A Prayer for When You Can’t Forget the Pain

“From this day on, I no longer have a daughter.” His words sank, deep like pebbles to the bottom of a pool.

There are things I wish I could forget.

Words flung out like spears, trying to pin me to the wall.

Looks that shot daggers and pierced my heart.

Promises broken and dreams shattered.

These memories I carry deep within. I wish I could forget. But I can’t erase the memories that are seared on my brain, as much a part of me as the happy memories that taunt me with their impossibility of being relived.

So I do the only thing I can. I come to the throneroom of God, and ask Him to help.

I wrote this prayer for you, friend, and for me, and for everyone who lives with memories they’d rather forget.

A Prayer for When You Can’t Forget the Pain

Oh Lord, the One who is a Father to the fatherless, You see my pain and You know my grief. You bore all these sins before they even happened, and not a wound was inflicted without striking pain in Your heart as well. 

There are memories I don’t want to relive, but I can’t shrug them off either. They pounce on me when I least suspect it, and the weight of the emotions threatens to undo me. Father God, hear my desperate plea. I need You, oh I need You. 

You promise to make everything beautiful in its time, and I wish that time were right now, but in the in-between, would you carry me in Your arms? Hold me close to Your heart. Let me rest my head on Your shoulder, as a lamb carried by her Shepherd. 

Hold me when the grief seems to overwhelm me, like waves crashing into me. Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. You are my refuge. My strong tower. My shelter in the midst of the storm. In You I am safe, not only from the past, but from haunting memories as well. 

I can’t forget, but You can heal. You can bring life out of ashes, and I’m asking for nothing short of a miracle here. Heal these wounds, Lord, but leave the scars. I want to always remember Your goodness, Your healing, and Your restoration. I want to be able to look back on what was and see what you are doing.  You promise that You’re doing a new thing in me; help me believe that and fix my gaze forward instead of dwelling on what was in the past. Help me to entrust the past to You and to step forward into the future that You’re fashioning for me.

You will be faithful to complete this good work that You started in me, and I can’t wait to see how You’ll do it! 

I love You, Lord. 

Amen

Free Prayer Printable

I hope that prayer helps you as it has helped me.

I made this downloadable printable you can place in your prayer notebook, if you’d like. My desire is to help you grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus, any I hope this will help you do that when you need to be more focused in your quiet time. Just click on the image below or click here to download it to your computer, and feel free to pin it to Pinterest or share it with friends!