Hello Friend,

Welcome to this transformative 8-day journey where we will explore the path from living in pain to living in PURPOSE. This plan is designed to guide you through healing with the help of scripture, reflection, and declarations. By the end, you'll gain a deeper understanding of your life's purpose and be equipped to walk confidently into all that God has called you to be.

My prayer for you throughout this devotional is that you will invite and allow the Holy Spirit to come into those painful places. In my experience in order to be healed and set free we must allow Him the room and space to come in and heal only what He can heal. One of the best parts of healing is that He knows how we need to be healed. I pray that you would allow Him to heal you how He wants to, not how you think you should be healed.

For this we need to fully trust in our Abba.

I pray that you breathe through this devotional and not breeze through it. I have found that those pain points can cause us to want to quickly move through, so we can experience the least amount of pain and discomfort as possible.

In order for us to learn, grow and heal we have to do the work. We have to go through the process. We must not only go through but grow through.

We can grow through this together.

As we read this plan together and notice that you've hit a pain point (a trigger) that is a clue that you need healing in this area. This is actually a good thing.

Recognition is one key to healing. I pray you will continue to invite and allow the Holy Spirit to help lead and guide you into the deep healing that is needed.

With all that being said let's get started from living a life of pain to living a life on PURPOSE!

-Pastor Elizabeth

Day One

Step 1: Recognize the Pain

When we recognize the pain, we are acknowledging this is not God's will for my life. God didn't say we wouldn't feel pain, but we don't have to live there. Jesus came to earth according to John 10:10, “to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect-life in its fullness until you overflow!“

That healing you so desperately want is available, it is possible through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Friend, it's time to mourn and move in Jesus' mighty name!

I personally love to read the Psalms. King David pours his heart out to God, he cries out to the Lord, he laments to Yahweh and then he always brings it around to praise and worship.

As David recognizes the pain, as he acknowledges the pain, he is also realizing this is not God's will for his life. He knows who he is in Christ. He knows he is in a covenant with God.

David doesn't stay stuck in his pain. He mourns and he moves.

We can do this too as we take our rightful positions as children of the Most High!

In order for us to know that God doesn't want us to live a life of pain and suffering, we must get to know who God is. How can we know this?

We can know who God is by reading the Scriptures. We must get into the Bible and read it. We can hear who God is from other people, but I am here to tell you there is something so special about reading the Scriptures yourself and allowing it to read you!

The Bible is God's love letter to you. You are so loved my friend.

God's Word is alive and active and as we read it, we can see who God really is, especially on a personal level. This happens when we realize our identity is rooted and grounded in Christ.

I believe it is the only book in the world that as we read it, it also reads us! As we read the Word of God with an open heart ready to receive the Holy Spirit will highlight certain words and phrases that we need to hear. I will also add that we need receive.

Allow God to speak to you through His written Word.

The Bible is full of covenant promises for God's chosen. You are chosen.

God's Word is there for us as His children. And as His children we are co-heirs with Jesus Christ. God's Word is for the taking. As you read Scriptures on healing, take them! They are for you.

God wants you made well.

As we recognize the pain in our lives and read the Word of the living God, we are to take His Word like medicine. God's Word is absolutely healing and necessary to living The Blessed life.

I can tell you from personal experience that it took me many years to acknowledge the pain I had on the inside. I'm sure there are plenty of people that could tell you that I was acting out, living a sin filled life doing what I wanted when I wanted. If that sounds like you, you are in the right place.

You aren't alone.

I never allowed myself to be still or quiet because as soon as I did my thoughts began to race and they were all negative. Not only that but the quieter it was on the outside the louder it became on the inside. I didn't like that. I was very uncomfortable in the stillness. In the dark of the night my thoughts would rehearse all the wounds I suffered and held onto. The pain and shame would just re-play like a broken record, over and over.

Sound familiar?

If it does hold tight...there is HOPE!

And it's found in Jesus!

As I finally surrendered my life to Christ, I realized there was hope for me to live healed and made whole. There was hope that I could live in peace and stillness. There was hope that I could live a good life. There was hope that my life mattered and that I still had a purpose despite everything I had been through.

I have come a long way since I first found hope in Christ, but it all started with Recognizing the Pain.

So, today...as we start this healing journey together and work through Step One, I want you to acknowledge the hurt, the pain, the trauma, the shame... (fill in the blank).

I know it's hard.

I know it hurts.

I know its uncomfortable.

I know the enemy is telling you to keep quiet. That it doesn't matter. That you don't matter. Don't listen to those lies...those lies are what's keeping you from your healing.

Friend, it is necessary. And it's not only necessary it is possible. You are able to do this. By the grace of God, you are able to do hard things.

In Philippians 4:13 it says, "For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."

God will supernaturally empower you with His strength to do what is necessary on your healing journey!

You don't go in your own power but His!

If you are willing and able use your voice to acknowledge the pain. For me I started acknowledging the pain by writing it down. However, you want to do it, do it.

This is a huge step in healing. For those who decided to acknowledge the pain out loud I am so proud of you! I know it's not easy, especially at first.

For those who still find it extremely difficult to do and chose not to acknowledge out loud (yet), keep pressing into the Lord, keep reading this devotional, and just remember you can always come back to this starting point (and yes, I am proud of you too).

One thing I have found on my own healing journey is that the enemy would love for nothing more than for you to keep the hurt, the pain, the trauma...silent. He wants you to keep it deep inside your soul. He wants you to keep it a secret. He wants you to think there is no hope. He wants you to keep it.

Why?

Because if the enemy can keep you in your brokenness...he can keep you from your purpose. But we aren't having that in Jesus' name!

I am here to tell you HE IS A LIAR! He knows as you step out and acknowledge the pain, you are on the road to healing and freedom and he hates that. He wants to keep you in bondage. He wants to keep you stuck. He will do everything he can to keep you from living out your full potential in Christ Jesus.

I have been called to expose the lies of the enemy, and to help shepherd the sheep of God. And by writing this devotional that's exactly what I am going to do.

As your friend, who cares deeply for you...I am here to tell you, you can heal!

You can live in peace!

You can live in freedom!

But...you cannot experience these to the degree God has for you (in my opinion) if you do not recognize and acknowledge the pain.

Whether or not you were able to acknowledge the hurt, the pain, the trauma or not today...I am so proud of you for taking this vital step toward your healing.

By starting this devotional shows that you want healing, and you are actively stepping out to receive it.

Hallelujah!

That is huge and you should be so proud of yourself.

TODAY'S PRACTICE

Let's practice a breathing exercise together.

Inhale God's HOPE.

Exhale the fear.

Inhale God's PEACE.

Exhale the lies.

Inhales God's HEALING.

Exhale the pain.

TODAY'S QUESTION

-What hurt/pain/trauma need to be acknowledged today? If there is more than one, feel free to take them one at a time. Remember to breathe through this process.

-Were you able to verbalize the hurt/pain/trauma?

-If not verbalized, were you able to write it down?

-What emotions/thoughts/feelings do you have now that you have acknowledged the hurt/pain/trauma?

TODAY'S DECLARATION

Today I choose to recognize the pain. I declare living in pain is not God's will for my life and I refuse to live here any longer. Today I choose to follow step one and acknowledge the hurt, the pain, the trauma I have endured. I choose to acknowledge and release all of the pain in Jesus' name. I receive my healing according to the Word of God. I take my rightful position in Christ as God's chosen child and today I choose to mourn and move! There is hope, there is peace, there is healing for me according to my covenant, and it's found in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

MY PRAYER FOR YOU TODAY

Lord,

I lift up my brothers and sisters in Christ who have decided to read this devotional because they have a desire and a need to be healed and made whole. I pray that as they acknowledge the hurt, the pain, the trauma Lord that you are with them enabling them with your supernatural power and grace to expose the enemy in their life.

I pray that every secret pain they feel they need to keep tucked away and hidden is exposed now in Jesus' name.

I pray that you would give them the boldness and courage today Lord that they would say I've had enough and today I choose to receive my healing in Jesus' name! I pray that you would infuse them with your supernatural peace and joy through this whole healing process.

I pray that you would use what Romans 8:28 says and work everything out for their good. Those places where they are hurting, I pray that's where you would use them to bring healing and freedom to not only them but to so many others.

I pray that they would know that despite all that has happened to them, you Abba still have a good plan and purpose for their life. One that includes healing and wholeness in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.