In this episode of the Rewired for Purpose podcast, host Rosangela Atte, a certified Christian life‑and‑brain coach, delivers a prophetic teaching that blends personal revelation, neuroscience, and Scripture to explain why believers cannot grow in purpose while they remain "tethered" to past trauma. She shares a vivid dream in which a fetus is kept alive by an umbilical cord attached to a network of organs, using it as a metaphor for spiritual stagnation caused by rumination, unforgiveness, and unprocessed wounds. Rosangela then outlines the brain mechanisms of rumination—persistent amygdala activation, weakened prefrontal cortex, and chronic stress hormone release—showing how these processes reinforce trauma and keep the nervous system in survival mode. She weaves biblical passages (Galatians 5:1, Isaiah 58, Philippians 3, Luke 9:62, Psalms 32, Proverbs 14‑17) to affirm that freedom in Christ requires cutting these mental cords. Practical nervous‑system techniques (shaking release, paced breathing with visualization of God cutting the rope) are demonstrated, followed by journal prompts designed to help listeners identify and release specific past wounds. The episode closes with a prayer invoking divine freedom and a call to share the message, emphasizing that the past may explain us but does not define us.
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Welcome to the Rewired for Purpose podcast, where faith meets neuroscience, healing meets identity, and women rise into the fullness of who God created them to be. This is the place where you will learn how to turn your pain into purpose. I'm your host, Rosangela Atte, certified Christian life and brain coach, prophetic voice, mentor, wife, grandmother, and a woman on a mission to help you renew your mind, regulate your nervous system, and break free from the lies that have kept you stuck. My heart is to empower you to walk in your God-given identity and discover your purpose. If you've been walking with me on this journey, you know we've been building step by step. We started with my story, then we laid the foundation of identity. We talked about Healing before purpose, then how to discover our purpose, and then how to begin walking in it. And today we're gonna take it deeper because it's one thing to find your purpose and it's another to grow in your purpose. And here's the truth, you cannot grow if you're still tethered to the past. I want to share with you guys a very powerful dream that the Lord gave me on September 14th. In this dream, I went to the house of a person whose name means peaceful ruler. I there to pray for a child who needed deliverance. I prayed one time, I prayed 2 times, I prayed 3 times, but nothing happened. And I was very frustrated in this dream. So I asked God, why, why is this child not being delivered, God? And he gave me a vision. I saw a fetus with its umbilical cord still attached to it, but instead of being attached to the mother, the other end was attached to a network of organs that was, they were pumping blood into this fetus and keeping it alive and feeding it and making it grow. And I asked the Lord, what are you showing me? And He said, Rosangela, the child you prayed for represents my children who are stunted in their spiritual walk. They are not being delivered because they're still tethered to the past. Their trauma, their unhealed wounds, their unforgiveness is being kept alive. Fed by their thoughts, fed by the rumination, fed by replaying the past over and over again. Some even mourn the past like Lot's wife. But until they break those ties, no amount of prayer, fasting, a deliverance session is going to help. This word really shook me because many of us are still praying for healing, breakthroughs. But the truth is we are being held back by our past. We are feeding it by thinking about it, by having this unforgiveness in our hearts towards the people that have hurt us, or towards even God about certain things that we have asked him to do, um, and, and he hasn't because he knows what's, um, the best for us. And so we're still ruminating on those things. But until we set ourselves free, because we are the who can do that. God wants us free. He's already set us free. But if we keep believing the lies of the enemy, we're gonna keep ourselves stuck in that place. Because being tethered basically means— that's what the Oxford Dictionary says— to tie an animal with a rope or chain so as to restrict its movement. So even though we might think we are moving, we are progressing, we're actually going in circles. Around the place that we're tied to. And so it, it is a false sense of progression, a false sense of moving forward and growing in the Lord, because we are actually still attached to those things from the past. And you know, the animal tied to a post can move but only in small circles. So we are Going in circles, expecting the Lord to help us and set us free when we are actually the ones that are holding the answer to our own breakthrough. And that's what happens when we tether ourselves to our past. We're moving, we're busy, we are going in circles, limited in how we can grow. God never created us to be tethered like animals. You know, Galatians 5:1 says, uh, for freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm before and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. So it's a choice we make. We decide if we want to submit or not because Jesus has set us free. Isaiah 58 says, God's fast is to loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the straps of the yoke, and let the oppressed go free. So if you felt like no matter how hard you prayed, you tried, you are still stuck, it might be because something from the past is keeping you tied, oppressed, and incapable of moving forward. Let's talk about brain science. Rumination means replaying distressing thoughts or events over and over again. It feels like we're processing, but actually we are keeping ourselves stuck. When we ruminate, our amygdala, which is the fear center, stays activated. It's always scanning for danger, and it doesn't— our brain doesn't understand if it's a real situation or if something that we have created in our own mind. The more we replay, the stronger, stronger those neural pathways get. Neurons that fire together wire together, making the neural pathway stronger and faster. It literally means that the brain is strengthening trauma instead of healing it. Rumination also blocks our prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that helps us make plans, dream, and grow in our purpose. Nervous system-wise, it keeps us stuck in survival— fight, flight, or freeze. So scientifically, rumination is like drinking poison while expecting to heal. Spirituality is like rehearsing your chains instead of rehearsing God's promises. Philippians 3 says, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal. And Jesus said in Luke 9:62, no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Looking back keeps us in survival. Looking forward untethers us for growth. Healing the body when we untether from the past. Here's something we cannot ignore. When we are tethered to the past, it doesn't just affect our spirit and our mind, it affects our physical body. Science now confirms what scripture has been saying all along. Unprocessed emotions, unresolved trauma, and cycles of rumination live in the body. When you replay the past, your nervous system stays in survival mode. It is stuck at the same place where you have felt That pain, that betrayal, that trauma, your body's still stuck in a loop because it has not had the opportunity of closing that loop. You know, your body keeps pumping stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, and over time, that doesn't just make you anxious. It can cause inflammation in your body, digestive issues, headaches, and even chronic illnesses. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk wrote a whole book called The Body Keeps the Score. I recommend that book. It is very interesting, and it really goes deep into how our bodies keep the imprint of the trauma that we go through. But long before science gave it a title, the Word of God already told us what happens in our hearts, and it shows up in our bodies. Proverbs 14:30 says, a heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 17:22 says, a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Psalm 32:3-5 says— David says in this psalm, when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you. And did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Do you see it? Holding on to guilt, shame, bitterness, or grief doesn't just weigh you down spiritually; it literally dries up your strength. It weakens your body, and it robs you of vitality. But confession, forgiveness, and release bring healing to your body. So we need to process this pain, the trauma. We need to talk to people. In order to heal this trauma and process, you know, we need to honor our emotions. There's no shame in feeling emotion. There is no shame in crying and letting yourself close that loop of trauma. That's why when God untethers us from the past, He's not just healing our soul. He is restoring our health. Isaiah 58 promises that when the bonds of oppressions are broken, Your healing shall spring up speedily. So beloved, hear me. When you let go of the past, when you cut the cords of rumination, when you forgive and release, you're not just making a spiritual choice. You're giving your body permission to heal. You're allowing your nervous system to return to peace. You're stepping into the abundant life Jesus promised us in John 10:10. Let's pause right now and do a couple of simple nervous system practices together. This one is called shaking release. So stand If you can, shake your arms, your legs, your hands, and your feet for 30 seconds. Feel the energy moving. This is something animals do after stress. I'm sure you've seen a dog shake, and they they shake the stress off, and it tells your nervous system that you are safe, and it's safe to release that stress. Now please. One hand on your heart and one on your belly. Inhale through your nose for 4, hold for 2, and exhale slowly for 6. Do this a few times. As you exhale, imagine God himself cutting the rope, untethering you from the past and tethering you to his peace. This is how we partner with the Spirit in both body and soul. By teaching our nervous system we are safe in Him. Let's do it together. So inhale for 4, hold for 2, and exhale for 6. Let me release the word the Lord gave me in that dream. My children are not progressing because they're still tethered to the past. They replay the pain. They make vows never to forgive. They feed the trauma instead of feeding on my word. But I am the peaceful ruler. I want to cut the cords and untether you from the pain and tether you to me. Until then, you will remain bound, but I have come to set the prisoners free. Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus! Psalm 107 says, some sat in darkness, prisoners in affliction and irons. Then they cried out to the Lord, And he delivered them. He brought them out of darkness and burst their bonds apart. Isaiah 43 says, "Behold, I'm doing a new thing. Do you not perceive it?" Daughters, you cannot grow in your purpose if your roots are still tangled in the soil of yesterday. God is going to do a new thing, and it's time to cut those cords. I want to give you some journal prompts to sit with this week. What past event or wound? Do I keep replaying in my mind? What inner vows have I made about never forgiving or never forgetting? How has this tether kept me stuck in my relationships, in my finances, in my ministry, or in my health? What new step is God asking me to take to untether from the past? How can I tether myself to Jesus daily? Be honest. Write without judgment. Let the Holy Spirit highlight the cords that need to be cut. Take your time. Don't rush. Growing in your purpose means pruning. You can't pour new wine in old wineskins. So this week, each time the past starts to replay, replace it with declarations. Say out loud, I untether myself from the past and I tether myself to Jesus. This way, you're training your brain and your nervous system and your spirit to align with freedom. Friend, you were not made to be tethered like an animal. You were made for freedom. You were made for growth. Isaiah 58 says, "When the bonds are broken, your healing will spring up speedily. Your light will rise in the darkness, and you shall be like a well-watered." Let's pray together. Lord, today I bring you every listener before you, Lord. Thank you that you came to set the captives free. I declare Galatians 5:1, that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. I ask you to cut every cord tethering them to the past and to tether them instead to your love, your peace, your purpose. May they step boldly into the Knew you are calling them to. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for joining me today on the Rewired for Purpose podcast. If this blessed you, share it with a friend, and don't forget, your past may explain you, but it doesn't define you. You are free to grow in your God-given purpose.
