Monday, 5th January, 2026
Bible Reading: Philippians 3: 13–14 (NKJV)
Memory Verse: See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
One of the greatest hindrances to progress in life is an unhealthy attachment to the past. The Apostle Paul, despite his incredible ministry and divine encounters, once made a profound statement in Philippians 3:13–14 (NKJV) which says, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Paul’s words teach us that forgetting the past is not about memory loss, but about refusing to let yesterday’s pain, guilt, or even success hold you hostage today.
Why Forgetting the Past Matters?
1. The Past Can Paralyse You: Dwelling on past failures creates fear and self-doubt. Like the Israelites who kept longing for Egypt after God had delivered them, many people remain stuck because their minds are trapped in “what used to be.”
2. The Past Can Distract You: Sometimes, it’s not even failure but past success that holds us back. We celebrate a breakthrough so much that we stop pressing for new victories.
3. God is a God of New Beginnings: Isaiah 43:18–19 reminds us: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” God cannot do the new if we remain bound to the old.
Practical Ways to Forget the Past
1. Reframe Past Failures as Lessons: Instead of replaying your mistakes, ask: “What did I learn?” For instance, Thomas Edison didn’t call his many unsuccessful experiments “failures” but “discoveries of how not to make a bulb.”
2. Release People Who Hurt You: Forgiveness is key. Joseph in Genesis could have wasted his life in bitterness after being betrayed by his brothers. Instead, he released them and declared, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
3. Stop Measuring Today by Yesterday: A student who once failed a subject must not approach the next exam with the same defeated mindset. Each day is fresh. New strategies, new energy, and new confidence bring different results.
4. Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection: If you once struggled with bad habits, don’t condemn yourself because you are not yet “perfect.” Celebrate how far you’ve come. Progress is proof of growth.
5. Surround Yourself with the Right Environment: Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom because her heart was still tied there. Sometimes forgetting the past means disconnecting from environments, conversations, or people that constantly drag you back.
Quote: There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind – C.S. Lewis
Prophetic Decree: Your grip of your past shall not hold down your present or future, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. I receive grace to break free from any unhealthy attachment to the past, in Jesus name.
2. I receive grace not to be paralysed or distracted by my past, in Jesus name.
3. I receive grace to learn from my past instead of asking why, in Jesus name.
4. I receive grace to release all those who hurt me in my past, in Jesus name.
5. I receive grace and emotional fortitude to press forward, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 6-9
