Becky Harling
“I will be a Father to you, & you will be My sons
& daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” - 2Cor.6:18
The Invitation
“I am your Abba. Your name is engraved on the palm of My hand. You are My precious & dearly loved child. I love you beyond anything you can imagine! Before time began, I chose the very family into which you were born. I know that My decisions are sometimes difficult for you to understand, but trust Me. I can turn the messiest life story into the most beautiful of stories. As you were growing up, I was holding you close to My heart. Even in your darkest moments, I never left your side.
Human parents fail. Even the best earthly parents are not perfect & can leave emotional scars. If you allow Me to do so, I can heal your wounds. Fractured hearts are made whole in My presence. When you praise Me as your loving Abba, you unleash My healing presence. I will give you a quieted soul like a child who is completely comfortable with her mother. Praise opens your heart to experience My love & nurturing more completely!”
Focus your praise today on God as your perfect, loving parent. Scripture teaches us that He loves us beyond the most nurturing mother. If you suffered abuse as a child, know I am praying for you as I write this. I understand & have been there as well. But as I learned to praise God every day, He began to heal those wounds. I’m confident that He will do the same for you as you bring Him your praise & thanksgiving.
“Never again will they hunger; never again will they
thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb
at the center of the Throne will be their Shepherd; He will lead them to
springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
(Rev.7:16-17)
Listen
Listen to “Broken Hallelujah” performed by Mandisa
& “Hold Me Together.”
As you listen, praise God that He was with you in your childhood. If tears come, allow them to flow. Sometimes our worship is best expressed in weeping.
Pray
My Father, You are the One Who hears every cry of my heart & bends down to listen. I praise You for tenderly loving me as a mother loves her infant.
I thank You for the family into which I was born. Thank You that although I experienced _________________ [name hardships here: verbal abuse, neglect, harsh punishment, sexual abuse, spiritual abuse, forms of legalism, etc.], You were always with me.
You never left. Thank You for promising to wipe away every tear. You promise to heal, redeem, & restore all the broken places of my heart.
Thank You. I praise You, Abba, that You are able to heal any abandonment, depression, perfectionism, or other emotional issues linked to my childhood. Thank You for making all things—even difficulties in childhood—work together for my good.
Journal
Please
note: Today’s journal exercise will require more time than usual. You may want to postpone it until
you have adequate time.
Take some extended time today & journal about your childhood. It can be helpful to create a time line from birth to age 20. List both the good things you experienced & the hard things. How has your childhood impacted who you are today? How has God redeemed & healed the difficult memories?
Finish by writing a prayer of praise to God for being your Abba & for redeeming any pain you experienced in childhood.
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