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•A Prayer to Keep Pressing Forward•By Anthony Valente👉 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.(Philippians 3:13-14)Have you ever wondered how the Apostle Paul wrote such profound words in today’s Scripture verse? Nothing but Spirit-breathed confidence in Christ could cause a man with such a past as Paul’s to pen such beautiful words of forward-looking redemption.Before he went by the name Paul, he was referred to as the imprisoned Saul. Paul was a murderer before he wrote almost half of the New Testament book. Not only was he a murderer, but he was a murderer of Christians. This was a man who murdered those that served the Christ that he would one day spend the rest of his days following and committed to. His name change matched his soul change after his conversion.I can’t help but wonder if this is where today’s verse derives from. Paul had a choice: he could live in guilt and condemnation in his old identity, or, he could choose to accept his new identity in Christ. He chose to take off the label from his past and partner with God in His Kingdom work. And what a glorious work he did helping build out the church and spreading the gospel.Although he ended up playing an impacting role in preaching the good news, I imagined he wrestled with these memories from the past and wished a million times he didn’t do these things of which he was guilty. And therefore, he wrote a Scripture verse that can be true to us today; for those of us that are holding onto labels from our past, from our past mistakes and failures. The verse emphasizes to “forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead.” Paul chose to own his past and turn his mess of a past into some of the greatest messages in the Bible. God never erased his story; He authored it for a purpose, an unbelievable purpose! He can do the same with our story too.Let’s take this as a reminder to choose to remember that God is bigger than any labels from our past. Paul’s story, like ours, is a representation of the Gospel. Through the same love and forgiveness, we can use our stories for a beautiful redemptive purpose too. Let us pray.🙏 Dear Lord,We thank You that You are a God of not just second chances, but never-ending chances. That You are a God of love and forgiveness. That You don’t want us to live in our past forever. Your Word says in Romans 8:28 that we know “that all things work together for good to those that are called according to your purpose.” Lord, we ask that You turn all our past to our purpose for Your Kingdom. We choose to be obedient to You and partner with You. As You invest Your Heavenly purpose in us, may we be Your earthly vessels and used by You just as Paul was. Thank You, Lord, for the example of Paul in the Bible. For someone who chose to rid himself of his former identity and walk in his new identity in You. For we are a “new creation in you; the old things have passed away, and the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Thank You, Father, that You are the author of our lives and You can turn our past into our purpose. We worship You and praise You for You look at us and all You have overcome in us, and still see the beauty You created. Use us Lord, just like Paul, as instruments in Your hand for whatever purpose You’ve chosen for us to be and to become. We love You Lord and choose to follow You this day.In Jesus’ Name,AMEN 🙏 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”(Luke 9:62)Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.(Hebrews 12:1-2)Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.(1 Corinthians 9:24-27)Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.(Philippians 4:11-13)With this in mind, we should stop going over the elementary truths about Christ and move on to topics for more mature people. We shouldn't repeat the basics about turning away from the useless things we did and the basics about faith in God.(Hebrews 6:1)And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.(1 Peter 5:10)I will allow everyone who wins the victory to sit with me on my throne, as I have won the victory and have sat down with my Father on his throne.(Revelation 3:21)All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.(1 Peter 1:3-4)I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.(2 Timothy 4:7-8)But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”(Acts 9:1-6)“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.(Matthew 7:13-14)Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.(Philippians 3:13-14)(pic verse)But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”(Matthew 14:27)Artist 👨‍🎨 I Am With You Always - David Delfeld