The Key to Walking Out of Your Prison

Go back in time to a place where there was no worry, fear, or hurt only joy, peace, love, and hope. If you cannot remember a time like that imagine for a moment what it might feel like. Now in that moment imagine receiving an invitation to an event at a palace you’ve only gazed upon from a distance. Oh what joy and anticipation this moment holds.

At the palace door you knock but no one answers. You lean onto the door and it opens. As you enter nothing is quite like you thought. The corridor is deserted, but off in the distance is a dimly lit stairwell. You follow the steps downward that leads to a small dark room. Your heart is racing, the space is completely black, and you take a few cautious steps forward. Suddenly, a door behind you shuts and you’re trapped inside the dungeon prison.

My friend, this journey is how we go from joy to a prison of pain. As surprising as the invitation was, is as shocking the hurt is we find ourselves experiencing. If not dealt with quickly, we will lock ourselves in a prison of bitterness, offense, and pain.

I found myself in a prison:

• The dungeon was called hurt.
• Located on the hill of offense.
• Owned by the master of resentment.

I couldn’t see the prison guard, but He too was there. His name was Jesus. He wanted to release me from that dungeon. He said to me, “I will open the eyes of the blind. I will free the captives from prison releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.” [Isaiah 42:7]

My guard wasn’t overseeing my prison to keep me in. He was there to show me the way out. Jesus sat in the dark with me. He told me I already possessed the key to unlock that door — the key was forgiveness. 

I wanted to get out, but I held on to three lies that kept me from using my key:

Lie #1: If I forgive no one holds them accountable for what was done.

Lie #2: If I forgive, it means what they did was ok.

Lie #3: If I forgive that means I have to be in relationship with who hurt me.

Maybe like me you’ve believed one or all of these lies about the people who have stolen your place of peace, joy, love, and hope. Jesus wants you to use the key in your possession, but first you must replace the lies with truth.

Declare these three truths:

Truth #1: Lord, wants to make right my wrongs, so I don’t have to stay here trying to find a way to make them pay.

Truth #2: Lord, will remember how I was hurt, so I don’t have to rehearse this event any longer in my mind.

Truth #3: Lord, will protect me, and I don’t have to keep myself guarded from others.

The truth gives us the power to forgive. Forgiveness removes the blinders from our eyes, opens our prison door, and allow us to get up and walk out of that dark dungeon.

I wasn’t always at a place where forgiveness came easy, but once Jesus revealed to me that forgiveness was about setting a prisoner free, and the prisoner was me. Well, I don’t hesitate to release forgiveness any longer, because I never want to return to that dungeon again.

So friend I ask you, who was holding the invitation to your palace dungeon? Use your key, extend forgiveness, and release yourself from prison!

Much love friend,

PS Join me today at 3:00 PST in the Remade Community on Facebook where I will go more in-depth about forgiveness and answer your questions live on #mentormonday.