Day 241 Daily Morning Prayer “RELEASING WHAT HELD ME BACK”

0:00You are listening to words for the soul, food for the heart, your daily morning prayer podcast. Good morning, people of prayer. Before we begin today, if the prayers are helping you start your day with power, take a moment to follow the podcast on the platform, Buzzsprout, Apple podcast, Spotify, I heart wherever you get your podcast. And if today's prayer blesses you, share it with someone who might need this encouragement too. Yesterday, we learned that rest strengthens the work that I cannot and you cannot skip because you and I rest to prepare for our next best move. Now today, we began with the truth. Many of us are carrying quietly.

1:03It is a balancing act of wrestling and then struggling with and then coming away from or being freed from some stuff that really don't want to let us go. And so that stuff oftentimes will circle back around just to reintroduce itself to you. Now we dealt with this stuff, most of it, hear me now. It comes from places where we were told we could not do something or be something, especially as children. Moments when someone doubted us, moments when someone dismissed our ability, moments when someone decided what we could or could not become. And even though many years have passed, some of us are still wrestling with the ghosted memory of those moments. If it wasn't

2:10as a child, then as a teenager, as a young adult, and quietly as it's kept, some even today still say things to us or do things that get in our way. Mentally, emotionally, financially, spiritually, and we get tangled up in the messiness of it, worrying with things that don't even have anything to do with the truth of who we are or who we are supposed to be. It was words spoken long ago, doubt, planted long ago, limitations assigned long ago. And today, these words and images keep reverberating in our heads and in our psyches. But today, we recognize something clearly. Those memories have held us back long enough. And so today, we do not pretend those things

3:17never happened, but we refuse to keep giving them power. So let's pray, God of healing truth, you know every story we carry, the moments when our confidence was shaken, the times when someone else's doubt became a quiet voice inside our own mind. And for some of us, that voice has followed us for years. But today, God, we bring those memories into your life, not to relive the pain, but to release the power they once held. Because those memories may be part of our story. But they do not get to define our future. So today, we do something sacred. We lay those memories

4:17down, not in denial, but in freedom. We bury the power, those words or actions had over us. And in doing so, we release them so that they can finally release us. God help us remember who we are, not who someone doubted, not who someone underestimated, but who you created us to become. Strengthen every listener today who is still quietly carrying the weight of old words. Remind them that their life is still unfolding. Their vision is still alive. Their purpose is still very much possible. And the work they are called to do has not expired. Because the life we want

5:26is still on the other side of work. We cannot skip. So today, we rest in your truth. We release what no longer belongs to us. And we step forward lighter, clearer and stronger, ready to continue the work. Amen. Amen. Ask yourself this question today. What old words or memories have been quietly limiting my belief in what I can do? And then write them down. And then speak this aloud saying, I release the power. Those words once held over me and affirm this with me. I release what held me back. And I continue the work. I cannot skip. Amen. Before we close out,

6:30today, I want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the places joining us in prayer. Today, we're sending a special shout out to listeners in Charlotte, North Carolina, San Francisco, California, Inglewood, Colorado, Leander, Texas, and to our friends listening in South Africa. This prayer circle continues to grow around the world. And we want to say thank you to everyone listening to words for the soul, food for the heart. Now go out and have yourself a marvelous day just because you can.