Christ. But so many times I have held on to past sins. I continue to ask forgiveness for the same sins, when You have already forgiven me and forgotten them, long ago. Lord, how do I completely rid myself of the shame, the guilt, and release the claim to my sins? How do I know that I am fully forgiven? How can I be freed from this burden?

A Message from God’s Heart to Yours:

O child of Mine, you are being harder on yourself than I have been on you. Let Me release you from your burden of guilt and set you free with the truth (John 8:32). When the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).

Your sin separated you from Me. There was nothing you, yourself can do make that right. It is solely by My amazing grace, and the death of My Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross that you may experience the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life. Accepting Jesus as your Savior, and believing that He died for your sin, is the only way to be reconciled to Me.

When you invited Jesus into your heart to be your Savior, you were crucified with Christ. You no longer live, but Christ lives in you (Galatians 2:20). When your old self was crucified with Him, your former body, ruled by sin was done away with, so that you are no longer a slave to sin—you were set free (Romans 6:6-7). Let Me say it again, “When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed” (John 8:36). Believe it and walk in the freedom I provide.

When I adopted you as My child, I sent the Spirit of My Son, Jesus, into your heart. The Spirit calls out, “Abba Father.” You are no longer a slave, but My child; and since you are My child, I have made you My heir (Galatians 4:6-7). Not only are you fully forgiven, you are fully Mine. You belong to Me, and I love you. I am your loving Abba Father, and you are My sweet child.

You have My assurance that you are fully forgiven. It is up to you to fully believe it and fully accept My forgiveness—all of it. I remember your sins no more, and you would do well to accomplish this also. When you hold onto your sin, you are demonstrating a false belief that Jesus’ work on the cross was all in vain—that His death was not enough. But I tell you, it was. Do not discount the work of Christ on the cross. I gave Him up for you. Please accept that gift fully, and fully believe it.

Do not allow the enemy to keep you in the prison cell of sin and guilt when you have been rescued and redeemed. In Christ, you have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of My grace (Ephesians 1:7). Your sins were completely atoned for and I have washed you whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7). I love you; I died for you; you are My child; and you are forgiven. Receive it and believe it.

Prayer:

Abba Father, thank You for Your gift of grace and forgiveness. I confess that I did not fully accept Your gift. Please forgive me. I believe it and receive it anew. I bind up Satan in the name of Jesus, by His shed blood. I claim victory over sin; I am free. I am a new creation in Christ, the old is gone, the new is here (2 Corinthians 5:17). I am no longer a slave to sin; I am a child of God. Lord, please speak to me more personally right now, and share what’s on Your heart. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

Two-way Conversation with God: 

  • Father God, tell me what it means to be Your child. (Write down everything you hear: words, phrases, verses, etc.)

 

  • Jesus, lover of my soul, please help me understand more fully, how I was crucified with You on the cross, and how You set me free. (Record the ideas and thoughts He gives you now.)

 

  • Holy Spirit, empower me to discard the old false belief, and fully embrace the truth. What do I need to do to accomplish this? (Journal everything you hear in your head.)

 

Review God’s thoughts and impressions you’ve sensed and written above. What Scripture comes to mind as you review your notes? Use the concordance of your Bible to look up an impression from God’s Word. Record the verse or passage here. Write all insights and encouragement the Holy Spirit illumines for you as you read God’s Word right now.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank You for helping me to better understand what forgiveness means. Thank You for remembering my sins no more; please help me to do the same. Help me fight against the devil when he accuses me of sins that have already been forgiven by You. Help me claim my identity as Your child, and fully accept the forgiveness and the freedom that brings. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Supporting Scripture:

Exodus 34:5-7, 5Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the Lord. 6And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”

Psalm 25:11, For the sake of Your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Psalm 51:7, Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Psalm 86:5, You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to You.

Psalm 130:3-4, 3If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? 4But with You there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve You.

Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, and He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

Jeremiah 31:34, “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Jeremiah 33:8, “I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against Me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me.”

Daniel 9:9, The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him.

Matthew 6:14-15, 14“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Matthew 18:21-22, 21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Matthew 26:27-28, 27Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Mark 11:25, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Luke 6:37, 37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 11:2-4, 2He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread. 4Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:34-36, 34Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son set you free, you will be free indeed.”

John 20:23, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Acts 2:38, Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 10:43, “All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

Acts 13:38-39, 38“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39Though Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.”

Romans 6:6-7, 6For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

2 Corinthians 2:10-11, 10Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 4:6-7, 6Because you are His sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are His child, God has made you also an heir.

Ephesians 1:7-10, 7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Ephesians 4:30-32, 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 1:13-14, 13For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 3:13, Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Hebrews 8:12, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews 9:22, In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word is not in us.

Copyright © Sindy Nagel. All Rights Reserved

Step 6 – Enjoy the Rewards – Reward #2


A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.

Reward #2 – Find Freedom in Forgiveness

In my mid-thirties, I learned from my sister that my mother tried to terminate her pregnancy with me. This new information devastated me. I needed to talk to my mom to find out why she went to this extreme. However, I couldn’t discuss it with her because she had died of cancer after my twenty-first birthday. I was left with the burden of sorting it out on my own. I didn’t want this news to set me back emotionally when Jesus had brought me so far in the healing journey. Fortunately, I could trade Him the heavy weight of my burden for a lighter load. The emotional healing He had already given afforded me the necessary foundation for processing this upsetting information more quickly and easily, to the degree that is feasible in Christ alone. I couldn’t dwell on this new discovery. I needed to get rid of it as soon as possible.

After experiencing God’s restoration of my broken heart, it was time for me to extend forgiveness to the one who hurt me—my mother. My mom was a wonderful woman, so I know deep down she would not have tried to get rid of me in the womb if Satan had not tricked her into feeling helpless and hopeless. I imagine the news she had become pregnant at forty while using birth control shocked and disappointed her. She found herself in a situation she did not want to be in and despaired. She herself may have been depressed. The enemy deceived my mom with lies; she believed ideas that did not hold true. She did not consider that God had planned her pregnancy. She didn’t know her part in the bigger picture.

I feel blessed God chose her to be my mom. I know eventually she did love me very much. I do not tell my story to dishonor her in any way. I tell it because it’s God’s story of His healing and transformation in my life. His plan and purpose for creating me was to use me to bring glory to Him by sharing His message of redeeming grace and His passion for spiritual intimacy with His children. If God had not allowed me to experience the depths of this story, I would never have needed Him or made the time to listen to His voice. In hindsight, I am now thankful God permitted me to endure these trials to help me grow up spiritually. I’m forever changed by God. He deserves all the glory, honor, and praise.

Still, I felt a need to address my mom about her actions when she carried me in her womb. I needed release from the emotions surrounding my knowledge of her attempts to miscarry or terminate the pregnancy. Since I couldn’t speak with her in person, I decided to write a letter to express my heart to her. It allowed me to release my feelings and empowered me to let go of my anger, blame, and disappointment. I could forgive her even though she had already passed away. Once more I was set free from things I tightly held. Forgiving is not necessarily a feeling; sometimes it’s a choice.

An unforgiving heart is a roadblock to God’s construction work in you. With the strength and power of the Holy Spirit inside you, find it in your heart to forgive the ones who have hurt you. If you are holding on to some emotion—anger, guilt, shame, or an unforgiving spirit—regarding someone who is alive or deceased, I recommend you write a letter to him or her. You don’t need to mail the letter. It’s a step in the right direction for your own therapeutic healing. Then let it go and let God do a redeeming work in your life. No longer do I carry the burden of an unforgiving spirit. I have been released from my yoke of bondage. You, too, will find freedom in forgiving. Forgive others as God in Christ has also forgiven you. Freedom feels fantastic! When the roadblock comes down, your ears will be open to encouraging words directly from the mouth of God.

Click here to order this book now.

A woman is standing at the microphone and holding a pen.

Book One in Hearing God’s Voice Series

 

Today is a New Day

Sheepishly I sat with the Lord this morning admitting that I had not made him a priority lately. He did not shame me or rebuke me. With a few poignant words from Him and lyrics from songs on Christian radio, He turned it into a beautiful, uplifting time of worshipping Him. His mercies are new every morning. This is Day 1 of forever! Make good use of your time and spend it with the One who created you for a purpose. It’ll be the best use of your time all day. Worship His holy name and live into His perfect will. Even when you can’t feel him, I promise He’s still there. He doesn’t require large blocks of your time. He’ll take whatever time you give him and make good use of it. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:23)