A Prayer to Let Go of Past Regrets and Move Forward
By Alisha Headley
Bible Reading
“…but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” - Philippians 3:13-14, NLT
Listen or Read Below:
It’s easy to look back on your life and have regrets. Sometimes, you regret things you did or wish you made different decisions, and then there are other times you regret the things you didn’t do. But the truth is, you can’t change the past, no matter how hard you try. You can, however, learn from the past and grow from the past while also remembering the past.
In fact, God tells his people to remember His past faithfulness all throughout the Old Testament. It’s okay to look at the past to grow, learn, and remember God’s faithfulness. But it’s not okay to look at the past and live with regrets and perhaps shame. When we live a life looking at past regrets, we stay stuck and are unable to move forward in what God is calling us to. You might feel like you have one foot forward and one foot stuck in your past. But remember, our God forgives, redeems, and offers grace so that we don’t have to stay stuck in the past regrets of this world. God has called us to so much more.
In today’s verses, we are called to look forward to what lies ahead. Many of us stay stuck in the past, and we can’t even see straight ahead. Paul encourages us to press on to reach the end of the race so that we can receive the heavenly prize that God is calling us to. Paul then goes on to say throughout the chapter that we are citizens of Heaven, and what we have ahead waiting for us is far greater than what this world offers us. When we forget the past, and look forward to what lies ahead, we are keeping heaven and its reward in mind while we live here on earth. When we have this mindset of pressing forward, we are reminded that it’s not worth staying stuck in the past.
Paul, who wrote the book of Philippians, is a great example of someone who didn’t stay hung up on past regrets. I imagine Paul may have had many regrets, for Paul had signed off on the murder of Christians. Yet through his pressing on and with the help of the other disciples, the church was built and grew. With the Holy Spirit’s leading, Paul was able to move forward and write much of what we now know as the New Testament epistles. With his new life, Paul encouraged other believers to let go of their past failures and press on toward what God has prepared ahead for them. We should strive to have a mindset like Paul had.
Let’s Pray:
Dear God,
It’s so easy to stay stuck in the affairs of this world, along with our past regrets. Father, please forgive us for regrets that caused you hurt or that involve sin in our lives. Please forgive us and help us accept your forgiveness so we can shed the regret and shame that is hindering us from moving forward. Lord, show us other areas of our lives that we are stuck in so that we can let them go as well. We want to be like Paul, who was able to let go of the past, and move forward toward what you have for us. We want to partner with you and share you with others until one day, we become citizens of Heaven. Remind us to keep looking forward and to keep looking up at you when the past creeps up in our lives. We want to run the race without carrying a heavy load of past regrets. Thank you for loving us so much and forgiving us every time we fail. Thank you for chastening us and pruning us, shedding things of our past so we can uninhibitedly move forward with you. We look toward the heavenly prize for which you are calling us. We love you, Lord, and praise you for your goodness.
In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Fantom rd
Alisha Headley is a writer + speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Stepping into her true calling, she left the corporate world behind as a former-financial VP to love on her family as a stay-at-home wifey + dog mama, while also being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom + power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God’s word. In her free time, Alisha enjoys road trips around the country, working out so she can eat her favorite foods, and creatively styling her outfits with a craft for fashion. Alisha is a proud wifey and dog mama living in Scottsdale, Arizona.
You can follow her blog by visiting her website or connect with her on facebook + instagram.
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