Jesus shed His precious blood for you and me. By and through our faith in Him, the bible says -“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

Does your past ever haunt you? I’m 53 yrs. old, divorced and remarried more than once, had seven younger brothers, raised two sons, went through the single parent thing, struggled with day care and worked 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet. I’ve made mistakes. I have regrets. And sometimes someone will bring something up or an event will trigger a thought causing me to wonder about things from the past. If I’m not careful, my whole day can be ruined because of something that happened years ago. I say the “Prayer of Serenity” often and ask God to help me.

I searched for scriptures that I could speak like Jesus did when He wielded the sword of the spirit and spoke back to the devil in Matthew 4:1-11. If you ever deal with your past, I hope these scriptures will help you, too.

Remind yourself (aloud) “1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4

Speak this one, too! “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

And “37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

Remember, since we’ve begun to seek Jesus we “THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].” Ephesians 5:1

Since we’re new creatures now, we can say aloud the 26th Psalm of David:

“1 Declare me innocent, O Lord, for I have acted with integrity;I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

2 Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.

3 For I am always aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth.

4 I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites.

5 I hate the gatherings of those who do evil, and I refuse to join in with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O Lord,

7 singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders.

8 I love your sanctuary, Lord, the place where your glorious presence dwells.

9 Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners. Don’t condemn me along with murderers.

10 Their hands are dirty with evil schemes, and they constantly take bribes.

11 But I am not like that; I live with integrity. So redeem me and show me mercy.

12 Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise the Lord.”

PS: Correction from last week: “God’s blessings include life with good health, prosperity for us and our kids!” Deut. 28:4 & 11