Bill Keller's Devotional on Freeing Yourself from Your Past

Good morning, Happy Souls!

Are you feeling motivated this morning?
I certainly hope so.

I shared the good news about this new
blog with Bill Keller who writes the
Daily Devotional from www.LivePrayer.com/.
He kindly offered to let me repeat his
past devotionals that I thought you might
enjoy.  Here's one of my favorites from
August 18, 2005.

If you are not interested in Christian
messages, you may not wish to read this
entry.  But if you want to hear an
inspiring devotional, please do read on.

Bill Keller's devotional begins here:

YOU can be free from your past,TODAY!  This
message applies to every single person who
is reading this right now.  It doesn't
matter how old you are, whether you are a
man or a woman, what your skin color is,
what nationality you are, how much money
you have or don't have, this is a universal
message that is applicable to everyone. 
You see, nobody that has lived very long in
this sin-filled and evil world has escaped
the trials and tribulations of this life
and not experienced some sort of pain. 
EVERYONE reading this Devotional knows the
pain that comes from time to time during
this journey we are on.

For some, that pain was experienced in your
childhood through mental, physical, or
sexual abuse.  Some have experienced that
pain later in life through failed
relationships, many through being divorced. 
Everyone has lived through the pain of the
death of a loved one.  Many of you have
experienced the pain of financial
hardships.  Others have lived through the
pain of losing your job or other employment
and career issues.  Sadly, some have lived
through the experience of being a crime
victim.  Everyone has experienced the pain
from making poor choices at some point in
their life.  Most have had to experience
the pain of some bondage such as alcohol,
drugs, gambling, sex, food, money, shopping,
lying, or a myriad of other bondages that
people get caught up in.

NOT ONE PERSON READING THIS HAS NOT HAD TO
LIVE THROUGH THE PAIN THAT COMES FROM LIVING
THIS LIFE HERE ON EARTH.

Today, I want to share a word with you that
could be one of the most important things
anyone has ever told you.  YOU DO NOT HAVE
TO KEEP LIVING WITH WHATEVER PAIN YOU HAVE
FROM YOUR PAST.  Let me repeat that,
because I really want you to hear these
words clear.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP
LIVING WITH WHATEVER PAIN YOU HAVE FROM
YOUR PAST.  If you are, that is only
because you have CHOSEN to live with that
pain!

The fact is, God has made a way through
faith in His Son for you to put the pain of
your past behind you and live your life in
freedom.  Jesus has told us to give Him our
burdens, that He would carry them for us. 
The Bible tells us to cast our cares on Him,
because He cares for us.  You see, God
doesn't expect you to carry the pain of
your past with you each day.  He wants you
to live FREE from your past so that you can
enjoy the abundance that this life has to
offer.

Just hours before going to the cross, Jesus
told His disciples that in this world, they
would experience trials and tribulations. 
But He told them to "be of good cheer"
because HE has overcome this world.  You see
my friend, trials and tribulations are part
of this human experience, but God has made
a way through His Son for us to still enjoy
the abundance that this life can offer
despite those trials and tribulations.

The only reason you are carrying the pain
of your past with you today is because you
have chosen to believe the LIE instead of
the TRUTH.  Jesus tells us in John 8:44 that
satan is a liar.  He is the "father of
lies."  When he speaks, he speaks his
native language, lying!  God on the other
hand is TRUTH.  The Word of God is TRUTH. 
The lie of satan is that you have to carry
the pain of your past around with you each
day like a 1,000 pound anchor around your
neck.  The truth from God is that you can
take that pain of your past and give it to
Jesus.  HE WILL GLADLY TAKE THAT 1,000
POUND ANCHOR FROM YOU TODAY!!!

I love you and care about you so much. 
Everyone reading this Devotional today has
experienced some of the pain that this life
offers.  So many of you have never let go
of that pain and have simply learned how
to live your life each day with that pain. 
Because of that, you are missing the
fullness of the joy, peace, and abundance
that this life can offer.  Because of that,
you are not completely fulfilling your
purpose in this life which is to serve and
glorify God with your life.  Because of
that, you are not living in total freedom
and victory each day.

Right now, this very moment, I want you to
stop whatever you are doing.  If you are at
home, at work, at school, it doesn't matter. 
Stop whatever you are doing right now and
pray this prayer.

"Dear Father, I thank you for this day. 
I know that today was not promised to me,
but it is a gift from You.  Dear God, You
know the pain I have today from what has
happened in my life.  I am tired of
carrying this pain with me day after day. 
It is robbing me of my joy, of my peace,
of knowing the abundance that this life can
offer.  I trust Your Word today that tells
me that I can give this burden to You, that
You will take it from me.  I trust Your
Word today that tells me to cast my cares
on You, because You care for me.  In the
name of Jesus, I give You the pain of my
past today.  In the name of Jesus, I
surrender it to You.  Take it from me, and
fill me right now with Your joy, with Your
peace, and let me live from this day
forward in FREEDOM FROM MY PAST!  In Jesus
name I pray, AMEN!"

I will be praying for you today my friend. 
God loves you SO MUCH!  He cares about you
SO MUCH!  We live in an evil and sin-filled
world.  Because of that, we all will
experience pain in this life, but God has
made a way so that we do not  have to carry
that pain around with us for the rest of
our days.  He has offered to carry it for
us, to take it from us.  I pray today that
you will trust Him and give Him the pain of
your past and live in FREEDOM from this day
forward!

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

If I can help you in any way you can
contact me through my personal email at
bkeller@liveprayer.com

***ARE YOU 100% CERTAIN WHERE YOU WILL
SPEND ETERNITY?  The fact is you will die
one day.  At that moment, you will either
spend eternity with the Lord or be cast
into everlasting darkness forever separated
from God your creator.  To know for certain
you will be forever with Jesus, go to:
http://www.liveprayer.com/bdy_salvatn.html

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***I am excited to let you know that the
Liveprayer Daily Devotional is now
available via AUDIO each day.  Simply go to
http://www.liveprayer.com/DailyDevotionalAudio.html
Also, you can now listen to the Daily
Devotional by phone by calling 727-856-7055,
or access it on your wireless device by
going to:  http://wapdd.com

(C) Copyright 2005, Bill Keller Ministries.
All rights reserved.


May God bless you and yours today!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell