Taking Care of the Soul & Body
Ephesians 2:4
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
We were spiritually dead, Jesus made us to become spiritually alive & the realest part of you is your spirit.
3 parts to you as a person:
spirit, soul (mind, will, emotions) & body
Your spirit goes to heaven and you get a new heavenly body. Your biggest part of you is your spirit. Your spirit was there but it was dead, it was resurrected when you came to Jesus. The real you is alive now! The Holy Spirit makes you come alive, He joins and connects with you and never leaves you.
Christian’s can have demons bc they are in the soul area but they can’t touch your spirit. There’s different parts to you. You don’t become like Jesus immediately, we are BEING transformed, it’s a journey.
Our spirit wants what God wants but there’s still the soul and body, they don’t get transformed immediately. As you surrender, you become more spiritual. The spirit becomes enlarged and becomes stronger than the carnal nature (soul/body). You crucify the flesh. As you keep doing this, the carnal nature starts to be transformed. Overtime on this journey of continual surrender to God and doing these actions of crucifying the flesh and seeking God & fanning your spirit into flame, you become more like Jesus, talk and think and act like Jesus. The old you is really gone!
All 3 parts are important, can’t just chop off the soul and body. We can’t be a robotic spirit. We need the soul and body to be transformed. Taking care of your spirit is usually preached on the most, the word of God feeds your spirit. But we can’t neglect the soul and body. We need to learn how to take care of them to do what God has called you to do.
It’s not as much focus as how much you pay attention to your spirit — spiritual health is most important and it will transcend to your soul and body. That’s the biggest key to get them into alignment with your spirit. Focus mostly on spirit, and somewhat on soul and body.
People in the world neglect their spirit and try to fix their problems by only focusing on their soul and body.
Ex) someone with depression focusing on soul care, self help books, therapist, meditate, etc. but if you have depression and anxiety, you have a demonic spirit. Focusing on the soul won’t fix the spiritual issue.
How do we take care of our soul?
Soul = will, heart (emotions), mind.
Will: surrender your will to God (job, dreams, etc).
But at the same time, He will give you the desires of your heart. Having desires aren’t completely bad! He doesn’t want you to be a robot that forgets about good godly desires. (Family, nature, ex) painting). Maybe it wasn’t prophesied to you but you still desire it and the timing isn’t what you expected but surrender it to Him, give it to Him. “I have no idea the timeline, i surrender this to God” be FREE to have pure desires in your heart… but above all surrender it to God! Don’t be entitled to these passions, put God first, He still wants you to have these good desires but don’t be forceful with them! He wants you to enjoy yourself sometimes because you’re His child!
It can be easy to only work for God when we’re fully surrendered and having the revelation that He is pleased with us as we’re doing His work and doing only spiritual things but don’t feel guilty if you do something for yourself like going on a hike as if He isn’t as pleased with you or you don’t deserve it!
God knows we need to take care of our soul and body, we need rest and refreshment. Sometimes doing these passions brings rest to us and make us to be sharper.
Don’t be too religious (busy bodies) and forget the joy of Gods presence! Rest is important (sports, hiking, etc).
Make sure the passion is pure and surrender it to God! Don’t be religious about your rest either! It can also go the other way. It’s important to have this balance. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. There can be different seasons!
How to take care of your heart/emotions
The devil can influence your thoughts and emotions, to try and get you to accept it as if it were really your emotions and then speak words of death or lash out etc. iYou’re not really anxious, that’s a lie of the devil.
#1: Be aware that your emotions sometimes are not your own.
#2: You don’t have to suppress all emotions. Gods calling you to reject certain lies of the devil and declare i have joy/i am free/I will let God be the leader of my emotions
BUT you don’t always need to suppress every tear. Jesus wept. You don’t need to feel ashamed or disobedient if you shed a tear. It’s ok, BUT don’t stay there, let it pass. Sometimes these emotions are real. But God will turn it around for good and does not want us to be distracted.
Do that spiritual work so you’re not dwelling in that place. It’s okay to talk about a difficult time with a friend (not just anyone - needs to be the right person that will encourage you and speak Gods truth to you) but it’s okay to talk about it because iron sharpens iron, God doesn’t want you to isolate. BUT don’t have a pity party!
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
You need to guard your heart. THIS IS SERIOUS! You need to protect your peace and joy. This peace He gives us is part of our inheritance. YOU have to protect that peace!
To be the best vessel of God we can be, we have to guard our heart, we need to keep our peace and joy. Jesus is joy and peace. Jesus is good news. We cannot be a very good vessel if we’re sharing the good news like it’s bad news…
We need to represent God rightly! Everything’s going to be alright! Jesus has the victory! He will always be on the throne! He will always be faithful!
Maybe you don’t feel it as intensely on certain days, but you can still make the intention to renew your mind that God is good and He is faithful!
The devil knows the power of your peace and joy! Many times the attacks are mainly after your peace and joy! When he sees you won’t give up and that you’re really a child of God, this is what he will try to do.
It’s foolish to worry! The devil can’t touch you! But many of you don’t realize what the devil is really after - your peace and joy.
Guard your heart - it determines the course of your life
When Apostle protects her peace and joy, that means she can release more peace and joy and Gods love to us! The anointing increases because she’s being obedient in this important area bc she won’t let it be drained by not protecting your peace and joy and stressing out.
I will make the commitment to guard my heart, to not let the devil take my peace and my joy.
There is so much more good than bad. The devil will try and distract you to focus on the bad instead of enjoying the victory and the promises to be fulfilled. You can’t have 1 eye here and 1 eye there.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
FIX YOUR EYES ON WHATEVER IS PURE
This verse is an instruction on how to guard your heart & protect your peace and joy and your mind from worry or whatever negative lie the devil is speaking.
Taking care of your soul is so important. If you don’t it will have an effect on your spirit and body. It can affect your relationship with God and people won’t be able to receive as much from you. You start to lose revelation of His goodness and feel drained and not excited to read the word and pray etc.
If our soul is negatively impacted, it can affect our body.
Apostle thought she had this down pretty good, she thought she guarded her heart and fixed her heart on these good things. But there was that one time with persecution she was shocked, but something happened with her body 2 times. Her spiritual father told her that it was the stress and negativity.
Sometimes we have to amp up this intention! We need to be even more serious about guarding our heart. Do what you need to do to see no negativity!
Even when you think you’re doing a pretty good job, be prepared, this could affect my body if I don’t take extra intention. I will not listen or put my eyes to negativity.
Taking care of your body:
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Honor God with your body! You represent JESUS!
Modest, professional, presentable, put together, how you carry your body and what you do for your body.
We need to eat and exercise! Let us have the fear of God and not take it lightly. This is part of your surrender. Sometimes we don’t realize how we neglect our bodies.
If Jesus was physically coming over, your house would be spotless. You’d get new linens and air fresheners... it would be clean!
JESUS lives in our body full time! We should have that same seriousness with our body in taking care of our bodies and exercising and eating well.
It doesn’t have to be so extreme! Follow the Holy Spirit. Don’t let it be a distraction from serving God, we don’t put the soul and body above the spirit. For some people working out is an idol. For some people it’s too much time at the gym! You don’t need to only eat salads. Walk with wisdom, eat veggies and fruit and protein. Moderation! Follow the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 list the fruits of the spirit and we can’t neglect self control!
Declarations from Apostle Kathryn:
Whatever areas you feel stuck in where the devil has said it would be so hard, I expose that lie, and I declare this blockage from keeping you from exercising etc., I speak this blockage to be removed from you, I speak strength to you to be able to crucify the flesh, to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding you in how to take care of your soul and body in Jesus name. May your soul and body prosper now. Every addiction to food, every eating disorder, working out, how you look, must go in Jesus name. Be free to take care of your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, in a way that pleases God. Amen
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