Letting Go of What Was
Your Nightly Prayer
by Clarence Haynes Jr.
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” – Isaiah 43:18-19
SOMETHING TO PONDER
As a sports fan, I have heard so many top athletes and coaches talk about how they remember the losses more than the wins. Some say they hate losing more than they love winning. Personally, as a NY Giants fan, I have experienced my fair share of heartbreaking losses, and I remember them all. Despite experiencing the exhilarating triumphs, it’s the crushing defeats in games I believe my team should have won, that just stick with me. In those moments, the sting of defeat far outweighs the thrill of victory because you never seem to forget the one that got away. If this were a sports column, I would name them all, but if you are a sports fan, just reach out to me and we can commiserate.
This reality in sports mirrors what happens in everyday life. As we come to the end of another year, it’s natural to look back and review. Since so many things happen over the course of 365 days, and because time seems to move by so quickly, it is easy to forget all that has happened. Surprisingly (or not), when looking back over the year or over the course of our lives, we seem to remember the bad things. Especially the things that resulted from our own poor choices.
God Is a Forward-Moving God
When you consider your past, there is one thing that you must recognize. It is in the past. That does not make dealing with what happened any easier, but it is a starting point for viewing life from the correct perspective. Because it is in the past, it means that whatever happened, you cannot change it. However, one thing you can do is learn from it. This is exactly what God wants you to do.
That’s why verses like this one in Isaiah are powerful reminders of how we need to approach the things of our past. We need to learn from them and move forward. God is a forward-moving God, and dwelling in the past is like trying to drive a car while looking in the rearview mirror. It might work for a short period, but eventually, you are going to crash.
One Caveat About Your Past
There is one caveat about this that you cannot ignore. If there is unforgiveness in your heart or sin that you have not repented of, then you cannot ignore those things. This could mean you need to forgive someone who hurt you. It could also mean you need to repent of your sin, and that may include asking for forgiveness if there is someone you may have hurt. These things may feel like they are in your past, but if you have not addressed them properly, then they are still affecting your present and possibly your future. However, once you address these things, then and only then can you move them behind you.
The Power of God’s Forgiveness
Once you repent, God’s forgiveness is there not only to forgive but to help you move forward. The reason is that when God forgives sin, he forgets it. This allows you to move forward and not linger over the mistakes of yesterday. Even when yesterday’s choices were horrific and you never want to repeat them, don’t live there because God is doing something new.
I encourage you to let all the things that happened in the past be your historical classroom, where you learn from your mistakes and grow from them. From there, keep moving forward knowing that if you have repented, God has forgiven you, and there is no longer a need to keep reflecting on the poor decisions of yesterday. God’s forgiveness makes all things new. It is his forgiveness that allows you to move into the new year, not carrying the baggage from the old year.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Lord,
As I look back over this past year, thank you for bringing me through. I made a lot of choices this past year, some good and some not so good. I repent of the ways I may have sinned against you or anyone else. Help me learn from the poor decisions of this past year and use them as teaching moments that will help me draw closer to you. Finally, I ask you to help me receive the forgiveness you offer so I can walk in the newness of life you offer me. With that, I turn the page from this year and walk into the new things you have for me in the next year.
I pray all this in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Since you cannot change your past, the best thing you can do is learn from it.
2. The mistakes of yesterday are not your biggest issue. It’s not addressing them properly, that is.
3. God will never remind you of sins for which you have repented.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Toa Heftiba
He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.
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Originally published Saturday, 27 December 2025.
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