Philippians 3:13-14 - "That Was Then, This Is Now"

That was then, this is now
You're bought by the blood, saved by the Son the saints all sing about

This song has been going around in my head since Friday. I couldn't remember all the words so I went to KLOVE and read them. As I did, I started praying for people who are struggling with the concept of God's grace. The Lord brought many to my mind and I started praying for...

• the alcoholic who struggles with sobriety...struggles with when he falls off the wagon if the Lord will accept him back...wonders if his wife will finally be at her breaking point and leave him
• the one who thinks they are not good enough to be a Christian...just when they think they are the enemy throws their past up to them
• many believers who are judgmental in their actions against others who are trying to live for the Lord even with a tainted past...I pray they will realize we all have a past yet the Lord died for all of us
• the one who allows her past hurts to have control over her life
• the new believer who has not learned how to live in God's grace
• the believer the Lord gave me the word 'obedience' for this morning
• the one who the enemy is telling she is inadequate in the way she serves God
• those who are carrying baggage from the past which is effecting their lives today

So go ahead, put the past in the past
Box it up like an old photograph 
You don't have to go back
‘Cause that was then and this is now 
‘Cause that was then and this is now 

In the book of Philippians chapter three Paul gives direction to the Church of Philippi to forget what is behind them and look to the prize ahead of them.

The only way to be successful in pressing on to the goal of eternal life with the Lord is to keep the past in the past. We must not allow the enemy to drag it back into our lives. We must confess our sins and allow the Lord to forgive us each and every day. We can't confess once and think we are done. It is an on-going process. We need to start and end each day with a clean slate in order to keep our eyes on the prize. If we have never truly dealt with our past, the enemy will bring it back over and over to tear us away from the Lord. Why would God allow him to do that? Why would God not stop the enemy? It is simple. The Lord uses such things to teach us. He, Himself, also uses things to test us. It is through testing that we draw closer to Him and realize a deeper faith.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy and grace. Thank You for the way You enabled me to work through my past in order to be who You desire of me today. Lord, may more people get to the point of living today as You want instead of living in their past. I pray against the enemy having any footholds in their lives. Lord, fill them up with more of You and less of themselves just as I pray for myself. Father, I know from experience You use my past to enable me to minister to others. But I also know my past is just that. It does not define my days. Woo hoo! You are so good! Lord, today I also pray for the one going to an attorney. I pray for doors that need opened to be opened and ones that need shut to be shut. I also continue to pray for the alcoholic who left rehab. Oh how I pray for someone to go before him who will be You to him...who will say or do something to draw him to You, Lord. Thank You for being My Goal! Amen.