Unshackled moments ~ February 28, 2018 ~ Worthy To Pray

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of.His will for us and the power to carry that out.

- Step 11

We can not get closer in relationship with Daddy without spending time with Him. Prayer is crucial to that, for how can we get closer to someone with communicating with them and spending time with them? We can also know that it is indeed the will of God to seek His provision for our needs. We are told in the model prayer to ask for our daily bread, and Jesus made it clear that our Daddy cares for us and that we are to take our needs to Him. So praying for ourselves and our needs is in God's will, a good thing, and necessary.

That said though, it is not all there is to praying. We are surrendering to Daddy to be made of maximum service to Him and others, and part of that service is intercessory prayer, praying to help and on the behalf of others. James 5 points out that our prayers of service for each other matter and make a difference. Is someone suffering or sick? They are to be prayed for. James specifically speaks of elders praying for those in need, but scripture is clear that we are to pray for one another and that our elders are supposed to lead by example. If they are our example, then we who are not elders are also to pray for others. James continues with a statement that you may be familiar with:

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Immediately after this proclamation he uses Elijah the prophet as an example:

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Now if you read this as I did for far too long, you may feel this is further evidence that us lowly non-elder types aren't the ones who should pray. After all, I don't have to do an in depth inventory to know that I am not a righteous man. Perhaps you feel likewise. But I was wrong, and if you feel that way as a follower of Christ. you too are wrong. If I did an inventory of my life, even just my day, I could not declare myself righteous. But that is the mistake. It is not my inventory that determines my righteousness, nor you yours. It is Christ's inventory. We have been given the righteousness of Jesus. We are righteous and clean before Daddy because of the work of the Son. Therefor it is indeed we are righteous and able to avail or accomplish much with our prayers.

The New King James says effective prayer. Some translations read effectual. They are the same, and that may throw us off. We are used to the word effective in the way that this attempt was or was not effective. Did it work? If so, it was effective. But in this context and usage, the word means able to produce the desired outcome. Google is an effective method for searching for information online, for example. And fervent simply means sincere and heartfelt. Because we have the righteousness of Jesus, our heartfelt prayers are an effective way to intercede with Daddy on h=behalf of others!

But what about the Elijah example? Surely we can't compare ourselves to the great prophet. Why yes, yes we can. The first thing James does is remind us that Elijah had the same nature as us. He may have been a great and famous prophet, but he wasn't God. He was just a man, and like all of us, a sinner who has fallen short of righteousness when relying on his own inventory. What we need to remember was that Elijah didn't just decide to cause a drought or to bring relief. He was doing what God told him to do. He was obeying God, and the result was that his prayer availed much. When we obey God and love others, and intercede on their behalf in prayer, our prayers are powerful. Do not be afraid of being unworthy to pray. Pray for others in confidence that Daddy hears you, because you have the righteousness of Jesus and Daddy cares for your needs and the needs of those you are praying for.

* Note - It is important to let people know that you are praying for them to encourage and edify them.

From Leah Woodard's Patchwork Souls No Longer a Castaway:

Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - Pray For One Another

When a person is so broken and even though they cry out in prayer, they need to know that others are praying for them.
Sometimes the most valuable thing we can do for a person is to pray for them and with them.
When we pray, something always happens. Isaiah 55:11
When we pray, we offer sacrifice to God. We are a priestly people, (1 Peter 2:9 KJV -
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; ) Part of the priesthood is offering sacrifice to God. We sacrifice our time, we offer our mental, and emotional investment to God in prayer on behalf of others
“Often the most important thing you can do for them is to pray. However, I encourage you to tell them when you are praying for them (unless you sense it might be taken in the wrong way). In my experience, almost everyone who’s facing a serious need (whether it is an illness or some other difficulty) will be encouraged by knowing someone is praying for them.” Billy Graham January 18, 2008

Finish Reading The rest Of This Short Devotion at

Patchwork Souls No Longer A Castaway

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Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 27, 2018 ~ Escaping The Prison Of The Past

Most of us in recovery have a past that isn't exactly praiseworthy and wonderful. Of course we're not unique in that. The past is a prison that traps and punishes many. I have received the promise of recovery and no longer regret the past, but rather see how my experience can benefit others....most days. But February and a little over half of March are months in which the past annually put me on the run. Perhaps you have particular times of the year, whether it be a day, week or more where the wounds of the past feel fresh and inescapable. Or maybe you are still a total prisoner, living day to day in the pain of yesterday.

I usually feel like I have escaped the pain, shame, condemnation and regret of the past, but that's not as much of a good thing as one might think. Escaping is my default. Those in recovery may understand what I mean. Reality, fear, pressure...life in general is something to avoid, escape, numb and enhance. Nothing can be completely enjoyed in the now as it is. The bad must be doctored and the good made even better. And there is another aspect about escaping the past that I realized is not so great. When one escapes prison, they are not free.

An escapee is worse off than someone who knows there's a warrant out for their arrest. Sure, they're out there walking around, and they're not in the cage, but they're also not really free. There is constant fear. What if I'm found? What if someone recognizes me and turns me in? Every time law enforcement is spotted, fear floods over them and they prepare to run, fight or be recaptured. A dog barking triggers paranoia and visions of bloodhounds on their trail. You get the idea. You can't go home. The bounty hunters of the past may be watching and waiting. You can not be yourself or go wherever you may need or wish to go. What happens if the past is there ready to lock you up again?  As an escapee, I spend at least part of the time, every year, trying to avoid recapture, which means that no matter how I am able to walk around in the free world, I am not truly free.

But the promise is not that we will escape our past. It is that we will no longer regret the past. We don't have to fear it but can use it as a tool to help others. The past is no longer our master but our servant, through the grace and power of God. Jesus came not to help us escape the past. He came to set us free from our captivity. And that is an essential and crucial difference of understanding.

I served seven and a half years in the Texas prison system before being paroled for half a year and then being freed from my sentence. I served my time. I'm done. I can walk into the jail to minister to someone and talk to the jailers. I don't worry about them holding me because I am no longer a wanted man. My sentence is served. I didn't escape prison. I was set free.

I don't have to be afraid when I see law enforcement as I drive down the road. I no I am not breaking the law, do not have contraband and can not receive a new charge, and all old charges are settled. There is true freedom in that, even though my record remains stained in society. I will be a felon for life, even though my sentence is done. Still, I do not have to be afraid, and I do not have to  run.

We need to remember that we have not escaped our past or our judgment. If we view ourselves as escapees then we must concern ourselves with recapture. We didn't escape. Jesus came and took our place. He paid the price, received our judgment and served our sentence. There are no warrants, no bounties attached to our identities. We don't have to live in shame or guilt because we are clean before God. We haven't only been released but pardoned. We are no longer spiritual felons. It is as though we never were charged and can not be.

When we understand and remember that we have been truly freed, the past is no longer a prison we need to fear being trapped in or tortured by. It becomes a tool, a weapon with which to beat back oppression for others.  In recovery we see how our experience can benefit others. The word of our testimony, our story, when combined with the blood of the Lamb becomes the weapon with which we overcome the enemy. Instead of something to cause shame and fear, our past can become what we use to show the love, power and glory of God. This is who I was, what I did, what was done to me, but Jesus changed me, forgave me, served my time and healed my wounds. I am no longer victimizer nor victim. I am a new creation and free. And what I have been given you can have too.

Like Paul, we can acknowledge where and who and what of our past without guilt or shame or fear. I was the chief of sinners, a persecuter, a murderer...for me, a felon, a drunk, a junkie and a destroyer of lives, but God....your story is different than mine, although there may be similarities. but you are also free, forgiven and clean before God if you have accepted the exchange of the cross and the work of Christ on your behalf. You don't have to escape the past or fear recapture. You have been set free.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 26, 2018 ~ Stepping On Toes

Selfishness - self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.

- Alcoholics Anonymous p. 62

This is supposed to be a description of the alcoholic before recovery. Trying to run the show of our lives, and imposing our will on life and others due to selfishness and fear causes us to run roughshod over others, they retaliate and we get hurt, causing resentments.for us and them. The same is true for those who are not in recovery who have decided to follow Jesus and can look back at their life before and see their lives ruled by self and characterized by truing to make others conform to their will. In fact, we can easily see this if we look at the description of the person trying to run the play of life themselves instead of letting God be the rightful Director that comes just before the passage I quoted above.

The first requirement is that we be convinced that any life run on self-will can hardly be a success. On that basis we are almost always in collision with something or somebody, even though our motives are good. Most people try to live by self-propulsion. Each person is like an actor who wants to run the whole show; is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way. If his arrangements would only stay put, if only people would do as he wished, the show would be great. Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. Life would be wonderful. In trying to make these arrangements our actor may sometimes be quite virtuous. He may be kind, considerate, patient, generous; even modest and self-sacrificing. On the other hand, he may be mean, egotistical, selfish and dishonest. But, as with most humans, he is more likely to have varied traits.

What usually happens? The show doesn't come off very well. He begins to think life doesn't treat him right. He decides to exert himself more. He becomes, on the next occasion, still more demanding or gracious, as the case may be. Still the play does not suit him. Admitting he may be somewhat at fault, he is sure that other people are more to blame. He becomes angry, indignant, self-pitying. What is his basic trouble? Is he not really a self-seeker even when trying to be kind? Is he not a victim of the delusion that he can wrest satisfaction and happiness out of this world if he only manages well? Is it not evident to all the rest of the players that these are the things he wants? And do not his actions make each of them wish to retaliate, snatching all they can get out of the show? Is he not, even in his best moments, a producer of confusion rather than harmony?

Our actor is self-centered - ego-centric, as people like to call it nowadays. He is like the retired business man who lolls in the Florida sunshine in the winter complaining of the sad state of the nation; the minister who sighs over the sins of the twentieth century; politicians and reformers who are sure all would be Utopia if the rest of the world would only behave; the outlaw safe cracker who thinks society has wronged him; and the alcoholic who has lost all and is locked up. Whatever our protestations, are not most of us concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity?

The next sentence is the quote I began with, and while we have surrendered self to find freedom from God and gave Him control and have accepted the call to deny self, take up our cross and follow Jesus, we are not yet made perfect. In truth we know this. We cling to the truth that we are being changed as much as we have been changed, that it is progress and growing in relationship with Daddy that we are called to. As is said in recovery, we claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Christians express the same idea when they say, I am not perfect, just forgiven.

It's good to know that Daddy loves us and accepts us, even when we fall short of letting the Spirit have total control and when we fall short of loving God and others as Jesus did. But while we do not need to condemn ourselves for not walking perfectly, we need to remember that when we slip back into self will and try to run the show as Christians who have been set free from bondage and are called to be the love of Jesus to the world, the results are the same as when we tried to direct the play before giving our lives to God. The consequences of playing God in our lives after being freed are the same as before. We step on toes. We hurt others and they retaliate, push back. In fact, the results may actually be worse.

Before others could look at me ans say basically, that stupid drunk junkie hurt my feelings. Now they are more likely to say or think something like, he hurt me by doing such and such, by saying this or that, and he's supposed to be a Christian? Or, even worse,...and he's a preacher?

I must remember that running on self and reacting to fear and insecurity by asserting self and my rights today can do far more damage than before. I still step on the toes of others, but now their reaction may include turning further away from Daddy as much as retaliating against me. We who have decided to follow Jesus need to keep this in mind.

This is especially true in the arena of social media and public debate about circumstances and causes we feel passionately about. It is easy to get caught up in our right to speak freely, express our views and prove the other side wrong. But we are not primarily called to be good citizens. We are celled to be the light of the truth of God, Daddy's ambassadors of love to those who are in need, broken and still held captive. We need to see that feeling like if the other side would just come around to our way of thinking things would be OK, is just an extension of trying to run the show. There's nothing wrong with standing up for what we believe is right, but we must be careful how we assert the truth.

I recently watched a public debate between the porn pastor Craig Gross and porn star Ron Jeremy on the dangers of pornography. Gross was careful not to try to impose his will and belief on others. He was there to warn of the dangers and to speak the good news of freedom in Christ to those who are in bondage to porn addiction, not to try to take away the rights of others to watch porn. Because he wasn't acting paternal and saying this is wrong so I am going to try to legislate away your right to sin, people listened to him. In fact he and Ron Jeremy have become friends while staying at odds on this issue, and who knows what the Spirit will someday be able to do in the life of Jeremy because of it. Had Gross come with a message of restriction rather than proclaiming freedom to choose a better way, the audience would have been less receptive and even seen Jesus in a poor, judgmental light.

It's more than just presenting freedom to choose Christ over bondage though. When we are in self and arguing rather than trying to express truth in love, as the Spirit would and as Jesus did, we argue like, well, like everyone else. So we let fly with anger and insults towards those who oppose our thinking. We treat those who disagree with us like they have no or little value. We say things to make them look or feel stupid. We belittle and demean, while trying to impose our will. This can be seen quickly with a simple scroll through social media whenever topics dealing with politics arise. We need to ask God for the grace not let our fear of losing rights or being treated with insignificance make us react in a way that gives others the feeling that they are unloved and unimportant, because how we treat others is how they feel Daddy feels about them.

Let us not passionately preach conservatism or liberalism or any cause with such abandon that we mistreat the other side, try to force our will on them or attempt to shove our message down their throats. Let us instead, once more surrender self, and, like Paul, say I will proclaim nothing other than Jesus and Him crucified. We need to be declaring the good news that there is a solution, that there is good news for those trapped, broken and in need, and that good news is that Daddy loves them as they are, not as they should be, but that He loves them enough not to leave them as they are and made a way for them to be set free and made new. He never told us to clean up, change our ways and act right. He said come to me those who are burdened and tired and broken and trapped, and I will do the work that needs to be done to make you clean, new and free.

It is OK to have strong beliefs about gun control, the way children and animals are treated, about drugs and drug control, equality and whatever else is important to us, including the Dallas Cowboys and which is better, Star Wars or Star Trek. But it is more important to remember that no issue is more important than the truth that God loves us and gave Himself for us so that we can be healed, restored, freed and brought into relationship with Him and that He loves everyone on every side of every argument and issue. Let us not let the passions of self, how we feel, make us act as though we have the right to treat others as though they have no value, to impose our will on theirs, causing them not only to retaliate but to be unable to see Daddy's love for them through us.

Oh, Daddy, rid us once more of self. Help us to walk in Your love and grace towards others, especially those who disagree with us and devalue us, Let us follow the example of Jesus, laying our lives down for others, even our enemies and those whom we think are wrong, for we were enemies of God and wrong before we were redeemed by Your blood. Let us always remember that the only right that matters is the right for us and others to come freely and boldly to You through Jesus, and let us not use any other rights in such a way as to push people away from You or besmirch Your name. Let even our stands on what is right and our debating be done in a way that brings You glory and speaks of Your great love for us all. Amen.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Echo ~ February 24, 2018 ~ Zombie Friends

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

February 20, 2015.

We've all either had or been that someone who just refused to change their attitude and behavior or to quit doing things damaging to a friendship. Sometimes the friendship ends in an ugly blowup of hurt and anger, sometimes friends "simply grow apart" and aren't friends anymore, and sometimes a zombie of the friendship arrives. Zombie friendship? Yes, it looks roughly like the same entity and moves around. But it's not the same, and movement isn't proof of life. In a Zombie friendship both parties may still claim to be friends, one may even mean it. They may do things together. They may still visit when they are around each other, like at church or when they run into one another at Wal-Mart. But the life has gone out of the relationship. There is no desire to seek out the other person. Who wouldn't rather avoid someone who keeps doing the same things that hurt you?

With true gratitude I  tell you that God does. No matter how many times we've blown it, regardless of repeated sins thrown in His Holy face, He doesn't want to avoid us. He sends  us messages that He wants to get together for a visit, that truthfully He loves us and wants to move in together. He calls over and over wanting to talk. It's ridiculous how often He'll interrupt our day to talk if we don't turn the ringer off. If we don't turn the ringer off.

And that's the problem. If we are in a Zombie friendship with God, one with no life that vaguely resembles a rotten shell of what we once experienced, it's on us. We're the one who lost our minds, not Him. We're the one with repeated sins that hurt Him, not the other way around, Yet He is the one calling and we are the ones avoiding, giving excuses, putting Him off.

We just can't stand in His Holy presence covered in rot. If we refuse to surrender our will we are saying, "I like my rot thank you very much. You can't have it." And God lets us keep it. But while He never looks at us with anything but love and compassion we aren't comfortable in His presence. We only feel we belong in the grave yard of our sin.  

Or we can grunt out through our brokenness and rot, "Daddy help!" And He in His power and grace and love does what we can't. He restores life to the dead man walking. He removes the stench. He wipes away the goop. He freshens the breath. He restores the mind. He makes new clothes free from filth. He brings life into us and into the relationship with Him. 

God' love is the only cure for the epidemic of dead men walking and for apathy and death in our relationship with Him. But there is a part of the cure that's on us. We have to see we need it. We have to accept His acceptance of who we, are as we are. And then we have to submit to His healing hands that clean us up and give us new life. He does the work, but we must let Him or continue to rot away and wander through life in our stink, gnashing at people around us, wondering why we feel separated from everyone.

Abba, help me to see the rot and smell the stink in my life. Help me to remember today that I don't have to hide that from You in shame, but I can run to You just as nasty as I am, without having to clean or heal in any way first. Thank You for Your faithfulness to clean away and heal as much of my body and life infected by sin as I will let You. Help me hold nothing back. I give You all of me, good and stinking, nasty, bad. Amen 

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 23, 2018 ~ Undercover Boss

Some may be familiar with the TV program Undercover Boss. I've only seen a couple of episodes and didn't really care for it, but it is popular enough to have been on the air for nearly 10 years now. My favorite example of the show is actually a parody of it in which Kylo Ren, the heir of Darth Vader in the continuing Star Wars movies, goes undercover as a lowly employee of the Empire.

For those who aren't familiar with the show, the premise is basically what you would assume from the title. A CEO or owner of a company goes undercover into a lower end job in his or her company.So, for example, someone high up in a fast food chain may go in as a manager or even a fry cook at one of their locations to see first hand how difficult the job really is, how well training is or isn't helping, if company policy is good or bad on a practical level and what it is like to live in the day to day trenches of the company. I guess part of the appeal is watching these business giants struggle to keep up with the rush and pressure that so many low educated blue collar and minimum wage employees do on a daily basis. From what I understand, many of the bosses would not be able to keep their jobs through the training period if they were actually evaluated and hired based on their performance. Of course, there are also sad stories of their new coworkers to help with the drama factor, and the boss or company does something to help the people in their struggle.

So, what's the point? Why am I even writing about this show that I don't watch? Well, it's because although I don't watch it, it came to mind the other day as I thought about what Jesus did for us. The first episode of Undercover Boss wasn't a TV show. The God of the universe wrapped Himself in flesh and lowered Himself to go through the struggle of our lives. But unlike the bosses on TV, He didn't flounder, mess up and look foolish. He stepped into our shoes and walked in them better than we ever could. He did the job of being human perfectly. He showed that the company policy could be followed and that it is the best way. And He did something to help us all with our sufferings, sorrows and sob stories.

We don't have some far away God that doesn't understand what we are going through or how hard life is. He gets it. He's been there and done that. He's faced what we face and suffered what we suffer, and then some. And now that He's done what we were always supposed to do but couldn't, He's sharing freely with us the same power that made Him able to do it so that we can be free to do it as well. He came from heaven to earth and made it possible for us to do life well and to have a life worth living characterized by love, peace and joy.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Good News For The Poor

Dalyn Woodard shares a message on what Jesus has done for all of us who are needy and impoverished in every way. The message, "Good News For The Poor," continues this year's Lenten series and is about 31 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, February 21, 2018. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.

The Ash Wednesday message, "It's All About The Heart," can be found here.

We apologize for the poor recording. While it is good enough to hear, the audio is not up to standards. The backup computer being used since the crash of the main recording computer a few weeks ago died Tuesday night. Unshackled Life is very grateful to those who prayed about the need for a new computer to record, edit and post messages. God has answered our prayers. We found the computer we needed on sale with 0% financing. Praise God! It has been ordered, and is on the way, but did not arrive before the backup crashed. Please pray that the new computer arrives quickly. Thank you for your prayer support.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 21, 2018 ~ Safe Expectations

Perhaps you have heard something along the lines of expectations being resentments under construction. I believe this. When we place expectations on people or expect a certain outcome of a situation or put all our hope on God doing a certain thing in a certain way, it can lead to heartbreaking disappointment that causes hurt, frustration and deep anger when we don't get what we want. It is so much better to trust God over people and yet, leave the way open for God to do things His way in His time.

But what about expectations that go the other way? They can be as devastating and destructive. What I am thinking of when I mention that is that expectation that things have always been this way and therefore always will. It is trusting hopelessness over the power and care of Daddy. When the struggle comes between the old way of life and the new path of freedom, it can be so easy to give in. I'm going to fail eventually, so why put it off and wear myself out fighting a battle that I can't win. When the game is lost, why not concede, even if time has not run out? There is some real truth in this way of feeling and thinking. If we have tried a hundred times to break a habit, to change our attitudes and reactions, there is no reason to believe that we will be able to win next time. In our own strength, determination and ability we have no more chance of setting ourselves free than we did at the beginning, no matter how long or often we try.

But when that expectation to fail falls on us, we don't have to surrender to the chains. We don't have to be drug along back into captivity just because that is what has always happened before. We do nee to surrender, just not to the thing trying to enslave and hurt us. Instead of doing that, and instead of fighting harder, we can surrender to Daddy's care and love and let Him fight on our behalf. With His enabling power we have the grace to do  what we can not do on our own. Change is possible through Him. We can be free. History does not always have to repeat. We can expect a different outcome when we are relying on a different source for the fight. The expectation that doesn't lead to resentment or returning to bondage is expecting that God is faithful to His word and will complete the work He has begun in us to set us free from our captivity. Those of who are set free by Jesus are free indeed, and that we can safely expect to remain true.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 20, 2018 ~ The Little Things

Sometimes it's the little things that drive me crazy. It's strange. Someone I love very much gets cancer and I am able to completely trust God in the situation and rely totally on Him, but the stupid electric bill has me twisting in the wind trying to figure out how to manage it, control it and  get the cost down. With the former, there is nothing I can do. I can't even pretend to have any part or control in someone else's cancer recovery, which makes it easy for me to give it to God. With the latter, I did everything I knew to do, could figure out to do, and when it failed, broken and beyond able to  do anything more than I had done, I cried out to Daddy for help and gave it to Him.

How quickly did I give the situation to Daddy? When things begin to overwhelm me and begin to damage my calm, how quickly do it I turn to Daddy, ask for help and begin to give the situation to Him? Do those sound like good evening review questions? I thought they were. But last night I realized that I asked the wrong question. The question is not how quickly do I let God have the things that begin to overwhelm and go beyond my ability, but rather why didn't God have it in the first place?

Now, please don't get me wrong. I am not saying that like, God, why did You let this happen? No, this question goes more to heart of statements like God helps those who help themselves. You may have heard or read me contradict that statement before. God doesn't help those who help themselves. He helps those who know they are needy and can't help themselves. Though I know that, I still somehow slipped into the mindset that I need to manage and control the things I can and be quick to give God the rest.

But Jesus wants all of me. He wants all of you. He needs to the Lord of our free time and our daily responsibilities as much as He is Lord of the crisis and the storm. When I forget that I act like I run my life, except the areas I can't handle, and then I get outside management for that part. We are given the ability to think and what I call some creative freedom. But we work for Him. He runs the show, the whole show of my life. He is the director. He sets the place where I stand, the lines I am given, the lights, every aspect of the play of my life is to be given to His control and direction.

A wise manager delegates and gives authority to those under him or her to do their part of the work, but no matter how much freedom an employee has to make their own choices, there are directives and guidelines, parameters, that are set and within which the decisions are to be made. What we do, all of what we do, is ultimately for the efficiency, purpose and furthering of the Kingdom. It's all for God's glory and to either directly draw others deeper into relationship with Daddy or to do so indirectly by keeping us in a place of total submission to and reliance upon Him. We must be faithful to give Him control of the little things so that we aren't tempted to try to manhandle and manage the bigger things.

How I care for my home and my animals is as important as how I care for the person who comes to me for spiritual guidance. Why? Because when I walk faithfully under His management in the little things it ensures that I stay in His will and there is no hesitation to do it His way when the obstacles and difficulties come. When we turn our will and our life over to the care of Daddy, it's our entire will and entire life. There is nothing that is to remain mine. It is all His to do with as He wills and to direct the how, why, when and every other aspect, so that all of my life, from free time, to chores, to relationships and work can be a demonstration of His love, His power and His way of life.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 19, 2018 ~ Rise Again

For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.

- Proverbs 24:16

It easy to feel condemned or neglected of God when we fall into  trouble or mess up.  Does it mean that we haven't been changed,  been made new and set free? Does it mean that Daddy is not protecting us or that He doesn't care what we are going through? Absolutely not.

Even the just experience trouble and calamity. The difference is that those who are in right standing with God can be restored because they have help. No matter the reason for our trouble and distress, we can humbly cry out to Daddy and turn to Him for help. He will lift us up and set our feet on solid ground.

Those who are not surrendered to Him however, have nowhere to turn. When calamity comes they self destruct. Things go quickly from bad to worse. The things they turn to for comfort and safety may help temporarily, but in the end they only bring more calamity and destruction.

In recovery we still have trouble and hard times. We still make mistakes and mess up. But it doesn't mean we've lost all. God doesn't reject us for failing to measure up to perfection. His forgiveness is ours, and His mercy is new every morning. We simply need to turn to Him and let Him give us another start in His power rather than our own. No matter how many times we fall or are knocked down we can rise again through His power and grace.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Relief

Dalyn Woodard shares on remembering what Jesus has done for us and the relief that comes from no longer having to struggle against sin and our old nature on our own. The message,  "Relief" is about 12 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, February 18, 2018. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Echo ~ February 17, 2018 ~ Joy That Brings Strength

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

February 19, 2015.

There are periods of our life when happiness just disappears, runs and hides and thwarts all our attempts to find it. In fact, the harder we try, the less happiness we seem to find or the more fleeting what we do find turns out to be. We fall into despair. Scriptures that say things like the joy of the Lord is our strength can make things feel even worse. If joy is my strength and I'm full of sorrow how am I supposed to get through this?

But happiness comes from the external, from our situation and circumstances. It is dependent upon what is happening in our lives. Joy is internal. It does not depend upon our outward anything. It is a response that comes from understanding the truth, the awesome, incredible, mind-blowing truth that we are loved by God. It is the joy of our natural response to such amazing love that gives us the strength to go through whatever we have to, even anguish and sorrow.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that it was for the joy that was set before Him that Jesus was strengthened in the garden to get up, walk into His betrayal, take the beatings and endure the rejection, desertion and pain that came with the cross. Joy that brings strength that can't be shaken or destroyed by darkness comes from knowing we are loved by our Heavenly Daddy and can trust Him completely without reservation when we align our will with His.

Father, help me to know and understand Your love for me today, so that I have Your joy to empower me as I go through this day and all the ups and downs that may take place. Thank You for Your love that draws me to You and claims me as Your own. 

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 16, 2018 ~ Stay Desperate

When we came to that place where with 100% honesty and conviction we could admit, to ourselves if no one else, that our life was beyond our ability to manage, control or fix and that there is a Power greater than us who can restore us and set us free, with the desperation of the drowning we cried out, Have mercy on me! Help! We surrendered our will and lives to the care of Daddy. We were desperate. Few are able to truly turn their lives over to God while they still believe they can successfully do the job of running things themselves. We didn't need to examine our lives to see the mess. We didn't have to look hard to see how much we needed Him to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.

We were like the sinner Jesus spoke of praying for mercy on me, a sinner. At the same time Jesus condemned the Pharisee who felt he was good enough on his own and prayed, God I thank you that I am not like that sinner over there (my paraphrase). We read the story in Luke 18, and perhaps even feel a little smug as we thank God that we are not like the foolish Pharisee. But it is all too easy to slip into that very trap. After a little time free from the worst of our bondage, do we lose our desperation? Do we forget that we need Him now as much as we did when we were in our cups or whatever our chains happened to be?

One of the blessings of Lent is that it is a calling to examine not only our actions, but our hearts. It's more than looking for areas of sin that need to go, but a call to look for where and how we have begun once again to rely on self sufficiency. We are still as unable as always to do it on our own. We still, no matter how much our life has improved or how much time we have walked free from our slavery and captivity, need Him to do for us.

Lord, fill us once more with a desperation for You. Help us to always remember that we still can't do it ourselves. May we see our need and rely fully on You that we may never fall back into our own will. Amen 

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

It's All About The Heart

Dalyn Woodard shares a message on drawing near to Daddy and understanding not only what Jesus has done for us but why He did it. The message, "It's All About The Heart," begins this year's Lenten series and is about 47 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2018. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.

May God bless and keep you. The songs mentioned in the message can be found here.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 14, 2018 ~ Love Is In The Air

Love is in the air. Along with loneliness, despair, bitterness and regret. One person smells the sweet scent of roses on the same wind on which someone else smells decay. Position is everything. Upwind from the dump and downwind from the rose garden makes for a pleasant stroll through nature. Flip that position and nothing is right. Love and loneliness mingle on the breeze most days, but it never seems more emphasized than Valentine's Day. Even those who don't observe it or pay it little mind, can't help but be aware of the significance and either feel a little happier than usual that they have someone, a little wistful that their relationship was a little better or regret a bit more deeply that they are alone.

I think that's why I am so grateful that Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday intersect this year. Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season, is a day when we perhaps feel the significance of our need and the amazing love and sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf more than other days. Not that we don't have awareness other days, but the focus makes us that much more aware, much like Valentine's Day makes us more aware of our love or lack of, like it or not. And the reason that this is such a great combination is that Ash Wednesday is a highlight in the greatest love story of all time. And the best news is that it can be our story.

I don't know about you, Dear Reader, but I couldn't have been more of a mess and lived. Drugging and drinking and all the wrong kinds of love in all the wrong places weren't enough to ever let me escape the understanding that I was broken and worthless. Never good enough and never able to measure up, and not even able to lie, cheat and hide well enough to pretend to fit in and belong with those who could measure up, until I gave up trying. I didn't realize that all those I thought measured up also didn't, and unable to serve in heaven I tried to rule the hell my life had become, only to fail at even that. Love? I didn't really understand the meaning of the word, and everything became about me, my acceptance, my need, and what someone or something could make me feel. Finally, I became so broken, lost and afraid that pain became the only feeling I trusted and life became agony. The only truth I knew for sure was that I was unaccepted, unforgiven and deserved to be.

Cut away to another scene. A perfect, holy and blameless God who had created everything stands apart. I can't approach Him. I don't deserve to. And no matter how hard I try, I can't ever quite reach the place where I feel comfortable going to Him, because I know the truth of who and how I am. But the God that I thought hated me for my faults and failures, loved me as I was, and am, not as I should be. He loved me so much that He wrapped Himself in flesh, fasted from His glory and suffered my life and temptations. He did what I was always supposed to do and never could. And then, He gave me His prize for success as He took my pain and punishment and death that comes with failure. And because He loves me enough not to leave me the way I was, He gave me His power to enter into relationship with Him, to walk away from the chemicals and the habits that had me enslaved, to become something new and different.

Today I have a life worth living, I am free from the obsession to drink and drug, and I am someone who is able to give and receive love in a healthy way. Not because I did anything. Not because I figured out how to be a better man. Not because I deserved help or yet another chance. No, all because He loved me enough to accept me as I am, not as I should be, because He wanted to bring me to Himself so much that He was willing to suffer everything I deserved in my place, and because His love has the power to make us new, clean and beautiful.

It's the greatest story ever told, and it's true for me. Some of the details may  be different, but it is or can be true for you as well. Because when He fasted from His glory and suffered in my place, He did it for you as well. He died for you, as He did for me, because He loves you as you are, not as you should be, but He also loves you enough not to leave you the mess you are.  In  46 days the focus will be on the glorious turn of the story where He rises from the grave and ascends into heaven so that His Spirit can come make His home within us and give us the power to do what we could never do on our own. But for now, let us remember with a grateful heart what He gave up and how He suffered so that He could have relationship with us, so that we could become His. What an amazing love! How fitting for us to begin to fine tune our focus on what He has done for us on the same day we can't help but think of love. Because whether you have been blessed with the amazing grace of a loving relationship with another human being, whether your relationship needs some work or even a miracle, or if love seems like just another cosmic joke played on you by a cruel life, the truth is that you are more deeply and truly loved than you will ever be able to comprehend this side of eternity.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 13, 2018 ~ Carrying The Wilderness With Us

One of the aspects of discipleship and recovery is to seek to improve our conscious contact with Daddy, especially through prayer and meditation, seeking His will for us and the power to carry it out. Conscious contact is essential, because if we forget or lose sight of the truth that Daddy is with us and loves us, then we may falter when times get hard. The truth is that He is with us. He cares for us, and no matter how it may feel at times, we are never alone.

I like to think of conscious contact as an awareness of His presence and His love. Do you have specials times and or places where this awareness is easier to feel than others? I do, as I suspect that most of us in relationship with our Creator do. Mine may be different than yours. And that's OK. Some people may find a special connection with the Creator in His creation, perhaps sitting outside listening to the birds and feeling the breeze.  But others may find that experience miserable and distracting, The birds are annoying, and, oh wait, that's not  a bird....it's a mosquito. It's a good idea to find those places and times that work for you, where you can lose yourself in your time and relationship with Him. Time in the awareness of His presence and love refreshes and strengthens us.

But let us not lose sight of the truth that He is always with us. We need to be careful not to fall into thinking that we can only have conscious contact in that way,  in that place and in that time. As much as those special times and places can be important to our relationship and recovery, after all, even Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness to spend time alone with Daddy, we should ask for the grace to have awareness of Him with us in those times and places that are the opposite of our special times. As close as Jesus was to Daddy alone in the wilderness, there is no doubt that He knew Daddy was with Him in the midst of the multitudes with all the need and reproach surrounding Him. We can cultivate an awareness of His love and provision and presence in the midst of the chaos, stress and distractions of our every day existence. It may start in our own version of the wilderness, but when we take that into the chaos it is such a blessing and even more of a help. As wonderful as it is to be able to connect with God when it's just the two of you, how much more amazing is it to be able to take those wilderness moments with us to the places and times when we need them most and where it is harder to remember?

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 12, 2018 ~ The Forgiveness Ripple Effect

When we think of Biblical examples of forgiveness and their impact, of course the first person that comes to mind is Jesus Himself. There is no greater example of forgiveness. He is the author of forgiveness and changed the world and our lives with His willingness to forgive and the price He paid so that forgiveness is even possible. From the woman caught in adultery who escaped stoning because of the forgiveness and compassion of Christ, to the thief on the cross who mocked Jesus until his heart was changed and went with Jesus to paradise, to you and me, who have been forgiven so much, the love of Jesus for us, while we were undeserving and even enemies, is the standard of forgiveness that we try to live up to and can only accomplish by grace.

But then, while all man, Jesus was also all God. Of course He could do the impossible and forgive what only God can forgive. What about human, totally human, examples? Well, probably the one pulled up the most often is that of Joseph. Sold into slavery by his brothers who  had actually wanted to kill him at first, he rose from the pits of prison to second in command of all Egypt. When he found himself in a position of power over the brothers who hurt him, he chose to forgive. And yes, it is awesome and inspiring. But there is another example that perhaps is just as powerful, maybe more so.

Joseph had the visions God had given him to hold on to during those dark years. Yes, it would have been hard to hold on to them and not give them up, but he had them.  Esau on the other hand isn't an example often mentioned, because he isn't one of the patriarchs. He wasn't the one chosen by God. His brother was. His father favored him, yet even his father was disappointed in him because of his marriage choices. How hard it must have been to be daddy's favorite and still not be able to live up to his little brother. His brother, Jacob, conned him out of his birthright. And then Jacob tricked Isaac and flat out stole Esau's blessing before running for the hills to escape Esau's wrath.

Years later, Jacob returns with his family and finds Esau has grown powerful. What is the use of power if you can't exact vengeance on those who've done  you wrong, right? Jacob knew this. He fully expected Esau's retaliation. But Esau didn't attack. He forgave and welcomed the brother who'd done him so wrong. We usually speak of forgiveness being more for ourselves than for others. It frees us from the poison of resentment. And that is true. But we are not told when or how Esau forgave. We are not told how it freed him and made his life better. What we see instead is the ripple effect. Esau could have killed his brother and his brother's family and taken everything Jacob had acquired. That is  pretty much what Jacob feared. If he had, God would have had to start over, because the chosen line of promise would have come to a premature end.

But Esau forgave, and Jacob, now called Israel, flourished and his twelve sons became a nation  that would eventually deliver the Messiah to us all Yes, forgiveness of others helps us spiritually. Tremendously. It may even bless and help the person we forgive and be a seed that grows into their having a relationship with God. But we may never know the lives of others even further from the center that we may touch. God can use our willingness to forgive to bless others far beyond the original parties involved. Every act of obedience to God, even that of forgiveness, is something God can use to draw all people to Himself. Let us be quick to forgive, even when we may not see all the good it can do.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Communion In A Slow Cooker

Dalyn Woodard shares on the meaning of communion and Lent to him as an reminder of our recovery and discipleship and being made right with God. The message,  "Communion In A Slow Cooker" is about 14 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, February 11, 2018. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

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Unshackled Echo ~ February 10, 2018 ~ More

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

February 18, 2015, as More Of Jesus.

Dalyn Woodard sharing on the purpose and meaning of Ash Wednesday and calling for a time to reflect on our love for God, our desire to follow Him, and out understanding of His great love for us. The song played at the end of the sermon was "More (Of Jesus)" by Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart and has been cut out of the recording for copyright purposes. The song is included below the message, which is about 40 minutes long and is titled "More Of Jesus." It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

 

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 9, 2018 ~ Broken Promises

But I am poor and needy; Yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.

- Psalm 40:17

Broken promises. Anyone in recovery, or in need of recovery, from addiction and or habitual sin is familiar with broken promises. We make promises. We break promises. Promises to family and friends. Promises to ourselves. Promises to God. We try. We want to do better and be better. We see the need for change in our lives and our spirit. We repent and are truly sorry for the state of our life and the things that have dominion over us that shouldn't. But then we make the mistake of rising up in our own strength, determined to do better, to do it right from this point forward. And we fall on our face, failure after failure, time after time.

The key to victory and finding freedom is not in seeing the need to change. It is not in believing we should or even must change. It is in understanding we are poor, as in we do not possess the resources necessary. We are needy. We can not control or defeat this thing, whatever it is. We need help. From where does our help come from? From the Lord. He is our deliverer, our liberator. To find the help we need, we don't need to try harder, but rather be quick to turn to Him and ask for His aid. Come quickly, Lord and do the work, because we can't do it.

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God. If we want to see the rule of God in our lives instead of the rule of addiction and sin and the old nature, we must understand and accept our neediness, our inability to do it ourselves. But when we accept that we can't and He can, we can find freedom in Him, provided by our deliverer. He will not delay to help us when we give the fight to Him and admit that we are not able. We can rely on His promises, which are never broken, so that we don't continue in the cycle of repentance, promises, broken promises and more repentance.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 8, 2018 ~ Unselfish Love

There's something about loving someone that makes us want to please the person loved, to bring them joy and make them happy. I used to approach relationships by trying to get the most out of them for myself. I felt love for those who treated me the way I wished to be treated and made me feel good, happy, accepted, etc. But that wasn't really love on my part, because it was totally selfish. It was all about me, and what I wanted.

One of the ways that I knew I felt real love for Leah was that I wanted to please her rather than please myself. I received more pleasure from setting myself aside for her than I did when I ignored her pleasure for my own. After seven years of marriage that has not changed, and I am grateful for that. And one of the things that makes our relationship so wonderful is that the unselfish nature of love is not one sided. She cares for me as I care for her.

One small example of this is sports. It may seem silly, but it is far from it. I love sports. She does not. I have seen such differences produce pain in relationships as selfishness causes one or both people to feel insignificant and unappreciated. But unselfish love makes all the difference. I make sure that Leah knows she is far more important to me than a game. I set aside sports for her often, and when I do indulge, I don't force her to deal with it, to suffer through it or be ignored. Usually the way I watch sports is on the computer with the volume off so that she and I can sit together and talk, or listen to an audiobook together or watch a movie together. We get to spend time together, share something  we both enjoy, like the book or the movie, and I still get to keep an eye on how Texas Tech is playing. But from time to time, when there's a big game on the line, she will set aside the book or movie and we'll put the game on the big TV with the volume on. She usually watches the Stanley Cup with me, and last Sunday, she watched the Superbowl with me. Some of her comments made me laugh and made the game more enjoyable to me. I still smile when I think back to her saying someone needs to give the guy with the ball a big hug and tell him to stay right here with me. Yep, it makes me laugh. She didn't watch the game to earn something in return, such as I watched the game with you, so now you owe me such and such. She simply did it to make me happy. The same is true of the opposite. I will not skip tonight's Texas Tech basketball game or watch it with the sound off while doing something with her, to say, see what I gave up for you, so now you need to do such and such for me. Rather it is because I would prefer to spend the time with her in a way that brings her pleasure than ignore her happiness for my own. And the truth is that I have more pleasure in the long run by setting aside self instead of indulging in self.

I think the unselfish love in a good marriage is why we see marriage used an illustration of our relationship with Jesus. As we grow closer to God, we begin to have a desire to please Him out of love instead of as a way to manipulate Him into doing what we want. We find ourselves happily setting aside the things that don't make Him happy and doing what will make Him happy out of love. And when we find that doing so is a struggle, because laying aside self is not always easy or possible for us, His love gives us the grace, the power, to live for Him rather than for ourselves. But it's not a one sided relationship of sacrifice. He set aside His self for us, to make it possible for us to have relationship with Him and to give us the pleasure that comes from a life worth living. He loved us first unselfishly in a way that benefited us far more than it did Him, and made it possible for us to love Him unselfishly in return.

Lord, may we love You as You loved us, setting aside self and doing the things that please You, out of love and not as an attempt to earn Your favor or force Your hand. Help us to set aside those things that don't please you and let even the little things in our life be for Your pleasure and Your glory. Amen.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ February 7, 2018 ~ Crisis 9-1-1

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.

- Nahum 1:7

In the rooms of recovery we often hear people talking about no longer having a 9-1-1 relationship with God. We can likely all understand what they are talking about. Many of us have treated God like emergency services. We never thought of Him at all and had no relationship and fellowship with Him. But when we had trouble, when we needed rescue, suddenly our hearts cried out, Oh God help!

We can grasp that only thinking of and talking to Daddy when we need something is not a real relationship and not the way it is meant to be. It doesn't take long for us to grow extremely weary of the friend who never comes around or calls except when they need something. You know the kind of person I mean. When you see them coming or their name pops up on caller ID your first response is what do they need now? It's not a friendship. But knowing that someone who only calls us when they need something is not a true friend doesn't mean that we don't want our real friends to call us when we need something. In fact, just the opposite. We would likely feel extremely hurt if we thought our friend didn't think we would want to help them, if we could, in their time of need.

I suspect this to be even more true with children. I am sure that parents would like a closer, more meaningful relationship with their children than only being a help in time of need,  but at the same time, how heartbreaking would it be for a parent to have a child who felt they couldn't come to them when the need arose? I bring this up, because sometimes in recovery we tend to swing to the extremes. We sometimes go from only talking to God when we're in trouble to feeling like we shouldn't bother Him with our problems. And that is not the case.

The word for trouble in the Hebrew in the verse I opened this with literally means tightness. It is translated at various times as trouble, anguish, and distress. Those times when the pressure is on to such an extent than we feel the tightness crushing us, it's hard to breath and we feel gut punched, those are times when we need to remember that we have a good Daddy who loves us and cares for us. Our fault, their fault, nobody's fault, we're in trouble and we need help. At those times we are supposed to turn to Daddy. Don't let the condemnation of calling out to God only in times of need in the past keep us from turning to Him now that there is actually a relationship. He is a stronghold. That means He is a refuge, a place of safety that is fortified against the attack.

Daddy knows those who trust in Him. That means He pays particular attention to us, He cares for us and we're special to Him. He doesn't spot us in Walmart and duck down the next aisle hoping that we didn't see Him. He doesn't forget us. He knows us and wants to help us as a good parent longs to help their child, as a good husband knows and loves and helps his wife. We don't have a bogus relationship. He knows us and wants to be our first thought when we are overwhelmed, in anguish and feel the tightness of trouble.

Let us be quick to turn to Him instead of trying to meet our own needs in our own strength or running to false refuges that fail. Just because we have a relationship and are real friends with people who may work for emergency services doesn't mean that when the crisis comes we shouldn't call 9-1-1, and just because we now have a real relationship with our Daddy doesn't mean He isn't supposed to be our first call in times of trouble.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.