Struggling with bitterness

Anonymous

Beloved of All
There is this envious in-law who discarded a lot of my good childhood photos without consent, includes some baby, toddler and teen photos and many other family photos and I am struggling with bitterness and I'm getting oppression or lie coming up from the enemy in the form of thought or mental image. This person who did it has narcissism and they tried to get project their insecurities onto me via this action. So need prayer to overcome this deep betrayal.
 
We hear the depth of pain in what you have shared and we join with you in bringing this betrayal before the Lord. To have precious childhood memories, baby and toddler and teen photos and family history discarded without consent is a real loss and a real wound, and it is understandable that you feel betrayed and grieved. We do not minimize that wrong, yet we also see your honest struggle with bitterness and the oppression of lies and intrusive thoughts and mental images, and we want to stand with you for healing and freedom in Jesus' name.

Scripture warns us about the danger of holding onto bitterness even when we have been deeply wronged. Hebrews 12:15 says, Looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled with it. And Ephesians 4:31-32 says, Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you. We must gently rebuke bitterness in our own hearts not because the offense was small, but because bitterness gives the enemy a foothold and poisons us more than the one who hurt us. Forgiveness does not mean what was done was right or that there should be no boundaries, it means we release the debt and the right to repay into God's hands.

You also describe oppression and lies coming as thoughts or mental images, and that the enemy is using this wound to project insecurity and stir envy. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces, for Ephesians 6:12 says, For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. The person who wronged you is accountable for their actions, but the tormenting thoughts are from the enemy and must be answered with truth. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. When those images or lies rise up, we can take them captive and choose what we will dwell on, for Philippians 4:8 says, Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. We also remember Romans 12:19, Don't seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, Vengeance belongs to me, I will repay, says the Lord. God saw what was discarded and He sees your grief, and He is the righteous judge and the healer of the brokenhearted, for Psalm 147:3 says, He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.

We also noticed your request did not mention the name of Jesus Christ, and we want to lovingly share that it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father and find salvation and true freedom. Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. And Acts 4:12 says, There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved. If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved as Romans 10:9 teaches. It is by His blood that we are forgiven and empowered to forgive others, and it is in His name that we can resist the enemy and find peace for our minds.

So together we pray, Father in heaven, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus Christ and we lift up this deep wound of betrayal and loss. Lord, You know every photo that was lost and every memory that feels stolen, and You know the pain of being disregarded by family. We ask You to heal the broken heart and bind up these wounds, and to comfort as only You can. We ask You to forgive us for any bitterness we have allowed to take root and we choose now to release this in-law and this offense into Your hands, asking You to help us forgive just as You in Christ forgave us. We renounce bitterness, wrath and anger and we ask You to replace them with kindness and tenderheartedness. We take authority in Jesus' name over every lie, every oppressive thought and every tormenting mental image from the enemy, and we bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Fill our mind with what is true and pure and lovely, and guard our heart and mind with Your peace. Teach us to set healthy and biblical boundaries without hatred, and to trust Your justice, for vengeance belongs to You. Restore what the enemy has tried to steal, restore joy and identity that is rooted not in photos but in being Your beloved child, and let no root of bitterness remain. We pray for this in-law as well, that You would convict and bring repentance and healing where there is envy and insecurity. We thank You that in Jesus we have access to Your throne of grace and power to overcome. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
 
We hear how heavy this has been for you. Losing those baby, toddler and teen photos without your consent is not small. Those images held part of your story, and to have someone else discard them feels like a deep betrayal. It makes sense you are wrestling with bitterness.

What you describe about oppressive thoughts and images is common when a wound is still raw. Our minds can replay the hurt and whisper things about our worth that are not true. Bitterness often takes root when hurt and anger have nowhere to go, and in the end it weighs most heavily on the one who was hurt.

Healing here is usually not instant. There is a decision to release the need to get even, and then a slower process where God softens the emotions underneath as we keep bringing the pain to Him. That does not mean what happened was okay, and it does not mean you should not grieve the loss.

One thing that has helped others is to notice when that intrusive thought or image comes and gently turn it into a brief prayer in that moment, asking Jesus to guard your mind and remind you what is true, while giving yourself permission to grieve what was lost. It can also help not to carry this alone but to share it with a trusted pastor or counselor.

Father, we lift our friend to You in Jesus name. You see this loss and the ache underneath the bitterness. We ask You to bring healing where there has been betrayal, quiet the lies that press in, and guard their mind with Your peace. Teach them day by day to release this hurt to You and walk in freedom, and give wisdom for relating to this family member. Amen.
 
Thank you Heavenly Father for blessing us with another day, and for all you do for all of us. All glory and honor belongs to you Father. Please Heavenly Father grant healing and forgiveness in this relationship. I lift this prayer up on your glory Father God and ask that you grant your perfect will. In Jesus name I pray. Amen



““But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬
 
Your grief is real and the loss you describe is keenly felt. To have precious tokens of childhood, those early years which cannot be called back, discarded without consent by one who should have guarded love within the family, is a deep wound. That such an act should come from within the household makes the betrayal cut the more sharply, and it is no wonder that bitterness rises and that troubling thoughts and mental images press upon you as the enemy seeks advantage.

The Lord knows this kind of sorrow. He was betrayed by a friend, one who had walked with Him and dipped with Him in the dish. It was ordained that man’s sin should reach its height in that betrayal, and that Christ should bear the utmost depth of suffering, that He might be touched with the feeling of our infirmities in every circumstance where there is a well of grief. You do not bring your wound to one who cannot understand. He who was betrayed understands betrayal, and He draws near to bind up the brokenhearted.

Bitterness, if it is nourished, becomes a root that defiles the soul. There is a bitterness which sanctifies, the godly sorrow for sin which makes Christ very sweet to the soul, for when we have tasted the bitterness of our own sin against Him, the world loses its charms and Christ becomes precious. And one blessed effect of that holy bitterness is that it takes away all bitterness against our fellow men. When we have said in truth, how much I offended God and yet He has forgiven me, we find we must be sweet, gentle, kind, tender and forgiving towards others. After the cross, we cannot hold fast to a hard spirit.

There is forgiveness with God, and that forgiveness is complete and eternal. If you have come as a poor debtor saying I have nothing to pay, He does not forgive a part but blots out the whole debt for Christ’s sake. As high as the heaven is above the earth, so great is His mercy above our sins. Your thoughts about this wrong, and even your thoughts about forgiveness, are not as God’s thoughts. His thoughts are higher than your thoughts, and they are precious thoughts, constant, kind, wise, tender and gracious toward you. When the enemy whispers lies and casts up oppressive images, you are to know that God’s thoughts of you in Christ are thoughts of peace. When you awake, you are still with Him. Bring those intruding thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and ask the Spirit to help you, that what you think and speak may be suggested by Him and not by the adversary.

To forgive as God has forgiven you is not to say the act was small or that the loss does not matter. It is to release the debt into His hands, to refuse to let the injury have dominion over your heart, and to pray that you may not be overcome by the wrong. It is a joint work of grace among the saints, forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us. Some of us have had so much forgiven, so much outward and inward sin washed away, that for us to forgive should become as natural as to open our hands.

Let us pray together.

O gracious Father, with whom there is forgiveness that Thou mayest be feared, look upon this wounded one. Thou seest the bitterness that labors to take root, the oppression and the lying thoughts that would drive the soul to despair. We ask Thee to cast out that bitterness by the sweetness of Thy Son. Let the bitterness of the cross make Christ sweet indeed, and take away all bitterness against fellow men. Grant power by Thy Spirit to forgive even as Thou for Christ’s sake hast forgiven, not in mere words but from the heart, leaving vengeance and vindication in Thy wise and holy hands. Rebuke the enemy and silence his lies. Let Thy precious thoughts be the meditation of this heart day and night, and keep this soul still with Thee waking and sleeping. Heal the memory, redeem what has been lost, and establish the heart in Thy perfect peace. Turn this trial to sanctification, and let no root of bitterness spring up to trouble. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, the betrayed One who now reigns, and in whom there is forgiveness full and free. Amen.
 
May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

🙏Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body
 

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