Nicole actually wrote me over 1 month ago in response to my “Women Food and God” review. She wrote that it drew her to tears and the message that God wants to heal your pain really spoke to her. She told me then that it inspired her to confront her own eating behavior and to write a poem about it.

And this week, she sent that poem to me. I read most of it with my hand over my mouth, overcome with emotion.

I asked Nicole if I could share her story and poem with you. She agreed to share all of it. I believe it will be the catalyst for others who are hurting to turn to God for comfort rather than food, just as Nicole did.

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For many years, I did not truly trust God for my comfort. I begin eating to replace the pain of not having my parents in my life, then to cover or mask my fears, anxieties, or disappointments.  A few years ago, I ate also to replace my appetite for other things that I desired but could not have such as sexual pleasure and intimacy. Funny, how we use something that God gave us to enjoy and pervert it with addictive and abusive behaviors. This world and country is in denial that food is the next hit, shot, and overdose. Marketing and the food industry has obliged us with bigger, larger, and heavier portions for our delicacies and appetites.

Just recently I read on a blog, view God as the one who loves you so much that He wants heal your pain — instead of viewing Him as judge and condemning.  God is not condemning.  At that very moment, I became not the same.  I have been on this journey for a long time to lose the pounds of the pain; I am really set free to receive Him as my comforter.  I knew and adored Him as my redeemer, but now I trust Him as my lover and friend. I made a decision to Trust God for Comfort.   I was led to write a poem about it.

Trusting God for Comfort

How can I trust you when I could not let go.  When I would not say no —

How can I say yes to you, when in my mind was a “maybe.”

Once I thought I was stuck here, caught in an illusion — a dreamer deferred — it did not occur to me He died also for me to be freed in this area indeed.

Where were you comforter, when my mommy left me and my daddy stopped looking?

Where was comfort, when self-doubt, defeat, desires unmet was present?

I found comfort at 7 years old in a rice bowl, neckbones, and a glass of tea–really sweet!

All those days, I would wait and declare this is the day she would come for me — I am going to hide her in the closet so she can’t leave.  She has been running for so long — I guess that is where I learned it.

Where was my comfort? — it was in the second and third plate and a Dairy Queen’s Parfait.

Broken heart, broken promises, and potential not fulfilled — I thought it was better to pretend than to feel — that they loved me, comforted me, and was the real deal. I was so messed up, I pretended when he touched me it was a bad dream. Then, one day many years as an adult I remembered and he thought I used food because I felt so unclean. Maybe I did….

I had to ask the questions — what am I hungry for and what is eating at me?

Now on those long nights when my peace is dim and sleeping is hard, I reach out to Elohim to keep me and bring me peace.  God is the only one that can make us complete.  In my singleness, He is my source of protection, refuge, comforter, and redeemer.

I trust God for a “just right, Holy Spirit filled” man that is available, willing, and actively pursuing me.  Our Almighty God is waiting for us.  He wants to woo, love, and dine with us. What a beautiful dance it is to dance with the Heavenly Father!

I am a daughter of the Most High King. He is a mother to the motherless and a father to the fatherless.  I am royal and peculiar.  [He will redeem the time and heal the pain]

I am more precious than rubies.

I am valued and loved.

I am truly comforted by the Holy Spirit. He indwells and renews me daily.

I have come to learn how to Trust God for my comfort and so much more…

I rest in His Glory and I offer to you to open your heart and Trust in His comfort and receive eternal life.

©2010. All rights Reserved.  No duplication.
C. N. Henderson Speak LIFE Ministries

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Be blessed in health, healing, and wholeness,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

In fact, the word “devil” comes from the Greek word “diavolos” which means ‘slanderer’ or ‘accuser’. If you allow slander or accusation to rule your mind, then mental strongholds are built that drive you to destructive habits. That will eventually ruin your life.

To be victorious, you must be faithful in “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)”.

I have a special article by Rhonda Jones of thechristianmeditator.com to assist you with that. Rhonda shares some excellent advice on how to renew your mind to God’s word and defeat negative thinking habits for good.
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How to Defeat Negative Thoughts with Christian Meditation

by Rhonda Jones

As Christians we are in a battle everyday of our lives. It is not a battle with our mates, kids, friends, or even our bosses. The greatest battle that faces every believer is the battle with his or her own mind. But what does it mean to battle with the mind? Our minds or thoughts are usually contrary to God and the scriptures. Instead of focusing on faith we focus on fear. Instead of focusing on abundance, we focus on lack. Instead meditating on the word of God, we meditate on news, sitcoms, and negative thinking. These thoughts steal our peace and joy, and interfere with living out God’s promises.

Here is what the Bible says about our minds:

• Romans 1:28: “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.”

• Ephesians 4:23: “to be made new in the attitude of your minds.”

• 2 Corinthians 11:3: “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

• Romans 12:2: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern (conditioning) of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Paul said it best in Romans 7:21 when he stated that he knows what to do, but has trouble doing it.

• “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

You can see from these scriptures that believers truly have a mind problem. Ephesians Chapter 6 tells us to cast down every fiery dart that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bring every thought into the obedience of Christ. This is easier said than done because many of our thoughts are unconscious. They just play like a broken record in the back of our heads over and over again and we live our lives according to what they are telling us. It’s kind of like living on autopilot.

So how does Christian meditation help believers bring healing to their minds? Christian meditation helps us to still our minds so that we can observe the subtle and subconscious thoughts that we’re thinking. Spend a day recording every thought that comes to mind. Write it down. Then review your thoughts at the end of the day.

I had my daughter do this for a day and every thought she wrote down was negative and debilitating: “no one will ever hire me, I’m a failure, I’m ugly,” etc. It was no wonder she was having so many emotional problems at the time. Do you know that we would never let another person talk to use like this, but too often we say horrible things about ourselves.

The good news is that once you know what is going on in your head you can do something about it. You can change your thoughts and change your life. You can replace negative thoughts with God’s word.

By getting still and quieting your mind and filling it with the truth of God’s word through Christ-center meditation you can uproot negative thinking and replace it with thoughts of peace, joy, and purpose.

CLICK HERE to listen to a free sample of Christian Meditation now

Rhonda Jones is the author of a series of Christian meditation and relaxation CDs that encourages listeners to relax, spend more quality time with God, and learn to live more consciously and in the present.

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I hope this article blessed you. Go ahead now and check out Rhonda’s Christian Meditation sample so you can see how it works. Just click the link below, scroll down the page and you can listen to the sample. See for yourself how relaxing and soothing it can be:

CLICK HERE to listen to a free sample of Christian Meditation now

Be blessed in health, healing, and wholeness,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

P.S Please share this message with your email lists, on forums you visit, or on your Facebook, Twitter, or other social media pages. I need your help in getting the message out. Thank you in advance!

Note: Below is my original review of Women Food and God. Since then, I have since taken a closer look at the book and recorded a video with my additional thoughts. You can listen to it at the end of this post.

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You may have heard of a new book called “Women Food and God” by Geneen Roth about compulsive overeating. I heard it was featured on Oprah, but I discovered it by accident while browsing popular books on Amazon. The title intrigued me, so I bought it.

But I stopped reading on page 16. More about that later, but first I want to share a conversation I read on an earlier page. The author has a retreat for women who compulsively overeat and this is what one attendee told her over dinner. It is startling:

______________________

Laurie, a thirty-five year old CEO of a Boston mortgage company, raises her hand. “I am not hungry, but I want to be. I want to eat anyway.”

“Why is that?” I ask.

“Because it looks good and it’s here, right now. It’s the best comfort in town. What’s wrong with wanting comfort from food?”

“Not a thing,” I say. “Food is good and comfort is good. Except that when you are not hungry and you want comfort, food is only a temporary pallative; why not address the discomfort directly?”

“It’s too hard to address things directly, too painful, and there isn’t any end to it. And if it’s going to be endlessly painful, then at least I have food,” she answers.

“So you figure that the best you can get out of life is cold vegetable soup?”

When she talks again, her voice is quivering. “It’s the only true comfort I have and I am not going to deprive myself of it.”

______________________

That hurt my heart because I was once in the same place as Laurie. Even though I was “saved,” I did not trust God for comfort. At that time, I didn’t view him as one who loved me and could heal my pain. Instead, I viewed him as ready to judge and condemn me.

Reading that conversation alone was worth the cost of Women Food and God for me, but I stopped reading on page 16 because of this author statement: “It doesn’t matter whether we believe in one God, many gods, or no god.”

Oh, but it does matter! I believe there is no such thing as a weight management issue; it is all ultimately a life management issue.

Your belief about God determines how you view life, approach it, and what you expect from it. If you believe there is no god, then all you have is yourself as the compass to discern what is good and right. And we know all know how self-deceptive humans can be.

If you believe in many gods, then how do you know which to follow in a given situation? God is not the author of confusion.

I believe in the God who says in Isaiah 44:6: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me  there is no God.”

It makes a big difference when you view yourself as a daughter (or son) of the King.

I believe in the God who heals as said in Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.”

And I believe in the God who comforts, protects, and leads me in the right way as said in Psalm 23:4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

I have a personal relationship with the one true God, which I obtained through the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6): Jesus.

So I say to Laurie and to anyone else suffering from compulsive eating: “God is the true source of comfort and he wants you to expect more from life than cold vegetable soup! He wants you to experience eternal life, which is that you may know Him, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent.”

Open up your heart and let God comfort you. Trust him and you will be healed.

_____________________

Video Follow-up Review: Author’s Views on God

Did you find this information on overcoming compulsive eating useful? You can learn a lot more about starting the healing process through achieving a closer relationship with God and how to achieve healthy weight loss. Check out my Take Back Your Temple eBook and the 8 bonuses that come with it.

Click here to learn more.

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

Just the other day a question popped into my head: “Why do people eat?” My first thought was to relieve hunger. Then another question: “Why do people get hungry then?”

Have you thought about that?

God designed you so that you must eat to supply nourishment to your body. God gave you taste buds so that eating is pleasurable. Because it feels good, you want to do it.

God also gave you hunger so that it becomes uncomfortable when you don’t eat. So he gave you two “insurance policies” to ensure that you eat so that your body receives the nourishment it needs to stay healthy.

Here are 4 things proper nourishment does for your body. Just remember the word MINT.

• Metabolism – Your body needs nourishment to convert the food you eat into energy for you to work, play, love

• Immune Function – Your body needs nourishment to defend itself against disease

• Nerve Strength – Your body needs nourishment to maintain the messaging network that the brain uses to communicate with your body

• Tissue Growth and Repair – Your body needs nourishment to build muscles and heal wounds

But what if the food that you are eating is not nourishing? What if the foods you are eating are so addictive that not only do they crowd out the foods you need, but you are unable to control the amounts that you eat?

It is clear to me that this is an overlooked key to healing binge eating. The physical part of healing occurs when you begin to fulfill the purpose of food, which is to nourish your body. Healing foods are used to replace any addictive foods from your diet so that you can exercise self control in your eating.

Think about your current eating pattern – if you suffer from binge eating disorders, I doubt that you turn to salads or broccoli when you are emotionally upset. Instead you probably crave carbohydrate-heavy foods since the body breaks them down quickly, giving you an instant sugar high. You feel calmer – that is until the next craving hits.

To get off the roller coaster and start healing, then you must supply your body with the foods that keep it in MINT condition – foods that God made originally for your body like dark green vegetables (rich in magnesium, which is needed for all MINT functions) and fruits like apples, oranges, pears, and strawberry. You also need limited amounts of lean protein like beans, fish, turkey, chicken, lean beef, eggs.

And you do need some carbohydrates but they must be the slow processing kind like brown rice and sweet potatoes. That way, you won’t trigger the sugar hits that compel you to overeat. Be sure though to pay attention to how you feel when you eat carbohydrates until you know how much you can tolerate to stay in balance.

So in addition to prayer, using a journal so that you can identify your binge eating triggers, you must eat for nourishment to restore balance to your body. Your body will thank you for it!

Did you find my tips on overcoming emotional eating useful? You can learn a lot more about this topic and how to achieve healthy weight loss. Check out my Take Back Your Temple eBook and all the bonuses that you get with it.

Click here to learn more.

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

A barometer measures pressure in the atmosphere. I learned that when the atmospheric pressure is high in your area, that means fair weather because the atmosphere can resist stormy weather patterns that are trying to come into your area.

But when the atmospheric pressure is low, that means storms can come in to your area because storms take the path of least resistance.

The Spirit revealed this truth to me: The only was to overcome emotional storms is to keep the atmospheric pressure inside yourself high by being full of the Spirit. That way, when pressures are high in your external circumstances, you will be able to overcome them because they can’t get inside you – after all, you are already filled!

So from now on, think of your feelings as a barometer. When you are full of the Spirit, you are full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

But when you are spiritually low, you are habitually worried, troubled, fearful, doubtful, depressed, jealous, prone to anger, selfish, envious, and lack self control.

Don’t use spiritual lows as an occasion to condemn yourself though. Think of them as a warning sign that you need to retreat to the Father and build up the spiritual pressure inside yourself again so that you can resist the storm.

Praying, meditating on the Father’s word, and speaking it to yourself throughout the day keeps the spiritual pressure inside yourself high. These disciplines also inspire you to praise and worship Him.

When praise and worship fills your heart, then you will know that your Spiritual atmospheric pressure is high enough to overcome any storms that come your way.

I hope you start practicing this principle every day. As you stay filled with the Spirit and are led by the Spirit, you will live a victorious life. You will also draw others to Jesus because they will see the difference in you and want the peace that you have!

Be blessed in health, healing, and wholeness,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.

P.S. Do you know what is the #1 issue that stops women from reaching their ideal weight? Emotional eating! In the Take Back Your Temple ebook, I cover practical strategies for overcoming emotional eating as well as other “tests” that can sabotage your weight loss efforts – from night-time eating to food-pushing relatives!

One of the 8 bonuses that comes with the eBook is “Kiss Your Stress Goodbye” which provides over 40 strategies for managing stress effectively. Not only do you get the bonues, you get to try the program free for 30 days. If you are disatisfied for any reason, you may request a full refund, no questions asked - but, you get to keep all of the bonuses! There is absolutely no risk to you.

In my meditation, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that many people, especially women, use food as a form of retreat, a retreat from negative emotions or stress because they have come to associate food with rest, refreshment and renewal.

But this is an inferior way to retreat. And overeating eventually leads to more problems, such as weight gain. A good Christian weight loss program deals with the cause of the problem, not the symptom. When you resolve the cause, the symptom takes care of itself.

Father wants us to enjoy food but he also wants us to use it as it was intended – in moderation and to heal, energize, and nourish our bodies.

When we need a retreat, he wants us to retreat to Him for rest, refreshment, and renewal! Here are a couple of scriptures he gave me related to this (the bolded emphasis is mine):

John 7:38 (KJV)
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

Titus 3:4-7
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Father showed me that the real danger of excess in anything, whether eating or drinking or practicing addictions, is that they dull the ability of the person to hear his voice.

The Holy Spirit speaks to you all the time, but if you are burdened with worries, doubts, fears, overindulgence or addictions, then you cannot hear him.

And if you can’t hear him, then you can’t be led by him or apply his wisdom to your life.

That is why so many believers are not living victorious lives. They have static in their lives that is preventing them from receiving the Holy Spirit’s broadcast.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gave you free access to your Father. You need to build times into your day to retreat to him to pray and to meditate on his word. Doing this will renew, refresh and regenerate you so that you can face the challenges of life.

When your belly is full with the living water of the Spirit, then you will not only be refreshed yourself but you will pour out rivers of living water to others. You will supply refreshment to a world that is thirsty for answers, love and significance.

So today, resolve to retreat in the excellent way and go forth, full of the Holy Spirit into the purpose and plans our Father has for you!

Be blessed in health, healing, and wholeness,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

P.S. If you are struggling with overeating, stress eating, or just want to reach your ideal weight in a healthy, practical way, then check out my Take Back Your Temple ebook now. Remember, it comes with 8 bonuses, plus you can try it free for 30 days. If you are disatisfied for any reason, you may request a full refund, no questions asked – but, you get to keep all of the bonuses! There is absolutely no risk to you.

http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

But I am confident that you will agree it is one of the best investments you can make in your health and to improve the quality of your life. Try it today:

http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

But did that ever happen? No.

Instead, I would eat a piece but then the cake would start calling me: “Kim, come eat me…come eat me.” To shut up the voice, I would go eat another piece.

Was the voice satisfied then? No. It compelled me to eat another.

And I ate another. Then another. Finally out of complete abandonment I would get the remaining cake and a knife and a fork. I’d end up eating it all.

And just like the night follows the day, the condemnation would start. The same voice that tempted me in the first place would say, “You knew better than that. Why did you buy that cake? You knew that was going to happen. It’s only happened 10 million times before!”

Physically, I’d feel bloated, sick, and nauseous. Full of regret.

But you know what? I don’t do that anymore. And here is why…

I had to learn to become Spirit led. That was the source of my power to overcome an addiction that consumed my life for over 20 years.

You see, I learned that the Spirit’s voice is gentle, one of confidence and comfort, not condemnation. The Spirit’s job is to guide you on the path of God’s will for your life – and keep you there until you stand before God and he says, “Well done thy good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord!”

The Holy Spirit is your Helper. He has a one track mind – to do the will of God.

In contrast, the enemy is two-faced: He will pretend to be your friend, lead you to yield to your weak flesh, and once you’ve obeyed him, turn around and condemn you for it. He wants you to remain caught up in that destructive cycle because if you are running on his treadmill, following his dead-end plan, you will NEVER fulfill God’s plan for your life!

In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised his disciples: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

So if you have received Jesus as your savior, you have received power. Jesus himself received the spirit: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him” (Matthew 3:16).

Jesus only began his ministry after this happened. That is how he could do the powerful works that he did!

When you are led by the Spirit, you will make right decisions every time. Right decisions are ultimately the key to a successful life. The biggest clue that you are making a right decision is that even though your flesh may not like it, you will feel empowered and secure in your spirit. You will rejoice in the knowledge that you are following God’s path and plan.

However when you feel weak, condemned and discouraged by a decision you made – that is your clue that you are allowing the flesh to control you and not the Spirit.

To learn to walk by the Spirit, start now to ask yourself three questions about every decision you face today, no matter how small it is:

1. “What should I do Holy Spirit?” The bible assures us that if anyone lacks wisdom, God will give it to her if she asks Him (James 1:5)
2. Whatever the answer, ask “Does this decision give me peace?” A hallmark of the Holy Spirit’s guidance is peace and security. If you are still wavering or don’t think with certainty: ”This is what I should do” then continue to ask in prayer and wait before taking action. I believe if God knows your heart is to obey his will, then he will give you clear guidance.
3. Another way to tell if your decision is Holy Spirit led or just your flesh, then consider the outcome of both sides of the decision and ask yourself “Which decision makes me feel empowered?” If the decision will leave you feeling disempowered or lacking self control it is not of God since self control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Let go and ask the Spirit to take control once again.

Resist the urge to condemn yourself for your weaknesses. That is the voice of the enemy, not God:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

See your weakness as an opportunity for you to learn dependence on the Lord. Just like a baby learning to walk in the natural, it will take time to learn to walk by the Spirit. You may have a few stumbles, but eventually you will walk in faith and confidence.

Get in the habit of being faithful in this regard in the small decisions you make every day. Health-related decisions are excellent training for this since you face many of these decisions every day, from what to eat, how much, and whether to exercise.

Embrace these decisions rather than shrinking from them because if you can learn to follow the Spirit’s guidance in small areas, then when you must make a big decision, listening and obeying him will be second nature!

As you practice daily and stay committed to the process in both big and small decisions every day, you are guaranteed to fulfill God’s plan for your life.

And by the way, I still love Pepperidge Farm coconut cake. However, the Spirit leads me not to buy it unless others are around to share it. He knows my weakness and he gives me wisdom concerning it, which I gladly follow since I know it is for my ultimate good. And for that I rejoice!

To encourage you in this area, listen to the words of this song called “The Very Same Power”. The lyrics just make me want to shout for joy and I know it will do the same for you. Click the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i6mo6c_HDU

Be blessed in health, healing, and wholeness,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

P.S. If you are seeking a Spirit-inspired plan to help you with your weight challenges, then check out my Take Back Your Temple ebook. You get 8 free bonuses and it comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. If you are disatisfied for any reason, then you may return it for a 100% refund, no questions asked.

Plus, you get to keep all the bonuses! It’s a completely risk free deal.

Click the link below to learn more:

http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

God never intended for his people to be burdened. True, we will have challenges to deal with in this life, but God never built us to carry them. That is why so many people are depressed, anxious, worried, fearful and seeking escape through addictions. Because deep down they know that they are fighting a losing battle and they don’t know how to cope.

And yet, the solution is so simple.

In Isaiah 46:3-4, God says:

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
Who have been upheld by Me from birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.”

The solution is to surrender your burdens to God – to declare that you are transferring control of yourself and all that is under your authority – your body, mind, will, emotions, family, finances, your very life – under new management, under kingdom control.

But in order to release the burden and turn it over to God, you must trust him and you cannot fully trust him unless you are convinced that God loves you.

When you are convinced of God’s love, you want to draw near to him. As you draw near to him, he draws near to you and reveals his character to you. You know him and you grow in faith. As you grow in faith, you grow in trust. Do you see how beautifully that works?

Unfortunately, so many people shrink from a relationship with God because they are nursing unforgiveness, negative emotions, past mistakes, and secret sins and think that God condemns them for it.

But I’ve got news for you: God knows everything about you and he loves you anyway. And praise God, there is forgiveness and deliverance through Jesus Christ! There is NO condemnation in him. He loves you exactly where you are and all you need to do is receive his love and he will empower you to walk in the Spirit so that you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

When you refuse to accept the reality of God’s love for you through Christ Jesus (a gift of grace – unmerited favor), it is like shutting the door in his face. You also shut the door on his ability to intervene in your life and lift your burdens.

God gave me a process to release burdens and transfer your life over to kingdom control, which follows.  But the first step for release is to have a deep revelation of how much God loves you. So this is my prayer for you from Ephesians 3:14-20:

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Meditate on this word and tell God that you are opening your heart to him so that you can receive the fullness of his love through Christ.

If you know others who are burdened, please pass this message to them as well.

I praise God for his delivering power. May the saints of God wake up, shake off burdens, and manifest his glory to a world that desperately needs him!

Prayer and Declaration to Release Burdens

Speak the following declaration out loud:

“God, I know that you are my Father and I know that you love me.  You loved me even when I did not love you, so nothing I did or could ever do will make you love me more.

I know that if I refuse to believe that you love me, then I deny you because you ARE love. So I joyfully receive your love as a gift of your grace and all its fullness!

Your love is the most powerful force in the universe. Nothing can separate me from it. No demon in hell can stand against it. No situation is stronger than the power of your love.

Father, because I trust your love for me and your faithfulness, I declare that I am relinquishing control of everything I am and everything that I have to you and turning it over to you. I want my mind, will, emotions, body, house, family, finances, my very life to come under new management, under kingdom control.

In your kingdom, righteousness, peace and joy reign. In your kingdom, demons have no authority. By the authority of your kingdom and in the name of Jesus, I command any demons that are wrecking havoc on my mind, on my body, in my family, and in any aspect of my life to get out – go to a dry desert place never to return.

And in your place, I command that these reign in me and in my house:

• Love reigns.
• Joy reigns.
• Peace reigns.
• Patience reigns.
• Kindness reigns.
• Goodness reigns.
• Faithfulness reigns.
• Self-control reigns.

All of these reign because Jesus reigns in my heart. I thank you Lord that I am a citizen of your kingdom and have been endowed with all the rights therein.

I thank you that through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, I walk out the truth of your love and my kingdom citizenship daily. I am diligent to renew my mind to this truth daily. I esteem your wisdom, listen for it, and am quick to obey your direction.

I am a source of hope to those who are lost. They know that I am a disciple of Christ by my love. My words declare the good news of the kingdom and by my example, you God are glorified.

Thank you, Father, for your grace and for adopting me as your beloved child. Amen.”

I made this declaration myself and was filled with unspeakable joy. I walked around my house singing “Jesus Loves Me” over and over again. It might inspire you to sing too. Whatever form of praise is in your heart, express it boldly and enjoy your new freedom!

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ ebook
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/book

It was only when she learned how to trade fathers – her abusive earthly father for her heavenly father, that she could love herself and receive healing.

In her article below, Karen shares how she was able to forgive and gives other sexual abuse survivors hope that they too can begin to heal:

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Beginning to Heal from Sexual Abuse

By Karen Rabbitt, M.S.W.

When a parent or other authority figure exploits our childhood innocence for their own perverted pleasure, we grow up injured. Whether we realize it or not, we suffer from that childhood wound. Healing begins when we start seeing the wound clearly, recognize we’re not responsible, and find a compassionate listener.

Abuse is sin. It’s a sin when a parent treats us like an object rather than a person. When someone violates our personhood by using us for their own sexual gratification, that’s sin. We are gifts to our families and we deserved to be treated as such.

Don’t minimize the impact. The wound left in the wake of sin has consequences. We have trouble trusting, we startle easily, we struggle with self-worth. All those, and more, are a direct result of being mistreated. They’re not just “how we are” or our “personality.”

They are a result of our perpetrator’s sin. Someone violated our body/soul/spirit and took something they had no right to. They betrayed our trust and stole our innocence. We did not have the capacity to give permission.

And none of it was our fault. That’s the second piece. What happened. Was. Not. Our. Fault. No matter what the person who hurt us says, we did nothing to deserve sexual abuse. A small child, a young girl, an innocent little boy, does not have the capability to entice an adult.

The adult enticed himself, or herself. They acted out a scene they imagined in their own mind. They thought about what they did ahead of time. They created an opportunity to act. That is their responsibility. Not ours. The adult is always responsible.

Most of the time, though, they won’t take that responsibility, so we, their victims, have to give it to them. Not necessarily by talking to them and getting their “permission.” But by knowing, in our own minds, that we did nothing that deserved being victimized. We need to give responsibility where it belongs — with the one who hurt us. The perpetrator is always responsible.

And, thirdly, as you take the first steps toward healing, tell someone. Ask God to show you someone safe. Someone who will believe you.  someone who will tell you “It’s not your fault.” Someone who has suffered and has gained a measure of peace for themselves. Not necessarily the same suffering, but someone who understands pain. Who is kind and compassionate and will weep with you and encourage you in the Lord.

As you experience their reaction to your story, you will get a new perspective. You’ll experience their anger at what happened to you. You’ll recognize more fully the evil of the sin. You’ll feel their empathy as you look into their eyes.

Usually, growing up in an abusive household is growing up without empathy. Without someone who understands our feelings of sadness and anger. We grow up emotionally alone. We are meant to “weep with those who weep.” Jesus wants us to have a shoulder to cry on. Not that we’re meant to grieve our losses for the rest of our lives. But we must begin there.

In fact, Jesus, himself, is tearful with us. That’s the image that was most healing to me in my own recovery from sexual abuse — of Jesus weeping with me.

Read my story, which includes questions for personal reflection, in Trading Fathers: Forgiving Dad, Embracing God.

Read a free excerpt on my blog at www.karenrabbitt.typepad.com
Order an autographed copy from www.tradingfathers.com.
Or call 1-877-421-7323 to order.
Or order online or through your local bookstore.

Copyright 2009 Karen Rabbitt

Karen Rabbitt, M.S.W., a seasoned psychotherapist, has written for Marriage Partnership and Today’s Christian Woman, in addition to writing her own story, Trading Fathers: Forgiving Dad, Embracing God (WinePress, 2009).

Raised on an Illinois farm in a difficult family, Karen experienced traumatic sexual abuse as a child at the hand of her father. The devastation of this abuse eventually led to depression and serious mental illness in her twenties. After she recovered, Karen earned her Masters of Social Work degree and provided psychotherapy to Christian women from 1986 to 2005.

A Christian Leaders, Authors, and Speakers Seminar (CLASS) graduate, Karen now speaks and leads retreats with a particular focus on finding peace by choosing forgiveness. Now a grandmother, Karen still lives in Illinois and has been married to Jerry since 1972. She attends The Vineyard Church.

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Be blessed in health, wealth, and wisdom,

Kimberly Floyd, C.W.C.
Certified Wellness Coach
Author of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ eBook
www.takebackyourtemple.com/book