WORDS FROM FATHER YOHANES: A Renewal Journey

By Father Yohanes Akoit

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed spirit. Psalm 34:18

HEALING THE ROOTS: A 7-Day Interior Renewal Journey

Day 1: Name the Sin—But Don’t Stop There

Many of our deepest struggles do not begin with the behavior we want to change, but with the wounds beneath the surface—the places where fear, abandonment, shame, or rejection first took root. This short journey invites you to walk with Jesus through those layers, letting Him reveal, heal, and restore the parts of your heart that long for peace. Each day offers a simple rhythm of reflection, truth, and prayer so that transformation becomes a lived experience, not an abstract idea.

• Reflect: “Lord, why do I keep doing this?

• Journal Prompt: What do I feel before I fall into this sin? What am I trying to escape or numb?

• Prayer: “Jesus, I bring You my sin not to be crushed, but to be healed. Help me see the wound beneath the behavior.”

Day 2: Expose the Root Wound

Often the patterns we repeat—whether isolation, fear, hopelessness, despair, anger, addiction, or self-reliance – are rooted in a moment when something in us broke. Maybe it was a word spoken over us, an absence we felt, or a moment when love seemed unsafe or unavailable. Jesus does not reveal these places to condemn us but to show where He desires to heal most tenderly.

• Common Roots: Abandonment, rejection, fear, worthlessness, trauma, shame, father wounds, mother wounds, etc.

• Journal Prompt: When was the first time I felt this pain? What lie did I believe about myself?

• Prayer: “Jesus, reveal the wound that needs healing. Show me when I started believing the lie.”

Day 3: Identify the Lie (False Identity)

Every wound gives birth to a lie about who we are. These lies quietly shape how we relate to God, others, and even ourselves. Naming the lie is a powerful step toward breaking its influence. When we expose it to the light, we reclaim the part of our identity that was stolen.

• Common Lies: “I am unlovable.” “I’m dirty.” “I'm alone.” “I can’t change.” “I’m not enough.” “I am unworthy.”

• Journal Prompt: What false identity have I been living from?

• Prayer: In Your name, Jesus, I reject the lie that I am (insert false identity).”

Day 4: Receive Forgiveness & Forgive Others

Healing deepens when we open our hearts to forgiveness—both receiving it from God and offering it to others. Forgiveness does not excuse what happened; it frees us from being chained to it. When we surrender a wound to Jesus, He pours mercy into the very place where hurt once lived.

• Scripture: Luke 23:34, Then Jesus said, “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing..” Matthew 6:14, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;”

• Journal Prompt: Who do I need to forgive to release this wound:

• Prayer: “Jesus, I choose to forgive [name] for [what they did], and I release them to You. Heal my heart.

Day 5: Claim the Truth (True Identity)

Once the lie is rejected, the heart must be filled with truth. God desires not only to remove the false identity but to restore your true identity as His beloved child. Each truth you claim is like a seed planted in good soil, shaping you from the inside out.

• Truths to Claim: “I am a beloved son/daughter.”

• “I am not my sin.”

• “I am chosen and redeemed.”

• Journal Prompt: What is the truth God is speaking over me today?

• Prayer: “Jesus, thank You that I am Yours. I claim the truth: I am [insert truth].”

Day 6: Renounce the Behavior and Break Agreement

Sin often becomes a pattern when we agree—knowingly or unknowing-ly—with behaviors that promise comfort but bring bondage. Renouncing them is a spiritual declaration of freedom. It is choosing the authority of Jesus over the chains that once held you. Picture Him lifting the weight off your shoulders, replacing it with dignity and strength.

NOTE: Only do this when in a state of Grace!

• Action Step: Speak aloud or write: “In the name of Jesus, I re-nounce the spirit of lust/addiction/shame/etc. I break agreement with this behavior.

• Visualize: Jesus removing your chains and placing a cloak of royalty over your shoulder.

• Prayer: “Jesus, break every chain. I give You my brokenness. Restore me.”

Day 7: Rebuild with Virtue

Healing is not only about removing the old but cultivating the new. Virtue is the steady, grace-filled rebuilding of the heart. As you practice the vir-tue opposite your struggle, the Holy Spirit carves new pathways of free-dom, strengthening your identity and reshaping your desires.

Journal Prompt: What is the opposite virtue of my struggle (e.g. chasti-ty, honesty, patience)? How can I practice it today?

Prayer: “Holy Spirit, form in me the virtue of [name]. Fill the space where the sin once lived.

Additional Tools for the Journey

Daily Prayer—”Jesus, heal the wounds that lead me to sin. I surrender my need to self-medicate. Restore my heart and identity in You.

Confession Reminder— Confession is not failure—it is the Father’s em-brace. Each time your return, Heaven celebrates.

This literature compliments of: www.roadtopurity.com

Father Yohanes Akoit is pastor of St. Julian and St. Anthony Catholic churches in Kentucky.