Forgiving, Healing, and Breaking Free: What God Can Do With Your “Yes”

I say this with nothing but love, as a girl that has been there: Beautiful friend, you don’t realize the true weight of unforgiveness until you heal from it; until you let it go.

If you battle with unforgiveness, please read to the end. It’s a long one, but a powerful revelation. God can heal what we are powerless to heal ourselves. God can pour peace into your pain and you can be set free. It’s not what we can do, but what He can do within us when we partner with Him in the journey.

There was a season in my life, not too long ago, that I didn’t think I would ever forgive someone that had hurt me. Someone specific. And the crazy thing was, the Holy Spirit didn’t press the issue. There was no shame placed on the unresolved anger and resentment. There was no guilt to forgive out of obligation and law. Just love. His love. He blanketed ME in love.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say I felt justified in my unforgiveness and anger. And if anyone knew the circumstances, they’d probably agree. Honestly, it was pretty easy to explain away. But here’s the truth from which I couldn’t escape, no matter how hard I tried: That didn’t change the fact that it was eating me from the inside out and keeping me frozen in place, unable to move forward because of the chain that it had effectively wrapped around my heart. And my justification definitely didn’t keep it from leaking into my other relationships and spilling over onto the ones I loved most.

Then one day, something powerful happened that changed everything. I never saw it coming, but God had prepared me for it all along. And that’s what I’m here to share with you today. There’s a healing power that surpasses all that we can overcome ourselves. There’s a God that is for us and loves us and wants to see us made whole. And His name is Jesus.

A couple of years into my healing journey, I woke up out of a deep sleep with a vision of this person. They were crying desperately. They were in pain, and not the physical kind, but the emotional and spiritual kind. They were doubled over with their head near the floor in a small, dark, and cramped space. The crying that I could hear was mixed with intermittent screaming and a breathlessness that can only come from deep, heavy weeping. The vision was so real that I could tangibly feel their hopelessness, fear, and pain as it left their body. And then I felt it. Something completely out of the blue and unexpected…

The Holy Spirit entered my vision and pressed gently on my heart: “Pray for them.”

It was undeniably God. I knew it the moment I felt it. And within seconds, I felt the gentle press again. “Pray for them, Shannon.”

It was a nudging that I didn’t see coming and honestly, in that moment, I didn’t even realize the power of the situation. I just felt the press and knew the choice that I would make. In hindsight, I realize that I surprisingly had little to no thought for my own feelings or things that had transpired in our past. I didn’t look at this person weeping desperately and think, “Good. They deserve it after all that they have done.” No, those thoughts didn’t even cross my mind or my heart. I just looked at what He had shown me and felt a deep call on my heart that I knew I would answer. This night. Right here.

So, I closed my eyes and immediately began to intercede (with nothing but compassion in my own heart) for someone that I had struggled so long to forgive.

Please understand… I’m not saying this because I’m trying to show you that I’m a good person who chooses what’s right all the time over my feelings. No, I’m telling you this with painful attention to details because what I experienced that night was nothing short of SUPERNATURAL.

This PEACE that led to my stepping into His call to pray for this person can only be explained as, BUT GOD.

My battle stance was undeniably opposite of my feelings, something that I still struggle to explain to this day.

The unforgiveness that typically ROARED (Yes, Roared) up from some painfully broken place deep down was suddenly and SUPERNATURALLY silenced and I found myself praying the enemy back and covering this person in the blood of Jesus for a situation that I knew nothing about.

All because… wait for it…

I said yes.

You see, I know that I carry the power within me to call down Heaven, break the enemy’s strongholds, sever chains, and make a difference in the world around me. I am not a powerless being.

My prayers touch the heart of Father and He loves all of His children, including this person. My feelings aside, they are His beloved, no more or less loved than I am, today.

And when I pray for them, my God leans in and mountains move, friend. Mountains move.

And right now, I knew they needed that. And here’s the other thing…

He needed me.

You see, when the Holy Spirit stops you in your tracks and tells you to pray for someone… There is ALWAYS a reason.

I was chosen to go to battle for them. I was hand-picked to join the fight. I am not just any random soldier. I am His soldier.

So, with urgency in my voice and compassion in my heart, I called up every ounce of God-given strength and power and picked up a sword. I had no idea what was going on, but if I was called to it, I was determined to help them through it.

What’s still crazy to me to this day is how God absolutely blanketed me in healing in that moment. I didn’t even think of myself. I just focused on this person’s heart. Understand, I would have NEVER thought I had that in me. It was unexplainable. But the moment I said, YES, to His call to pray, something shifted deep inside of me.

A supernatural PEACE became bigger than my hate. Supernatural GRACE began to uproot my resentment and anger. And a POWER surged within me that was undeniable. A DETERMINATION and RESOLVE quickly settled into my spirit.

The decision had been made. And the fight wasn’t over until He said it was over. And that’s how I went into battle, my friend. Strong, determined, and laser focused.

I prayed, unyielding and unwavering, for this person with everything in me.

I prayed like I have prayed for very few people in my entire life.

Until…

Something unexpectedly broke.

I can’t describe the feeling. It was emotional, physical, and spiritual all at the same time. All I can tell is, something just broke…

Inside ME.

I was released. A chain. A previously unrealized weight…

It was gone.

My breathing felt deeper and less labored.

Wait? What just happened?

God?

This wasn’t supposed to be about me, but suddenly, realization began to sink in:

I wasn’t just fighting for them that night.

I was fighting for myself, as well.

I didn’t know it at the time, but there it was, clear as day.

Truth.

Healing.

A Sudden Release.

And Then…

Utter Awe & Wonder At The Goodness of Our God.

I cannot fully explain what happened that night, but I have carried this memory with me ever since.

Forgiveness is not easy, friend. It’s not a one-and-done overnight sprint. It’s a journey of choices and healing.

Life, and people, they sometimes leave scars. And forgiveness doesn’t always mean that the person is invited back into our lives. But it does mean they are set free. You are set free. And life-giving water is poured back into the spaces that were once occupied by the very things that were consuming your soul.

God is incredible, my friends. He loves you with all His heart. Where the spirit of religion often presses unrealistic expectations and powerless solutions, causing us to push our unforgiveness deep down into dark, hidden places out of shame and guilt, the Holy Spirit WILL DO the complete opposite. He will meet you right where you are and heal you from the inside out, slowly and with love.

He will work through the unweaving of your pain, gently naming and healing each piece, strand by strand, until the day He calls your name to partner with Him and… BREAK THE FINAL CHAIN.

In His timing. In His way. And always with His love. All we have to do is say, “yes” to partnering with the One True Healer. He will always see you through.

Blessings, friends!

Shannon

If you are interested in picking up a copy of my book, you can find it on Amazon by clicking here: https://a.co/d/23Liy01