Treasured Ministries

Offering women a biblical solution for inner healing

prayer

She Was Powerful . . .Because She Forgave

by

The wound in her soul was hidden to her eyes but not to her heart. The hurt continued to haunt her life as it seeped out of her soul and stepped into her thought life. No matter how hard she tried to forget what happened, her mind automatically reached into her soul and retrieved the repressed hurt, replaying it again and again. The wound owned her, and it was growing bigger even though her offender was miles away. 

She wanted to be free. She felt powerless.

“Just forgive,” she heard her pastor say. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one each other just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

 But what IS forgiveness? Instead of this advice bringing freedom to her soul, it often brought frustration. She was tired of being a doormat others used to wipe their feet. But she had to do something. Her buried hurt emotions were building to the point of breaking her.

This struggle is my story. Is it yours too? Who doesn’t struggle with forgiving someone who hurt her heart?

Opposed to our human nature and often misunderstood, forgiveness is a hard concept to grasp. Forgiveness is not saying what happened was okay. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting what happened. Forgiveness does not mean trusting the person . . . but it does mean trusting God to handle the situation. 

Forgiveness is letting go of your right to retaliate by releasing your offender to God.

If you retaliate, you are allowing your offender to control your life. If you repress your emotions or deny them, you’ll swallow that anger and plant the seed of bitterness in your soul. Revenge, repression, retaliation . . . they all put you in a prison. But releasing the offense to God allows the GREAT I AM to control your life. And with that release comes freedom.

Being real about your hurt and bringing that pain to God opens the door for healing. Showing love to your enemies dissolves your offender’s power to hurt you because it confirms God is in control of your life.

When you release others, you open your hands to receive from God, the only One who can redeem and restore.

God wants you to be powerful, not passive. But godly girl power does not rest in revenge—it rests in love. Love is a powerful force and puts God in control instead of your offender. Forgiveness carves a path for the mighty river of God’s love and power to flow to you—and through you to others! 

God has a great purpose for your life. He wants you to spend your energy, your purpose—not dwelling on buried hurts or revenge, but focusing on his purpose for your journey. Focusing on God’s purpose for your life is an essential, effective way to live. You are not responsible for your offender’s actions, but you are responsible for how you respond. God saw what happened to you. He is not asking you to say what happened was okay—but he does want you to turn it over to him. 

For you to be okay, you must treat the wound his way.

When you retaliate, your offender is in control. When you respond in love and forgiveness, God is in control. Forgiveness carves a path for the mighty river of his love and power to flow.

Who will rule your heart? Your offender . . . or God? God never gives us a command without promising the power to walk that truth. On your own, this love is impossible, but with God all things are possible.  Don’t let your offender steal your power one more day. Wounds are never easy to deal with, – just for today take the first step…bring God your willing heart.  

She told God she was ready to forgive. She didn’t want to, but that was okay. God wrapped his arms around her and told her if she was willing, he would help her. It was a process and didn’t happen overnight. But when she let go of the painful relationship and released that person to God, a door opened in her soul. Redemption came in and healed the raw wound in her heart. God redeemed all that had been lost in ways beyond anything she could have ever dreamed.

She was free. She was fearless. She was powerful . . . because she forgave!

(Jesus said the truth will set you free. At Treasured Ministries we believe that two of the biggest barriers to forgiveness are misconceptions about forgiveness and how to practically put this command into practice. To discover more about this topic listen to these two podcasts.

“Forgive But Not Forget” by Beth Vogt
“How to Forgive” by Carla Ross

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 4:24-32

The Power of Prayer

by

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” (Ephesians 3:20–21 NIV, my emphasis)

Immeasurably more. Her eyes ran over those words and then lingered for a while. Immeasurably more. God can do immeasurably more than she could ever ask or imagine, according to HIS POWER.

She pondered on her faded prayers that had once been filled with so much passion.

A season of storms sabotaged her prayer life, making it small. Like the force of hurricane winds loosening the roots of a tall tree, the storms of life shook her faith to the core. The enemy lied to her heart about the storms and told her that God was not powerful . . . and her prayers faded. She felt afraid. She thought about her past year and the loss she had experienced. The loss in her life combined with her fragile faith made her feel powerless. Her insecurity swallowed her confidence. In response, her soul grasped for security by clinging too tightly to the people in her life, and she began to walk under the false illusion of control.

This led to more insecurity and fear because when she tried to control her circumstances, her circumstances began to control her. Worry, fear, and anger surfaced as she tried to control what ultimately, she could not.

And she was weary.

The Lord looked at his treasured one with love. No storm could ever separate them. He nourished her heart with truth and reminded her of the power of prayer. With tears in her eyes, she sank to the floor and let her prayers flow. People were there for her to love, but they could never give the security and life she was looking for.

Godly girl power flows from great expectations laid at the feet of our mighty God, who can do “immeasurably more” than we could ever ask in prayer.

Sometimes we can “self-sabotage” our prayer life because we pray based on what we think we deserve instead of WHO GOD IS.  The enemy can use a storm, or our past, or even our religious traditions to keep our prayers small. Don’t let the enemy fool you, wise woman. Pray prayers based on WHO GOD IS and remain faithful regardless of the outcome. Don’t filter your prayers through what you think you deserve—let your prayers flow like a mighty river and let God filter the results through his pure and perfect will to bring glory to his name.

Hey, treasured one, revitalize your prayer life this week by recapturing the awe of your God.

The God you serve is an “immeasurably more” God. Yahweh is the source of your strength. The Lord is his name. King of kings. Lord of lords. He is a strong tower. A fortress. He is mighty to save. The winds and waves obey his commands. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). He is Lord over all. “For from him and through him and for him are all things.” (Romans 11:36)

Great expectations in our mighty God through prayer gives us the freedom to let go of trying to extract from people what only God can give us. When our expectations rest in the Lord, we can let go of others to truly love them.

Much as a watering can must be filled before it can pour water out and bring nourishment to plants, we must first be filled with his love to give love out. And as the watering can pours out to others, a greater capacity is created to receive even more. When we are trying to extract from people what only God can give us—it is as if we are watering cans going to other watering cans trying to find water.

Think of bold prayer as positioning yourself to fill your watering can to nourish your heart so you can nurture others. To have some understanding of God’s love, we must experience it. To experience it, we must receive it. Each time we experience his power in answered prayer pushes the roots of our soul deeper into his love and makes us strong as we trust in Him. Only when Christ becomes seated at the center of our heart through the humility of prayer and our roots are deep in his love can we truly love others with his love. And that is godly girl power (Ephesians 3:14–21).

Prayer will grow your roots deep in God’s love because you are placing your trust in him. When your roots are deep in God’s love, you will bear the fruit of his love to others.

You have only one life. Pray with great expectation. Live a life worthy of your calling by receiving his love and giving it to others. Fall on your knees in prayer and trust the one who can bless you beyond measure so you can be a blessing to others.

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 3:14–4:6

Are You Feeling Powerless During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

by

3 Ways Overcome Powerlessness by Remembering Your Rescuer

Never before has there been such craziness in our circumstances. It is paramount that we remember our Rescuer during this season. We can feel pulled into a place of despair that puts us at the door of panic. But let us be intentional about seeking God’s face during this time. We may be social distancing, but we do not have to be spiritually distant. 

Some have said to me that they are choosing gratefulness during social distancing. They are using it as an opportunity to retreat into God’s presence so that they can then respond to others in love. I invite us all to look at our circumstances as a holy pause, one that is a gift from the Lord where we can find strength and refuge under his winds of protection. 

The coronavirus will not separate you from the Father’s love. It will not separate us from each other spiritually. We have a choice to use this time to build each other up in the faith—virtually!

Though we are miles apart, we are still one body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). We are not in this alone. The enemy of our souls will attempt to create a drumbeat that speaks disparaging words about…

  • God
  • Others
  • Our circumstances
  • Ourselves

But I say no more!

It is time we remember the promises of God!

God Is in Control During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Many of you may feel isolated and powerless during this time of social distancing. Perhaps the drumbeat the enemy is playing in your ear right now is a repeat of an old tune you stepped to in your past. 

When situations feel out of control, we can unknowingly step into a place of a victim mentality. But as a child of God, you can depend on him rather than your circumstances. 

Here’s How to Remember Your Rescuer During the Coronavirus Pandemic

God Calls Us to Remember

“Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called ‘uncircumcised heathens’ by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.”—Ephesians 2:11 (emphasis mine)

The Greek word for “don’t forget” is to call to mind over and over again. Some translations say, “remember…” When we “call to mind over and over,” we are quicker to remember and rest in the place of God’s rescuing power. 

Therefore, when circumstances tell us to doubt, we can pause and proclaim God’s promises. As we proclaim, we are placed in position to receive Christ’s rescuing hand instead of focusing on the storms of life.  

Remember… You are not separated from God, but are now a citizen of heaven and in covenant relationship with him because of the blood of Christ!

God Calls Us to Reflect

Not only can we reflect on God’s goodness, but we can also be a reflection (or imitate God as the verse below says) so that others see him in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”—Ephesians 5:1-2 (emphasis mine)

You may ask, “How can this be done while we are social distancing?” 

Treasured One, we can look at this situation as a holy pause. It provides opportunities to reach out to others and give a good word to them virtually. 

Spend some time each day reflecting on God’s goodness. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a message to share with someone else. 

Even though we are exercising social distancing, we can share a message from our Rescuer that reflects his power by reaching out through…

  • Facebook
  • Text
  • Zoom
  • Skype
  • Phone calls
  • Facetime

And let us not forget handwritten letters!

God Calls Us to Renew 

As we wake each morning, let us renew our minds with a good report from the good Word. We can be overwhelmed and feel powerless when we see the giants in our circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic. 

However, we have a choice. Will we give a bad report or a good report?

There might be people or circumstances that push us to disagree with a good report, but let’s choose to renew our minds with God’s new mercies and grace today!

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”—Lamentations 3:22-23 (emphasis mine)

The Takeaway

Treasured One, hear this: The blood of Christ covers you. When you are fearful or feel powerless because of the coronavirus pandemic, take a moment to pause and…

  1. Remember you are in God’s family.
  2. Reflect on and be a reflection of God’s goodness. 
  3. Renew your mind and agree with the good report of God’s mercies and grace. 

The blood of Jesus gives you the guarantees of an inheritance that blesses you with…

  • Rest
  • Peace
  • Restoration
  • Salvation
  • Redemption
  • Joy
  • Abundance!

Let us not adopt a victim mentality during the coronavirus pandemic, but instead adopt the mind of Christ. Pause for a moment and invite the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to seeing this circumstance from a different perspective, from your Rescuer’s perspective. 

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”—1 John 4:4

Want Resources During Social Distancing? 

Check out the Treasured Devotions Series. Currently, we are going through Godly Girl Power–we are tapping into God’s power, which will empower us as women!

Join the Treasured Tribe, which will allow you to connect with others who are doing the Treasured Devotions.

Get started on a Nourish Bible Study Series. These 3 studies allow you to dive deep into God’s Word throughout the week. Get a group together and meet on Zoom, Facebook, or Skype weekly to discuss the study. 

Don’t let the enemy keep you from meeting together spiritually. What God has brought together, nothing can keep apart, and he is bringing women everywhere together virtually during this time!  

United

by

Great and gracious Father, my breath is taken away at your generosity in my life. 

You ask for my faith in Christ and trust in you, and in exchange you give me access to every promise given to Abraham. By faith, I share in the rich nourishment that flows from the abundant inheritance of God’s family. 

I renounce every lie from the enemy that I have received that produces a scarcity mentality. I instead choose to believe this truth: I have been entrusted with abundance beyond what this world can give me. 

To activate that abundance, I must act because faith and actions always walk hand and hand. 

Today I receive your abundance so that tomorrow I will have the capacity to give to others with the same abundance you have given me. 

Give me wisdom to discern true strength. Let me not fall for a flattering tongue or falsely assume that people who persuade others or have a title necessarily carry your power. 

Let me be wise choosing those I walk with today, because the people I spend time with influence me. Let me stand with those who stand with you, even if that means I need to be different or face rejection. Let me find contentment in your acceptance alone. 

I confess that charisma and charm have deceived me before and created unhealthy connections in my life. I saw people, instead of you, as the source of my strength. My desire to fit in eclipsed my desire to follow you. 

Today, give me wisdom to choose to stand with the strength that only you can provide. Abba Father, I want to align my life with you because your power produces love, and love is the most powerful force in the world. I am answering your call to be strong in the Lord and in YOUR mighty power. Amen. 

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-Ephesians 3:13

What Is the Heart of God?

by

God’s heart is that your heart will align with his. Through this divine alignment, you embrace your identity in Christ and become who he created you to be.

Jesus wants to be more than your Savior. Jesus also wants to be the Lord of your heart. When he reigns in your heart, he unlocks the doors that have been closed to your purpose. You become free to live the life God intended. 

This is God’s joy. 

This is the heart of God.  

3 Keys to Unlock the Heart of God 

  1. The Heart of God Is for You to Pray Bold Prayers

Many of us know that we can “boldly approach the throne of our gracious God” (Hebrews 4:16), but how often do we pray bold prayers? Prayer is a beautiful privilege available to you, as a daughter of the King. He is your Abba Father and longs to hear what is on your heart. He also wants to remind you of what is on his—a faithful promise he intends to keep. 

Bold prayers are more than asking for what you need; they boldly proclaim God’s promises over your problems. 

Through a bold prayer life, you can make your requests known. It also opens up your heart and mind to remember and receive the promises of God. 

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’ And through Christ, our ‘Amen’ (which means ‘Yes’) ascends to God for his glory.”—2 Corinthians 1:20

Bold Prayers Unlock…

  • The hope needed in hopeless situations.
  • The change needed in your thought life to move from oppressed to optimistic. 
  • Faith needed to face your fears.  

The Enemy of Your Bold Prayers

While God calls you to embrace a bold prayer life, the enemy will use any distraction to keep you from coming to Jesus with an authentic heart. Instead of listening to the lies that say, “It is too dangerous to open your heart,” decide today to nourish your soul by watering it with the Word. 

Do This… Find one of God’s promises that speak to your problem and proclaim it!

  1. The Heart of God Is for You to Walk by Faith

You know the verse Isaiah 40:31 that says, “… those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” 

God designed you in a specific way for your faith to grow stronger as you connect with his perfect love.

It is during this season of wait that the seeds of the Word, planted in your heart, are creating an abundant harvest. It’s also during this season you nurture what is possible. 

What does that mean? It means that during the wait, God allows you to walk by faith, displaying his glory and promises to others. Displaying his glory isn’t something you need to strive to do. It supernaturally occurs when you lean into him for strength. 

In this walk, it is the heart of God that others will be nurtured.  

“And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.”—Luke 8:15

Walking by Faith Unlocks…

  • The encouragement you need to keep moving forward in your purpose.
  • God’s glory, displaying it for others to see.
  • The belief in the abundant harvest that is promised to come. 

The Enemy of Your Walk of Faith

Because God wants you to walk by faith, the enemy’s tactic is to create doubt, dwindling your faith little by little. He wants you to see it to believe it. He whispers lies such as, “If God wanted you to overcome this problem, you would have already.”

Instead of listening to the lie, decide today to believe what is waiting for you, a hope and future (Jeremiah 29:11). It is easy to believe in the harvest, but it takes faith to believe it will come when there is no sign. It is in these moments, when we completely surrender, that God’s goodness will overflow in our souls. 

Do This… While you wait, reflect on what God has already fulfilled in your life. Remember, he’s not done with you yet (Philippians 1:6).

  1. The Heart of God Is that You Affirm Your Identity

Who hasn’t questioned their identity? The words from our past often create questions of who we are. From there our minds race to questions about our purpose in life. John 8:36 says that “if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

Do you believe you are free? God designed you for a purpose, but that purpose can only be fulfilled once we understand our identity in him. Imagine you have a lamp so powerful it has the potential of illuminating a forest in the dead of night. But unless that lamp is plugged into the proper power source, its full potential is never experienced. 

In the same way, you can plug into the source of your identity. As soon as we “unplug” from God, our light begins to go dim.  

“’You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.’”—Matthew 5:14-16

Affirming Your Identity Unlocks…

  • The heart of God, aligning your desires with his.  
  • The empowerment to become who God created you to be.
  • The spiritual weapons that remind the enemy that you will never be separated from the perfect love of Christ. 

The Enemy of Your Identity

Words have power. God spoke a word of life over you the moment you were born again. But the enemy attempts to pull you back into your past. He says, “You haven’t changed.” Thank God he changes us! 

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”—Psalm 51:10

Do This… The next time the enemy creates doubt, remind him there is no doubt of your identity in Christ.

The Takeaway…

The heart of God is for you to embrace your identity in him, and he will reveal who you were created to be. Your heart matters. You have a purpose that matters. Connecting with God’s heart through his Word unlocks that purpose. The keys are…

  • Bold prayers
  • Walking by faith
  • Affirming your identity

Let’s decide today to change our thought life and have a heart for God’s glory! 

Download the My Heart for His Glory PDF HERE. This PDF helps you identify lies that stand in the way of your purpose and connect you to the heart of God.

Healing Past Hurts Through Prayer

by

We read in the Bible that prayer is powerful. It has the power to break chains of anxiety, shame, and doubt. But what about healing hurts? Can prayer begin to heal your soul from past hurts? When those prayers are given to God, he will dispel the darkness of your past hurts by the healing hand of Christ. 

Why Past Hurts Won’t Heal

Past pain causes us to suppress our feelings. Satan’s goal is to cast feelings of shame and guilt about the hurt you’ve experienced. Ultimately, he wants you to hide it away, never giving it to God, which keeps you from experiencing the healing that comes from Christ.  

The Bible says that Christ makes all things new…

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”—2 Corinthians 5:17

Shame and guilt are the ways the enemy traps us into remaining voiceless. His whispers motivate us to hide. This can cause us to isolate ourselves even more, preventing the freedom we desperately need. Jesus is the only one who can heal past hurts and provide hope. 

In order to begin healing, we must bring our past hurts into the light of the Lord so he can begin the healing process. 

How to Start Healing Past Hurts though Prayer

In prayer, ask God to reveal what is hidden…

  • You may feel hesitant to ask God to begin revealing past hurts, but remember that Christ fulfilled the law, casting your sin away from you as the east is from the west. Satan cannot use your sin to condemn you or keep you from coming to the Healer of your soul!

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”—Psalm 103:12

… because the enemy wants you to hide.

“Jesus answered them, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.’”—Luke 5:31-32

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”—Romans 8:1

In prayer, confess to God what is on your hurting heart…

  • When you confess, you are declaring your dependence on God and stripping away the lies the enemy has used to hold you down. To confess is to speak openly. I know that it may seem awkward at first to speak openly in prayer, but this declaration announces to Satan that his lies will no longer condemn you.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”—1 John 1:9

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”—Proverbs 28:13

… because confession disarms the enemy.

  • The enemy wants you to remain quiet. When you announce your dependence on God, it activates his strength within you. Confession breaks the silence of the enemy, taking away his power over you.

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”—Philippians 4:13

“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”—Colossians 2:14-15

In prayer, surrender your past hurts to God…

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”—James 4:7, 10

“I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.”—Jeremiah 10:23

… because it is there that you will find freedom. 

  • After you have asked the Holy Spirit to reveal the past hurts that are holding you back from your freedom and purpose, you have a choice. You can embrace the freedom you have in Christ or listen to the words of the enemy that attempt to pull you back into hiding. 

The beauty of the Gospel is that God will take all things and use them for your good and his glory. But we must rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), choosing his way of surrender. 

This may be an hourly or daily choice for some, but over time, God’s Word will prosper in your life. Each moment of praise, prayer, and verse you declare to the Lord is a seed that will produce a great harvest. 

Allow the Spirit to water your soul and watch as God turns your pain into promises—for his glory.

“On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.”’”—John 7:37:39

“’You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.’”—Genesis 50:20

Are you looking for a way to use God’s truth every day to counteract the lies of the enemy? Then download My Heart for His Glory for FREE!

It’s a PDF designed for you to use anytime you feel hurtful words of your past try to open wounds that have been healed by Jesus.

Get your FREE download HERE!