I woke up, excitement filling my heart, and rolled over to check on the time. It was only 3:00 in the morning, and I knew I had to try to go back to sleep. As I lay there pondering the vivid dream I just had, joy and hope began to flood my soul. In that dream, God had whispered truths to me, revealing that the chains of yesterday are broken, reminding me that my past does not define my future. I could almost feel the weight of those old burdens lifting, the promise of a new beginning sparking a renewed sense of purpose within me. With every moment of reflection, I realized that God cares about what burdens me and I felt a surge of gratitude for what He will do in my life.

I replayed the dream in my mind. There I was chained to this old dungeon-like cement prison wall. Water was dripping in the background and it was cold and smelled of mold. I was bound and shackled by loose fitting chains that held my hands and feet against the wall. Every time I would try to move forward, the chains would stop me and pull me back to the place of bondage. But then I saw Jesus and immediately the chains around my hands and feet were loosed and I was set free. I walked away leaping and singing praises to God no longer chained to my bondage.

Breaking Free From the Past

I wrote about this last week here and God wanted me to expand on His truths about breaking free from the past. So often, we can not move forward in the blessings God has available for us because we are holding on to something that happened to us in the past. We could be holding on to a broken relationship, verbal or physical abuse, abandonment, a traumatic event, a past sin, a past failure, or even church hurt. Many times we hold on to it so tightly that we begin to allow the pain to shape our lives and our future.

The pain we carry with us runs deep and we begin to define ourselves by this pain. We try to move ahead thinking everything is ok, but we are subconsciously carrying the weight of our past hurts with us into our seemingly new beginnings. God doesn’t want to just set us free, but He wants to literally break those chains that are holding us back from fulfilling everything He has for our lives. He wants to do a new thing in us. We cannot grab hold of the future until we let go of the past and allow God to completely heal the areas that have us bound. Isaiah 43:19 says:

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

God is actively at work in your life, transforming you, and providing new beginnings.

Only when we release our past to God can He work in our lives. He can’t fix us if we are holding on with clenched fists to those things that have hurt us. We need to let go and surrender our pain to God so we can soar to the heights of God’s calling for our lives. His healing power will set us free.

Breaking Free From Others Labels

You are not determined by others’ opinions or your past struggles; your true identity is defined by God, the Creator of the universe, and He says:

You are Beautiful…..Psalms 139:14

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

You are God’s Workmanship….Ephesians 2:10

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

You are Strong and Courageous….Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

You are Victorious….1 Corinthians 15:57

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

You are Loved….John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not parish but have everlasting life.”

You are a New Creation….2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

You are Forgiven….1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

You are Accepted….Romans 15:7

“Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also receive us, to the glory of God”

You are made for a Purpose….Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

You are God’s Masterpiece….Ephesians 2:10

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

You are Precious to God….Isaiah 43:4

“Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you….”

You are no longer a slave, but a son/daughter of God….Galatians 4:7

“Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

You are established, anointed, and sealed by God….2 Corinthians 1:21-22

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and give us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places….Ephesians 1:3

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

You are Free….John 8:36

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

You are Protected….Psalm 121:7-8

“The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore”.

You are treasured….Deuteronomy 14:2

“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

You are More Than a Conqueror….Romans 8:37

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

You are Chosen….John 15:16

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…”

Break Free Into Your New Life

As we read over these scriptures and begin to declare them out loud, our lives will begin to change. We will stop believing the lies of the enemy and begin to see ourselves the way God sees us.

The more you declare and reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your thoughts will begin to align with what God says about you. Fear will be replaced with faith. Despair will be replaced with hope. Disappointment will be replaced with reappointment.

When you feel yourself tempted to doubt your worth, begin to picture Jesus holding you, looking deep into your eyes, and telling you, “Are you not absolutely loved by Me?” Have you forgotten who you are? The Lord has anointed and appointed you. You are called by Him and have a purpose in this life.

I read something the other day that said; “just because something is broken and beaten up, doesn’t mean it is any less valuable.” You are so valuable to God. He wants to do a new thing in your life. The new He is doing has never existed before. He wants to help you break free from the bondages of your past so He can promote you into your new life.

Conclusion

Jesus wants to take your past and make you new again. Stop meditating on the things that are bringing you down. Quit allowing the past hurt, failures, and words spoken over you keep you bound to the past. As you begin to release the pain of yesterday to Him, it will begin to lose its power over you, freeing you to embrace the newness Jesus has for your life. You will start to experience a profound freedom in places where you were once held captive, allowing you to step boldly into the future He has prepared for you. You were never made to wallow around in the puddles of the past; instead, you were designed to emerge yourself in the deep waters of God’s blessings. You were made to soar on high, daughter of the King, to claim the abundant life that awaits you, filled with purpose and love, empowering you to share your testimony and be a beacon of hope for others still struggling in the shadows of their past.