September, 2025
Dear Friends,
After the sermon ended and we started singing ‘I Surrender All to Jesus,’ a new thought came to me that changed how I understood surrender. It’s natural to feel uneasy at the idea of surrendering everything to Jesus. We may fear He might lead us down paths we dread or take away the things that bring us joy, leaving us to a life of misery. But that fear is rooted in misunderstanding. Surrender isn’t a forfeiting of joy—it’s the gateway to it. It’s a profound invitation into real FREEDOM!
The “Good News” is this: Jesus never drives His people by fear or into fear or bondage. 1 John 4:17a-18 says, “God is love…Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.” (NLT)
Jesus, our tender yet mighty Shepherd, guides us in His gentle strength and goodness. When He beckons us to step out in faith, it’s never abrupt—His grace has already been quietly preparing the way, softening our hearts and aligning our desires with His own. That’s the beauty of His grace: it doesn’t merely call us forward—it empowers us to respond. Even the hardest steps become possible when His grace is moving within us.
Letting go and trusting Jesus is not frightening—it’s powerful. It’s the most liberating choice we can make when fear and self-reliance have dominated our lives. Surrender isn’t weakness—it’s the breakthrough our souls have been waiting for!
As we grow in our walk with the Lord, He gently helps us recognize and remove things that weigh us down—some are simply unnecessary, while others are deeply harmful. In this issue, we’re focusing on forgiveness and the release of pain caused by others. Whether it’s a passing insult or a deep emotional wound, there is only one true Healer: Jesus Christ. He formed us with care, and He alone can restore every broken place within.
SURRENDER BRINGS HEALING
Here’s some great advice from Proverbs 4:20-23: “My child, listen carefully to my teaching and to everything that I tell you. Never forget my words. Keep them safe in your mind. They will give true life to anyone who takes hold of them. They will give health to your whole body.” (EASY)
Too often we never forget someone’s hurtful words to us. We allow them to replay in our minds over and over again. Like being bitten repeatedly by a poisonous snake—each time we replay the memory, it releases venom that floods our minds and emotions. This poison seeps down into our consciousness affecting the way we think and feel, it damages our relationships, and even our health.
God offers the antidote: He tells us to never forget HIS WORDS that bring healing, truth and cleansing from the inside out. And forgiveness is the first dose of that healing.
Ephesians 4:21-22 says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (NLT)
In order to experience wholeness, we must practice what I call “full circle” forgiveness. Let me explain. In Luke 6:27-28, Jesus urges us, saying, “…to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” (NLT)
Extending forgiveness is often one of the hardest steps, especially when there’s no apology or acknowledgment of the hurt inflicted. Yet forgiveness is only the first half of the healing circle. Jesus urges us to complete the second half of the circle by praying for those who’ve wronged us. This is what brings healing and wholeness into our lives. The power of God’s Word is activated when we put it into practice. James 1:22-25 reminds us, it’s in the doing, not just the hearing, that we begin to experience the fullness of His promises and healing to our minds and bodies!
Forgiveness isn’t about whether someone deserves it. It’s about surrender—choosing to release the offense and entrust the person/s into the hands of a just and faithful God (Romans 12:19). When we pray for those who’ve hurt us, we’re not excusing the pain; we’re allowing God to carry the weight and bring healing to our own hearts. I’d like to share a personal moment when I experienced this kind of full-circle forgiveness and the deep healing that came with it.
There was a season when arthritis gripped my hands with intense pain, making even simple tasks difficult. I came across an article linking arthritis to bitterness, and it got me thinking. At first, I couldn’t identify anyone I held bitterness toward—I had already forgiven those who had wronged me in the past. And yet a deep emotional ache still lingered whenever they came to mind. It persisted for years, like a tender bruise left behind after a wound. Each time a memory surfaced, it felt as though someone had pressed against that bruise, stirring fresh pain. So, I did what felt natural: I tucked it away, out of sight and out of mind. Yet despite my efforts to ignore it, the ache would resurface time and again.
I didn’t realize then that I had been given the authority to address it—to release it and invite healing into my mind and body. As I brought my pain before the Lord in prayer, the Holy Spirit gently revealed something I hadn’t seen: while I had forgiven those who mistreated and betrayed me, I hadn’t yet completed the healing circle. I had not prayed for the offenders’ well-being as Jesus taught us in Luke 6:28: “…pray for those who mistreat you.”
At first, praying for them was a little difficult. But as I persisted past my raw feelings, they began to melt, and I started seeing them through the Father’s eyes—eyes full of compassion and unconditional love. As I continued to pray over days and weeks, (Note: inner healing is not a 5-minute prayer!) I experienced a change—the memories that once brought so much agony started to subside. Prayer didn’t erase what had happened, but it transformed my perspective, as I no longer carried the weight or pain from it. Then something else remarkable happened: the arthritis in my hands disappeared! That was years ago, and even now, though my hands are busier than ever in my work, I remain pain-free. Forgiving “full circle” healed me inside and out!
Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].” (AMP)
God never asks us to deny our pain. Instead, He invites us to bring it to Him—to stop ignoring or burying it and place it in His hands, where restoration can begin. This is the heart of what it means to truly surrender all to Jesus: it’s the release of disappointments, bitterness, guilt, and painful memories that have settled deep within our souls. In their place, He offers healing and wholeness.
Today, maybe the thought of fully forgiving someone feels overwhelming or impossible. But that’s the beauty and power of God’s grace. God’s grace is not merely a comforting thought—it’s divine power that breaks the chains of sin and its lingering pain. Jesus said in John 8:32, “…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (NLT) In surrender, we begin to taste the freedom He longs for us to live in: emotional peace, mental clarity, and even physical healing.
The following are sample prayers drawn from Scripture that you can speak over those who have hurt you. The goal is not just to recite words, but to engage your heart with sincerity and consistency.
Forgiveness is often a process, and praying for those who’ve wounded you can feel awkward at first. That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in. He is your Helper and Advocate, ready to strengthen you when your emotions resist grace. If you struggle to pray this way, ask Him to empower you—to shift your perspective, soften your heart, and align your thoughts with God’s truth.
“…the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Romans 8:26 (NLT)
As you pray, trust that healing is happening—even if you don’t feel it right away. God honors every step toward forgiveness, and He is faithful to complete the work He began in you. (Philippians 1:6)
Prayer of Release and Blessing
“Father, I release those who have wounded me into Your care. I choose not to carry bitterness, but to bless them with Your love. May they encounter Your kindness in unexpected ways. Heal their hearts, and mine too.” Inspired by Luke 6:28 — “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
- Prayer for Their Healing and Redemption
“God, I ask You to help the people who’ve hurt me. If they were acting out of pain, meet them there. Show them Your kindness and lead them into the healing only You can give.” Inspired by Romans 12:14 — “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
- Prayer for Reconciliation and Grace
“God of restoration, if it is Your will, restore what was broken. Let forgiveness flow like a river between us. And if we never reconnect, let grace guide me and love be what I leave behind.” Inspired by Colossians 3:13 — “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Take these truths and practice them! Be intentional in your efforts to forgive, releasing the disappointments and hurts of others, forgive yourself, and even the Lord if necessary! Forgiveness all around! This is just the beginning of learning how to surrender everything to Jesus! As you continue in this manner, you will find other things you need to surrender as well! In prayer, the Lord lovingly helps you identify and let go of what no longer serves you. Like tossing heavy, even deadly cargo from a storm-tossed vessel, He knows what’s weighing you down and offers freedom in its place!
In His Loving Name,
Life With Father Ministries
If you don’t know where you will spend eternity or have strayed from your loving Shepherd, you can return to Him now and find rest for your soul, peace, and safety forever! Pray the following prayer and ask Jesus for new life…
Dear Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and ask for forgiveness. Scriptures say that you died on the Cross to pay for my sins, and I accept that. I surrender my life to you and ask that you be my Lord and Savior. Give me a new nature and new eternal life! Help me to release the pain within my soul so that I can be healed and experience your sweet freedom! Please give me the strength to live a life that is pleasing to you. Show me the next step you have for my life so that I can grow in my faith, bringing honor to your name. Amen.