Vision Quest – How To Let Go Of Guilt

*Some call it a quiet time. We call it a Vision Quest. This is a simple Bible study to help you along your journey of discovering God’s purpose for your life.

guilt noun ˈgilt :a bad feeling caused by knowing or thinking that you have done something bad or wrong

At some point in our lives we will all feel guilt, and by definition it is a negative feeling. Guilt nags us and burdens us until we find some way to temporarily shut it down. God has the ability to free us from guilt. This Bible study will teach you to let go of the guilt and thoughts that burden you and to let God show you a way out through the Bible.

Let God Guide your Thoughts

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Scriptures are God’s words. When we choose to listen and follow the Bible, we are letting God teach us instead of listening to our own thoughts. The Bible makes us aware of what may be wrong in our lives so that we can change it and do good work instead of being burdened by our thought life.

It is easy to let our emotions and burdens lead us, but our emotions and thoughts are not always factual and true. We need the Bible to teach us that these emotions and burdens do not have to define who we are. These emotions and burdens need to be fought with the truth of what is in the Bible so we can let God reveal to us who we are really meant to be.

How do you feel about being taught?

What are you letting guide your life now? How can you let the Bible teach you?

Journal about the thoughts/emotions/ burdens that guide your life now. Pray about letting God take control of your thoughts.

Let God Know your Guilt

“This is the way we know that we belong to the way of truth. When our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God. God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
God is aware of the things we feel and knows our negative thoughts. He knows the guilt we feel and the failures that can haunt us. And because he knows these things already, God knows how to help us find peace when we talk to him about these thoughts/feelings.

1 John 3:20

Guilt can be a hindrance to our hearts and can stray us away from finding peace. We need to go to God to fight the guilt that lives in our heart.

What are the things in your life that make you feel guilty?

What areas of your life do you feel like you have failed?

Think about the sins you can feel guilty of and write them down. Pray to God about the sins that make you feel guilty, ask God to provide peace for your thoughts and show you how to find forgiveness.

Let God Lead You to be Truthful

“O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! 
Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. 
All day long I put my hope in you.”

Psalms 25:1-5

God is trustworthy; he will not let us be defeated by our enemies. Negative thoughts and guilt are enemies that attack us and make us not want to be near God or other spiritual friends.

God is a teacher and wants to help us find a way out by showing us through the Bible what our feelings really mean. He is always there (“all day long…”).

Guilt is an enemy that can make us feel defeated and ashamed. Guilt also only grows when it is hidden; the scriptures teaches us that truth leads us towards God. Being honest about our guilt will lead us to be closer to God and in turn he can help us overcome our guilt.

What are the enemies (sin/thought life) in your life that control you?

What sins in your life are difficult for you to be honest about?

What would you rather have guiding your life? Your guilt or God?

Journal about what sins in your life are difficult to talk about and why. What are you afraid others will think of you if they knew? Pray about these thoughts and pray to have the courage to be honest with someone about them.

Let Go of Pain and Hardships

“All praise goes to God, Father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. He is the Father of compassion, the God of all comfort. He consoles us as we endure the pain and hardship of life so that we may draw from His comfort and share it with others in their own struggles.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

We all experience pain and hardships, but we don’t always turn to God. It’s easy to run to other things (people, video games, music, attention, impurity, etc) to find comfort, but we end up feeling more and more guilty. Turning to God is the only way to find real relief from pain.

God knows how to comfort you no matter the pain or hardship you have experienced. God wants you to experience comfort not only so he can fill you up but also so he can use you to help others. God wants to use your life to inspire others who have or are going through the same thing.

What pain and hardships exist in your life? Where do you go to find your comfort?

How do you feel knowing God can give you comfort from the pain you feel? Who are people you want to help inspire?

Pray to God about all the pain and hardships you feel that exist in your life. Ask God to make clear to you why you went through the things you did and then pray about who you can help through the struggles you have gone through.

Pray about all the guilt, the burdens and pain you feel like you have experienced and pray to God to give you the courage to let go of the these feelings. Then pray to help you be honest about them.

After praying, go find a friend you trust to share these thoughts with. Ask for scriptures to help you know how to fight the thoughts you have.