The Power of Renunciation or Elimination: Letting Go and Making Space for the Divine

As we move into the month of November, we turn our focus to the Power of Renunciation, also known as Elimination. In the Unity Twelve Powers system, this faculty represents our ability to release or let go of the things in our lives that no longer serve our highest good.

From a physical perspective, elimination relates to the body’s process of releasing matter that has already yielded its nutrients. That’s why this power is associated with the lower abdominal region. Spiritually, though, elimination goes deeper. It’s about releasing thoughts, ideas, paradigms, and experiences that no longer serve our spiritual evolution.

Charles Fillmore defined renunciation as, “A letting go of old thoughts in order that new thoughts may find place in consciousness.” (The Revealing Word) This means that for something new to emerge in consciousness, something else must be released. It’s about creating space for the good that’s waiting to unfold.

The Spiritual Practice of Denial

Unity’s prayer method is known as affirmative prayer, where we affirm divine truth instead of asking a deity to intervene. For example, rather than saying, “God, please help me,” one might affirm, “I am guided and sustained by the wisdom of God.”

However, alongside affirmation, Unity also teaches the practice of denial. In Unity metaphysics, denial isn’t the rejection of reality or pretending something doesn’t exist. It’s the refusal to give power or authority to anything other than God.

Fillmore wrote that, “Elimination of error thoughts is as important to the mind as the elimination of waste from the body.” (Keep a True Lent) Denial, then, is the mind’s cleansing mechanism. It is how we spiritually release what’s not true for us.

For example, if you’re working with prosperity, you might first deny limiting beliefs before affirming new truth. You could say:

I deny the statement that money does not grow on trees. Anyone with a peach orchard would tell me differently!

Then follow it up with an affirmation:

I experience and express the abundance of God in my everyday life.

Denial clears the cluttered space in consciousness, and affirmation fills that space with divine truth. Both can contribute to a powerful prayer practice.

The Art of Surrender: Faith and Elimination

Another way this power can be used in our daily lives is through surrendering to divine activity. There comes a time after prayer when we must simply let go. Once we’ve prayed, affirmed, and done our part, we release the process to the universe as an act of faith.

Loretta Wollering describes the connection between elimination and faith in her book Dream a New Day: A Guide to the Twelve Powers:

“The first step is to go all the way back to the beginning of the 12 powers, and have faith that by letting go, better situations will come your way.”

This is where Faith and Elimination work together. Faith is the spiritual assurance that our prayers have been answered, while elimination is the faculty that allows us to release the prayer for its fulfillment.

If Faith is what plants the seed, Elimination is what clears the soil. Together, they ensure our spiritual garden can grow. When we cling to control, we choke divine flow. But when we release our prayer to Spirit, we open the way for infinite intelligence to work in and through us.

The Healing Power of Forgiveness

The third expression of elimination is forgiveness. Releasing the past and all the emotional energy attached to it. Forgiveness appears in nearly every spiritual tradition. Even Jesus placed it at the center of his model for prayer:

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12, NRSVue)

The past truly has no power over us, but it can still affect us deeply when we replay old hurts in our minds. Forgiveness doesn’t mean condoning what happened or giving someone a free pass. It means releasing our attachment to the story so we can be free.

Unity’s Second Principle reminds us, “Our essence is of God; therefore, we are inherently good.” That principle applies to everyone. Not just those we like or agree with. Every person is a divine idea in expression, evolving in consciousness at their own pace. Understanding this makes forgiveness possible.

A Personal Example: Anger, Understanding, and Release

A while back, I experienced a painful situation. A few people spread false information about me after a disagreement. They even tried to affect my job and relationships. Naturally, I was angry. It didn’t just hurt me. It impacted people I cared about.

So, I took it to prayer. At first, all I could honestly affirm was, “I am willing to forgive.” That may sound small, but willingness is often the first and hardest step.

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 4:26–27:

“Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.”

This is crucial to understand. Paul doesn’t say anger is a sin. Anger is a natural, healthy response to perceived injustice. The key is how we handle it. “Be angry but do not sin” means don’t allow anger to consume you or guide your actions in destructive ways.

Then comes the next line: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” In other words, don’t hold onto it longer than necessary. When anger lingers, it stagnates the mind and heart.

Paul’s phrase “make no room for the devil” takes on a metaphysical meaning in Unity. We don’t see the devil as a literal being but as a state of consciousness opposed to divine good. When we cling to resentment, we give energy to that limited state. The power of elimination allows us to release it and reclaim our peace.

So, through prayer, I kept affirming, “I am willing to forgive.” I didn’t force it; I allowed Spirit to do the work. As Louise Hay taught, “The Universe can use our willingness and make it happen.”

One day, during prayer, the situation came to mind again, but this time, something shifted. I suddenly understood why they had acted that way. It was almost as if I could see the situation from an entirely different vantage point. They weren’t trying to be cruel; they were acting from fear. They thought I might retaliate, and fear distorted their judgment. They were reacting from their own pain.

When I saw that, compassion replaced anger. I realized that when any of us act from fear, we lose sight of love. That realization made it easy to let go. The situation has never returned to trouble me since.

Understanding as a Bridge to Forgiveness

Forgiveness is often made possible through the power of Understanding. Once we understand why someone acted as they did, it becomes easier to release the emotional charge. We aren’t excusing them. We’re simply recognizing the level of consciousness from which they acted.

When something is understandable, it becomes forgivable. And when it’s forgivable, we are finally free. That’s the true purpose of the power of elimination: freedom through release.

When we let go of resentment, fear, or limiting beliefs, we create sacred space for divine life to flow. It’s like unclogging the pipes of consciousness so the living water of Spirit can move freely again.

Living the Power of Elimination

Practicing this power can look like many things:

• Releasing a long-held resentment through forgiveness
• Denying false beliefs that limit your prosperity or health
• Letting go of a desired outcome and trusting divine timing
• Cleaning your physical space as a reflection of mental release

Every act of letting go creates room for something greater. As Charles Fillmore wrote:

“When we cease holding to old thoughts and old conditions, we make room for the new and the true to manifest.” (Keep a True Lent)

Additional Info About Elimination

Elimination has traditionally been represented by the Apostle Thaddeus. This apostle is often known as the patron saint of desperate or hopeless causes. The body location is in the lower abdomen and the color associated with this power is russet brown.

This month, I invite you to consciously practice the Power of Elimination. Use denials to cleanse your consciousness, affirmations to establish truth, and forgiveness to free your heart.

Join the Conversation

We’ll be exploring this theme more deeply at our Folx with Faith virtual meeting, featuring Rev. Maggie Alderman, who will lead a discussion on The Power of Elimination.

Visit our events page for details and join us as we release what no longer serves, making space for divine good to unfold in every area of our lives.

This means paying attention to what motivates us and ensuring that zeal is directed by wisdom and Spirit, not fear or greed. When we clear the “money changers” from our inner temple, zeal becomes a holy fire that energizes our path, sustains our faith, and fuels our commitment to God’s love.

Events Page

About Folx with Faith

At Folx with Faith, we celebrate the diverse ways people embody spiritual zeal and other divine attributes. Our mission is to create safe, affirming spaces where queer people can explore spirituality, heal from religious harm, and live as authentic expressions of divine love. Through courses, blogs, community gatherings, and local chapters, we empower people to engage their spiritual powers, like zeal, to transform their lives and their communities.

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