“Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7
Devotional
Sis, today is about letting go, not because it didn’t matter, but because you matter.
There are things you’ve been holding onto that once helped you survive, but now they’re quietly weighing you down. Old pain. Old guilt. Old conversations. Old versions of yourself. You’ve carried them so long they started to feel normal. Familiar. Even safe.
But survival and healing are not the same thing.
What broke you once doesn’t get to keep defining you. And what hurt you doesn’t get permanent access to your heart. God never asked you to carry wounds forever. He asked you to bring them to Him.
Releasing doesn’t mean forgetting.
Releasing doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t hurt.
Releasing means you’re choosing peace over replaying pain.
Sis, some of the heaviness you feel isn’t because life is hard—it’s because you’re holding onto what God already told you to lay down. And the beautiful part? God doesn’t just take what you release. He replaces it.
He replaces anxiety with peace.
He replaces bitterness with freedom.
He replaces grief with comfort.
He replaces shame with grace.
You don’t have to force release. You just have to be willing.
Today, we loosen our grip.
Today, we breathe again.
Today, we trust God enough to put it down.
Love you to life,
-Pastor Joni
Prayer
God,
Today I’m coming to You with what I’ve been carrying for too long. I confess that I’ve been holding onto pain, replaying moments, and gripping things that have been hurting me more than helping me.
Lord, I don’t want to just survive, I want to be free. Help me release what broke me. Help me let go of the weight, the guilt, the bitterness, the shame, and the fear that keeps trying to follow me into my future.
I give You what I can’t fix. I surrender what I can’t control. I lay down what I was never meant to carry.
And God, I ask You to replace it. Replace my heaviness with peace, my anxiety with confidence, and my pain with healing. I trust You with my heart. I trust You with my process. I trust You with me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Reflection Questions
- What am I still holding onto that God has already asked me to release?
- How has carrying this pain affected my peace, my joy, or my relationships?
- What am I afraid might happen if I truly let this go?
