My 30 Days of Prayer Update - Week 3

Living in the past can be so easy. It's great to reflect on the glory days or the days of our youth in which we have some pretty fond memories. Bruce Springsteen even sings about the glory days.

But, just as great as those past days can be, it can also be a hinderance to moving forward. Sometimes looking at our past and reflecting on it can cause a lot of pain and suffering. You can see missed opportunities or painful events that will cause you to relive and experience those things.

It is very sad and although I may not be able to understand all that people went through or experienced in their past, I do know that getting out of the past and moving forward is not an easy thing to do.

But, some encouragement can be found in Philippians 3:13-14. In it Paul says, "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Paul had a crazy past before he came into a relationship with Christ. So, he had lots of opportunities to reflect on his past. That could have caused him to not be as impactful for Christ as he could have been. After all, he used to imprison Christians and participated in the deaths of other believers for following Christ. How then, could he be used for Christ's glory? Simple, by focusing on the future and the prize for which God called him heavenward in Christ!

I know it sounds simple but is not. But we have to move forward always striving to draw close to Christ and allowing him to direct us. He can and WILL use us despite our past. We, then, have to consciously decide to move forward and not let Satan distract us or use it against us.

So, that is my prayer for us this week. That we can look past our past and be open to God's leading so we can move forward.