Finding Your Destiny By Making Sense of Your Past Through Prayer Ministry
I have worked with Jennifer (not her real name) who referred to her mother as “Jezebel.” Jennifer’s mom had been very controlling all her life. It left her feeling powerless in many of life’s circumstances, unable to believe God is there for her, always 
second guessing herself. Her thoughts were often filled with how hurtful her mom had been. She had yet to come to terms with this pain.
There was a young man interested in ministry, who excelled at the best seminary and was a rising star in his denomination. No one was as devout and committed. He zealously went after the error he saw in other congregations. But one day he came face to face with what he had become. The Apostle Paul struggled with having his identity in what he did more than in who he was as a loved child of God. He came to terms with his past and his mistakes. 1 Cor.15:9, 10: For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am…
Another young man was sold into child slavery by his own family. He faced that pain and God promoted him. The day came when he met his family again. Far from bitterness he said, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen.50:20). Joseph came to terms with his pain and found a way forward.
Knowing ourselves, what drives us, and what we value, has to do with how we have let God into our past events to make sense of them.
My father was really abusive growing up and in prison most of my adult life. I’ve had to make sense of that, come to terms with it and learn to live fathered by God and not in independence.
We all have areas of pain and failure. We fight to not look at them with denial. However, if we can face our pain, accept it and give it to God, we find new core values that guide us forward. There’s a lady that had an unplanned pregnancy at age 19 who now runs a home for other young women in that situation.
Jennifer now has compassion on her mom. She sometimes still has to set boundaries with her, but it is done in love and not devaluing. Birthed out of her pain is a ministry to be a spiritual mother to many young women who haven’t had a role model.
I believe many Christians have not found their destiny because they haven’t faced their pain and learned the lessons therein. We can break things off our lives in Jesus’ name, we can speak faith and cast down negative thoughts, we can even find roots of judgement we’ve made and forgive, however, none of this can replace coming to terms with our pain and mistakes. We have to make sense of it. It doesn’t just go away on its own. People who are really free can tell you why they’re free, how they’ve worked through the pain and what that has meant to them. They have empathy, understanding, and compassion on those who have hurt them and on themselves for the mistakes they’ve made. Because of this they have core values out of the lessons learned that guide them forward.
Making sense of your past to find your destiny is a main way we help people at Fountains of Life. Email us today if you feel stuck moving toward your destiny.