In yesterday’s reflection, we have explored the severe impact of hidden emotional baggage on us. Among the different types of emotional baggage, some trauma in the past may have left deeper scars, thus, have a greater impact on us. For instance, when we are betrayed by our trusted friends, or even family members, feelings of rage, fear, insecurity, or abandonment overwhelm us. These negative emotions firmly take hold in our minds, thanks to our memories of these traumatic experiences. As a result, we may be unable to trust others, and begin to hide away and isolate ourselves; at the same time, we also lose faith and hope in others and the world around us. When we attempt to shield ourselves from harm, we tell ourselves , “There’s no one I can trust in this world”; “I can only believe in myself”; “I must be the problem and that’s why other people treat me like this” …
All these are lies planted by the devil in our hearts, which can shape the foundation of our thought patterns. We may even attempt to seek out evidence that confirms our thinking. This is how the devil’s lies grow. In addition, we may even build a system of thought patterns to defend these lies and to prevent ourselves and others from dismantling the strongholds of our “self-preservation mechanism”.
The devil takes advantage of our reactions to traumatic experiences to control, incite, manipulate and restrain us in our daily lives and interactions with others.
When one is hurting, many will choose avoidance rather than dealing with the problems related to the wound and finding solutions. With the exception of some serious cases where one may need professional help, we, a people of faith, must, first, take refuge in Jesus Christ. He has endured the greatest physical, emotional and spiritual suffering for our sake. Therefore, He understands everything that we are going through. If He is willing to conquer sins and death through His own death and resurrection to gain for us the blessing of eternal life, bringing us a new life, He will also save us from the enslavement of the devil.
Let us not repeat Adam and Eve’s mistake of succumbing to the devil’s bait, doubting God’s love for us and hiding from Him. May we put our trust in God; He, who has created us, has the power and desire to free us from all kinds of bondage!
However, we must first recognize that we might have hurt God, others, and ourselves in the process, and the times when we fail to believe and abandon God. Therefore, let us humble ourselves, repent, and ask for our Father’s forgiveness. During the process of releasing ourselves from our spiritual bondage, as Jesus forgave those who persecuted Him on the cross, we, too, must follow Christ’s teachings to forgive those who have wronged us. Then, in the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ, we will be able to renounce and banish all the evil forces that have been gripping us, and regain our freedom. (Ref. Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance, by Neal Lozano)
St. Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 10, verses 4 to 5:
“… or the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
Reflection
Are you distressed by traumatic experiences in the past?
Are you determined and willing to accept help from Jesus to be released from your spiritual bondage?
TODAY'S PRAYER
Merciful Abba Father, thank you for awakening me from the shadows of all my emotional baggage. I understand that all my traumatic experiences in the past have had a severe negative impact on me, which have unconsciously bound me to the enslavement and manipulation of the devil. I am resolute to be close to You; know that only You can release me from my spiritual bondage. Please strengthen my will power, grant me a humble and forgiving heart, help me to trust You completely and to believe that in You, I will reclaim my freedom and receive a new life. For this I pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Dear Jesus, thank you for forgving us our sins. Teach me to forgive those who hurt us as you forgives us by dying on the Cross for our sins.
主耶稣，感謝袮寬恕我自以為是的傲慢，求袮教我謙卑，信靠袮，並以袮的眼光去看一切人，用袮慈悲的心去接待異己，以免作出偏差的判斷！
My traumatic experiences have haunted me for decades and it is myself whom I cannot forgive. Thanks to the Lord that this spiritual bondage has been loosened gradually and I pray that I can be free from it soon! Oh Lord, please give me strength !
天主，求祢賜我一顆謙卑、順服的心，願意棄絕過往情感上受創傷的枷鎖，相信天主一定能帶領我，並釋放我於痛苦和沈鬱中！
聖彌額爾總領天使，為我等祈！
求主，堅定我的意志，謙卑在袮面前，踐行寬恕。
仁慈的阿爸父，感謝祢常常提醒我們是祢寶貴子女的身份，使我們釋放心靈，免受魔鬼謊言的捆綁。求祢也賜我們恩寵、一顆溫良和善的心，在日常生活中，體察我們的近人；除了警醒自己免被魔鬼利用說一些傷害人的說話，更讓我們以鼓勵的言詞肯定他們，使他們都能在我們身上感受到祢的慈愛。求主附聽我們。
怎樣擺脫感情的創傷，從寛恕很難做到。因為傷痕是永遠傳在。要忘記，也不易。只有信靠主，一齊交托，以主為中心，其他的已不重要，不用寛恕也不需忘記。已是平常心了！感謝天主🙏🙏
天主，我決心投奔祢，我要脫離魔鬼的奴役及操控。並依賴祢從這些心靈枷鎖中釋放出來。我要學習謙卑，跪伏在祢的腳下，仰賴祢的力量棄絕並驅逐一切纏繞我們惡勢力，使我心重獲自由。
謝謝你的分享， 給了我一點希望與動力， 繼續前進！
感謝生命恩泉的付出, 讓更多人得益
🙏🙏天主求祢給我再做一個純潔的心 求祢使我心重獲堅固的精神 求袮使我重獲祢救恩的喜樂 求祢以慷慨的精神來扶持我🙏🙏聖詠51:12，14。
慈愛的天父
我是罪人時，祢已先愛了我，祢是創造宇宙萬物的主，我實在是極不堪當，求祢讓我全心信靠祢，請賜我一顆謙卑和寬恕的心，明白在祢內才有真正的自由、平安和喜樂，賴祢的助佑，擺脫心靈的枷鎖。因主耶穌基督。亞孟。
仁慈的天父，感謝祢的愛，助我們從情感的包袱中釋放出來。🙏
祢不斷用愛培育我們，要我們看見真、善、美，用愛去體諒他人，寬恕他人，更要寬恕自己，愛自己，感謝祢🙏
求祢降福，使疫情受控，更求主使當權者，執政者認識愛，明白愛，實踐愛。以上所求是因我們的主基督之名，求主俯聽
曾經有位聖人這樣說過：天主創造我們時，不需我們同意；但是，拯救我們，就必須我們與祂合作。
的確，天主就是那位傷痛的治療者，因為祂從來不願意看到我們的創傷，祂只想我們在祂的愛內喜悅地、健康地成長。「看，我要親自去尋找我的羊，我要親自照顧我的羊。……失落的我要尋找；迷路的，我要領回；受傷的，我要包紮；病弱的，我要療養；肥胖和強壯的，我要看守；我要按正義牧放他們。」(則34:11,16)然而，還需要一樣，就是我們與祂合作，願意被祂所醫治和救贖，這才可受了傷的心靈，得到擺脫有形和無形的枷鎖，重新成為在基督內真正的「自由人」了。(羅6:22)
阿爸父：
感謝禰不斷以禰的大愛引領我放下被自己和他人所困擾的事情。祈求禰繼續以聖神的光照耀我的心，使我能真正跟隨祢的旨意，放下心中的包袱，重新學習做一個愛己愛人的信徒！
為此，求主俯聽我的祈禱。亞孟
仁慈的阿爸父，
我深信祢可以憐憫家人的疫病苦痛，祈求祢開啓我們病毒心靈枷鎖。🙏🙏🙏
上主，我誠心懺悔，對我曾經傷害過的人，物，自己和天主的地方，求天父寬恕，請賜我一顆慈悲的心，懂得寬恕；一顆謙卑的心，順從耶穌的訓悔。上主是我的牧杖和短棒是我的安慰舒暢。
會分享這份禮物給2位婚姻中受傷的姊妹並祈求聖神打開她們的心，除去心靈枷鎖，迎納主賜的平安和喜樂。因主耶穌基督之名祈求，亞孟。🙏🏻
主，求祢加強我的謙卑和順服的心，去奉行禰的旨意，實踐福音精神。
願光榮歸於父，及子及聖神，起初如何今日亦然，直到永遠，亞孟。