A Prosperous Soul

My brethren, above all things I wish that you prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers. 3 John 2

Even as thy soul prospers.  All of a sudden I saw it. The phrase “even as” means “according to” or “only as much as.” In that moment, I realized my financial provision and physical health are linked directly to the prosperity of my soul!

If this principle is so important, why didn’t the Apostle John write 10 more chapters in the book of 3 John to instruct us on the principles of developing a prosperous soul? Again, the Lord quickly answered my question by letting me know He had already placed instruction throughout His book, the Bible, regarding how to have a prosperous soul. It was up to me to search and study His Word to discover, know, and apply these principles.

It is imperative to understand what constitutes a prosperous soul and yield to those principles in life. If this verse was true, it meant when I searched His Word, discovered, and implemented the keys to having a prosperous soul in my life, my sick days and broke days would be over.

A Perfect Spirit
You and I are created in the image of God. When you were born again you received His image in your born–again spirit. Your spirit man is pure, holy, and in right relationship with God.

In your spirit you are whole, well, and filled with the faith and love of God. Your spirit is sealed and perfect. Hopefully you are getting the picture of what the Lord showed me: Problems do not arise from your perfect, born – again spirit. They arise from the well of your soul.

While His image is found in your perfect and sealed spirit man, His likeness is found in the realm of your soul where your mind, will, and emotions reside. When your soul conforms to the image of your spirit, then you will walk in greater dominion and experience greater victory in life.

If you observe the body of Christ, you will quickly realize most are not walking in dominion or victory in life even though it is God’s will for them. God’s will for us as believers created in His image is to yield our souls to His likeness in our spirits and walk in dominion over sickness, disease, poverty and lack.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them. (Proverbs 22:5)

I think we would all like to be far from the thorns and snares in life that threaten to harm us. This Scripture tells us if we “keep” our souls we will be free from them.

“Keeping” your soul involves making sure your soul is getting and staying in sync with your born–again spirit. The problem arises when your soul does not mirror your spirit. Instead of being in the likeness of God as it was created to be, it is oftentimes in the likeness of Adam, which creates a “a dam” in the soul.

Yielding to Adam (your un-renewed mind and uncontrolled emotions) in your soul creates “a dam” and makes it difficult to receive from God. Healing and everything else you receive from God comes from the inside out.  Success in life and ministry depends on this powerful truth:

While the life of Jesus is in your righteous spirit, it will not
manifest in your life until your soul comes into alignment with your spirit.

A soul that is cluttered with unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, greed, pride, lust, idolatry, fear, and cares will crowd out Jesus – His life, healing, provision, and nature. He is in our spirits knocking at the door of our souls for the opportunity to enter into areas we have chosen to hold onto and compartmentalize, denying Him access. All this clutter will prevent the life of God within you from flowing out. Sadly, in the life of many believers, Jesus is on the outside of our souls looking in!

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock (Revelation 3:20)

When you are born again you receive a new nature, the nature of Christ, in your spirit. You are just like Jesus in your spirit man. But this is not automatically true about the condition of your soul. Your mind must be renewed. Your emotions and will must be conformed to the image of Christ in order for your soul to come into the likeness of your spirit.

With many believers, Jesus is in their spirits, and he is knocking on the door of their souls to find entrance and expression. His desire is for our souls to prosper so we can experience health and prosperity on a consistent basis. The meaning of prosperity is “success in business affairs” or “a good journey.” Financial lack and physical sickness are not indicative of a good journey. According to 3 John 2, your soul must experience a good journey before your pocketbook, business, or body will experience a good journey.

If your soul is prospering, you will walk in health and financial blessing and be free to minister to others who are sick or bound. Material prosperity and physical health affect us all. According to the truth in 3 John 2 they are the fruit or by–product of a prosperous soul. This is not to say you will never face attacks from the enemy, but that is not where you will abide. You will live instead from a position of peace, health, provision, and power.

The realization that my health and financial prosperity were in direct
proportion to the prosperity of my soul was a turning point in my life.

Some of the principles shared in this book will be confirmation more than revelation to you. In other words, you will see that some of these things are already established in your heart. You simply may not have realized it was part of your soul prospering.

Other principles shared in this book may be revelation to you where you see your soul is out of alignment with your spirit. Once you see that and make the necessary heart adjustments, you will realize a greater measure of soul prosperity. That is the goal of this book. If only one area of your heart is not in alignment and after reading it you function in full soul prosperity then my joy and yours will be full! I pray both revelation and confirmation of a prosperous soul over you. 

A Place of Rest
One of the major keys to establishing a prosperous soul is coming to Jesus regularly for rest. Life and ministry apart from these daily, intimate times with Him will wear you out. But coming to Jesus daily during difficult times produced peace and provided us with God’s perspective, which we could not have received on our own.

Your soul must rest in order to prosper just like your body needs rest in order to be in good health. Yet oftentimes you and I are not allowing our souls to be at rest. When we allow our souls to become weighed down with pressures, stress, anxiety, and cares, we are not in a place of rest.

An unrestful soul is an un-prosperous soul. This kind of soul works so hard that it prevents the body from resting which leads to burnout, exhaustion, depression, and physical problems. The antidote to this is coming to Jesus daily and casting your cares over on him. 

Jesus is telling us in His Word a primary cause of people failing to find rest for their souls is due to taking yokes and burdens on themselves that are not from Him! People often make commitments to others because of fear they will not be accepted, liked, or approved by them. This is the fear of man that results in a soul not being at rest. It is a self–made prison and trap of the enemy designed to keep you out of the purpose God has for your life.

If you want your soul to rest and prosper, you must come to Jesus and find out what things He has assigned to you. That is the only burden He expects you to carry. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He does not put heavy loads on you. Does He give you responsibility? Yes, because you are to carry out His mission, but it is not burdensome, exhausting, or overwhelming.

Success in life and ministry comes by developing a vibrant, intimate relationship with
Jesus and discovering what He has led you to do and doing no more or less than that.

You can only receive ease, refreshing, and intermission for your soul by coming to Jesus and leaving the stress, worries, pressure, and even the dishes behind. Each of us needs to find peace inside our relationship with Jesus while things in our world are unresolved or less than perfect. This can be difficult when the bills, pressures, housework, and other responsibilities are piling up in your life.

Your natural mind desires to take over and work even harder to get it all done. The better thing to do when facing these kinds of challenges is to take a break and rest in the presence of Jesus. It is there you will be able to refocus, receive God’s perspective, and find both wisdom and peace that will bring rest and refreshing to your soul.

Mary and Martha Worship and Serve
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”  (Luke 10:38 – 42)

Success in life has everything to do with being diligent and focused.
When your focus and attention is on the Lord, the enemy will not be able to steal from you.

An anxious soul is easy prey for the enemy. He seeks to take the Word from your heart and life. Do not let the good things God has planted in you to be taken through worry or distracted focus. The good Word he has planted will bear good fruit in your life when you guard your heart by making Jesus and His Word your primary focus.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:1–3)

This passage should bring peace and rest to your soul as you realize your physical and financial needs are already met in Jesus, the Good Shepherd. You “shall not want.” The word “want” indicates lack of some kind. When you follow Jesus, you will not lack! This is not to say circumstances will not ever oppose you, but you will not reside in a place of permanent need. Instead, you will stand in a position of trust in the provision of your faithful Shepherd. Praise God!

The Lord values time with us as much as He desires us to value time with Him. It is in the sweet presence of Jesus you will know him and find rest for your soul. It is in coming to Him regularly you will be refreshed and encouraged. It is in being present to Him you will find the deepest satisfaction in this life. This is the process by which he restores and strengthens you.

Prosperous Soul = Prosperous Life!
And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. (Luke 1:46, 47, 49)

This passage of Scripture from Luke chapter 1 reveals something huge in regard to soul prosperity. Your soul is a magnifier. Whatever your soul magnifies will determine either the release of what God has placed in your spirit or the binding up of that. The thing, person, or circumstance you set the focus of your soul upon will eventually totally consume and envelope your entire being. As I magnified the Lord in that worship service my awareness of God’s greatness increased while my mindfulness of the lump in my neck diminished.

As my soul became focused on God and aligned with my spirit,
the promise of His Word became a reality in the natural realm.

The important question to ask yourself in regard to receiving anything from God is, “where is my focus?” If your focus is on the wrong thing it can block the life flow from your spirit. Once you are born again, you receive from God from the inside out. In your spirit you have everything you need. But many times, you can have the gates or doors to your soul blocking the life flow from your spirit because your focus is in the wrong place: on circumstances, others, or yourself.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens
the door, I will come into him, and sit with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)

It is possible to be born again and still compartmentalize your life and hinder the flow from your spirit. You and I can be Christians who are on our way to heaven yet close off the “dirty laundry drawers and closets” of our souls from the Lord’s Word and His healing touch.

This can occur because of hurts or wounds at the hands of others that are too painful to confront or deal with. Or it can happen because of some sin, failure, mistake, or bad decision you are ashamed of.

No matter the reason, Jesus wants access to every area of your soul so He can heal it and align it with your spirit. This allows His life and healing to flow freely to every area of your life.  He wants the gates and doors of your soul open to him.

When your focus is on the problems, the doctors diagnosis, the financial outlook, or the lies and accusations people have spoken about you, the gates and doors to your soul shut off the resurrection life and wisdom that is available to you in your spirit.

Yet when you lift up your head from the problems, evil reports, and lies of the enemy and get your focus on the Lord and His Word, the gates and doors of your soul open up and the King of glory (Jesus) will come in! Come in where? He will come into every area of your soul and life that has been blocked off previously because of wrong focus. 

People will pray for healing, provision, or restoration of a relationship. Yet their focus was predominantly on the knowledge and history of their sickness, their present financial condition, or the seemingly insurmountable problem in the life of one of their loved ones. You could tell that’s where their focus was by the desperation in their voice, the hopelessness in their words, and because they constantly rehearsed their problem.

We need to get the focus off the problems, lift up our heads and set our focus on the Lord and His Word. I noticed those who heeded my counsel received the answer to their prayers much easier and more quickly. Those who

did not, but kept their focus on their problem typically stayed mired in their difficulties.

One of the primary hindrances to people receiving from that Lord is they know more about their problem,
sickness and disease than they know about the remedy: God’s Word and the finished work of the cross!

If we can get people’s focus changed from their problem to their Savior, the gates and doors of their soul will open up. This allows the resurrection life in their spirit to flow freely and affect their bodies and the natural realm with God’s supernatural power.

Isaiah 26:2–3 is another passage of Scripture that confirms the importance of keeping your focus on the Lord and His Word: “Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

These verses reveal that the gates open for us and we enter into our inheritance when our minds are fixed on the Lord! It also reveals that trusting in the Lord is a key factor in staying focused on Him. It is trust in Him that produces perfect peace. This is a very helpful principle to understand. The measure of your peace reveals the degree to which you are trusting God. Praise God for the revelation of the truth! It will set you free from limitations that hinder you from receiving your full inheritance.

The apostle Paul reveals to us where our focus should be and what things our minds should dwell on:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, 
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there
is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

The phrase, “think on these things” means to “dwell on” or “to meditate.” Whatever you dwell or meditate on you will eventually see internally. That will become your focus.

Whatever you see or imagine in your heart is what you will have or what you will become.

Ten of the men Moses sent into the Promised Land to spy out the land, along with the majority of the children of Israel who believed their evil report, saw themselves as grasshoppers in their own eyes. Two of the twelve spies, Joshua and Caleb, saw themselves as being well able to possess the land because they were focused on the Lord and his promise to them. (Numbers 13:25–33)

You must change your focus from the condition of the
way to the Way Maker if you want your soul to prosper.

Whatever the circumstances may be in your life, you cannot afford to make that your focus. Is it true (in line with the truth of God’s Word), honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy? If it is not any of those things, then stop meditating on it! You must change your focus from the condition of the way to the Way Maker if you want your soul to prosper.

In this story from Numbers Chapter 21, the children of Israel failed to do that. They got their eyes off God, forgot the miracles he had done for them, and focused on the problems and challenges in their journey. This led them into a downward spiral of discouragement, murmuring, complaining, rebellion, and unbelief. Their souls were not prospering.

When the finished work of Jesus at the cross becomes your primary focus, rather than the present condition of your body, healing will flow unhindered from your spirit through your soul to your physical body.

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

When your focus changes from the condition of the way to the Way Maker, healing and health are inevitable. Your soul will prosper and you will walk in health and prosperity!

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. (1 Peter 3:4)

Our spirit man is the “hidden man” of the heart this verse in 1 Peter chapter 3 speaks of. Our spirit man possesses the nature of God, is just like Jesus, and is sealed at the new birth. Our soul (mind, will, and emotions) must be renewed and conformed to the image and knowledge of Christ in us in order to prosper.

Negative life experiences can wound our souls. We must allow the revelation of His Word and Jesus healing touch to bring healing and wholeness to our souls.

All things in our spirit man have become new. We have a brand-new nature, the nature of Jesus! But this is not automatically true of our souls. Our souls can still become wounded, hurt, and offended while our spirits are sealed and remain just like Jesus all the time.

Removing Judgments
From Jesus’ words in the book of Matthew, we understand that judgment toward others is a major strategy of the enemy to stop the life flow from our spirit through our souls to the natural realm:

Do Not Judge
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  (Matthew 7:1–5)

The light and life that manifests in your body is directly related to the light and life dominating your soul.

When you tolerate judgments in your soul, it restricts the flow of life springing forth from your spirit man into the physical realm. It is like a beaver dam that stops the flow of water in a river.

Whenever we tolerate judgment of others, we assume God’s place.

Why not rather judge and say of yourself what God says of you? “I am the righteousness of God in Christ!” “I have the mind of Christ!” “I have his adequacy.” “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

These are righteous judgments from the Word. By agreeing with these truths, it causes your soul to come into alignment with your spirit and will cause these things to become reality in your life.

Instead of judging others, sentence people to success by saying what the Word says about them. See them the way God sees them instead of locking them into their sin or present condition. Look for good in them and pray the truth of the Word over them. Instead of condemning them with careless words, forgive them. Remind yourself the cross is greater than anything they are doing or have done to you. Get in agreement with God about them.

Valuing the Truth
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 2–4)

Notice the apostle John mentioned both the truth that was in them and the truth they walked in. It is not possible to walk in the truth until you first value it. The primary way to determine if one is valuing the truth is by observing if they walk in the truth.

He also declared the truth they walked in gave Him great joy. The reason for this is a person who walks in the truth is typically one who values the truth and whose soul is prospering. This is in contrast to one who has the truth in them but does not apply the truth in their life because of some hindrance or limitation in their soul. This is a soul that is not prospering.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a
hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful
hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22–25)

It is the doer of the Word – the one who understands, values, and walks in the truth – who experiences the blessings provided for us at Calvary. The individual who hears the Word but does not apply it to his life is self – deceived. His soul is not prospering and his life is not prospering as God intends. James is saying we are not to just be hearers of the word. There should be a corresponding action born of faith when the Word is received.

The reason walking in the truth is connected to a prosperous soul is you will only walk in the truth you value. Valuing the truth is a huge part of what constitutes a prosperous soul. If you value something more than the truth, your soul is not prospering and you will not fully possess all God has provided for you in the finished work of the cross in that area of your life.

In Mark chapter 4 Jesus describes four types of ground that represent for various conditions of men’s hearts. The spirits of just men (those born again) are made perfect (Hebrews 12:23). Jesus is referring to our souls in Mark chapter 4 when He describes the varying conditions of men’s hearts. After describing the four different types of hearts, He goes on to give us the secret to how our hearts can become good ground and why some are not.

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear.
With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more
will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have,
even what he has will be taken away from him.”  (Mark 4:23–25)

The person whose heart is good ground is one who has ears to hear and is inclined toward the application of the Word. The person who will hear and apply the Word will receive more. Why would God what to give you and me Revelation on something new when we are not valuing and applying the Revelation He has already given to us?

What shapes the condition of your heart is how you hear and value truth.

The value you place on the Word you are hearing determines what you get out of it, what kind of ground your heart becomes, and the amount of fruit you bear. To you who value what you hear, you are good ground that produces good fruit, and you will hear and understand more of God’s Word. Let’s look at these four types of ground or hearts.

Four Types of Ground
The wayside ground is hard and trampled down. It is a well–worn path that has no capacity to receive the seed of the Word. This is caused by placing another belief system or traditions of men above the Word of God. It values convenience over truth. It is the mother of pro-choice and all kinds of other arguments that are birthed out of human compassion and reasoning instead of godly compassion and truth. Valuing another belief system more than the Word of God is wayside ground (Mark 4:15).

The stony ground represents hearts that place a greater value on feelings, circumstances, and people’s opinions than the Word of God. When adversity comes, this person will take the path of least resistance. They choose to be politically correct instead of confronting in love or taking a stand for the truth. When times get tough, they are challenged or offended, and they retaliate or resign instead of walking in the truth. They give up too easily. They value their own comfort zone more than the truth and are not in a place of soul prosperity (Mark 4:16 – 17).

The thorny ground represents a heart that places greater value on riches, possessions, and worldly status than on truth. This person will commit to serve God and give as long as it fits into his or her success plan. He does not want to become too fanatical or let it cost him too much. The life and truth of the Word is choked off in this person because he values security and financial status more than the Word (Mark 4:18 – 19).

The good ground represents the heart that values the truth above every other belief system, feeling, opinion, or circumstance. This soul is prospering because he is valuing and walking in truth. He has done more than just hear; he has valued the Word so much that he has applied it to his life. This person is fruitful and the Word is working in his life (Mark 4:20).

It is impossible to walk in truth without valuing it above all else in your life. Valuing financial gain or security over the Word keeps you from walking in truth and having a fruitful and prosperous life. When you choose to value truth above all else, you will begin to see the Word produce fruit in your life. When you value truth, the truth will promote you. There is great promotion and soul prosperity to be found when you take hold of the Word of truth and apply it in your life!

Anchored In Hope
The storms of life come to all of us (Matthew 7:24–27). Anyone can appear to be doing well when the sun is shining and the waves are calm. When the storms of life rage, however, your house will fall if you are not anchored to the firm foundation of the Word. When you make God and His Word your only refuge and anchor, your soul will prosper and the stormy days will soon come to an end.

A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely
he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not
be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established;
he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. (Psalm 112:5–8)

This passage from Psalm chapter 112 is a picture of a prosperous soul. It is a soul that will not be moved because he believes the report of the Lord above all other reports. It is a soul anchored in truth that will hold onto the report from the Word in difficult times and will triumph over every other negative report. It is a heart established in the Lord and His Word that will not be swayed when circumstances attempt to shake your confidence and trust in Him.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,
and which enters the Presence behind the veil, (Hebrews 6:19)

Like David, you need to know your place of refuge. Whenever you face a difficult situation that shakes your confidence, make God your hope. That hope will bring you into the very presence of God where your soul can be still and know that He is God. It is in this place you cast your cares on Him and receive His peace and perspective.

Where is your soul anchored: in the Lord or in Jesus plus something else? Anchor your soul by placing your hope and trust in Him alone. When negative reports come and the wind and waves of life’s circumstances beat relentlessly against you, tell your soul to bless the Lord and keep your expectation in Him. Hope in Him, believe His promises, and anchor yourself in His faithfulness. A soul anchored in this kind of hope is a prosperous soul!

Knowing Your Identity Very Well

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous
are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. (Psalm 139:14)

This verse in Psalm chapter 129 speaks of our soul knowing very well we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God did not make a mistake when He created you and me. He formed and fashioned you with skillful hands. Your skin and hair color, height, and facial features were each part of God’s special design. In fact, He calls you marvelous in this verse. These are truth’s he wants your soul to know very well.

A prosperous soul is one who knows his or her identity very well. That had been my problem. I could hear teachers or Christian friends tell me how special and loved I was and mentally assent to it. But I had another picture of myself etched on the canvas of my soul. It was a picture of abandonment, rejection, unworthiness, and shame. I did not like or love myself, and I even expected others to reject me.

It was not until the Lord showed me that day I had unwittingly believed a lie about myself that I could repent and renounce that lie. For the first time, I was able to read scriptures like the one in Psalm 139 and the following verse and embrace it as truth and see myself in that truth.

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)

Did you read that? Wow. You and I are accepted in Him. We are not rejected! I prayed, “Lord, help my soul know that very well.” Once the Lord showed me the lie I had believed and I renounced it, I could read and believe what His Word said about me with no struggle. My soul began to know what His Word says about who I am rather than how I had allowed my past experiences to define me.

The more I focused on what he said about me the more freedom I experienced.

Today I am secure and free in my identity in Christ. My soul had to come into alignment with the truth that was in my spirit man. I had to open up this area of my soul to Jesus in order to receive the truth of who He said I was. Although I did not receive affirmation and approval from my earthly dad, it was freely given to me by my heavenly Father, and some spiritual fathers in my life. God revealed and established His identity in me, and he will do the same for you.

The prosperous soul knows and agrees with God about who you are. He says you are fearfully and wonderfully made, a marvelous creation made with His skillful hands and care. He did not make a mistake in His creation: you. God does not desire you to compare yourself with others or wish you were someone else. He has a purpose for you, and He wants you to know your value to Him! Your soul cannot and will not prosper until it knows this well.

God paid the ultimate price for you. He placed value on you, and that value was His Son! You are beautiful to Him. Your soul must know this very well in order to prosper. Stop believing the lies about yourself that have kept you bound. You may have seen your value to Him in your spirit, but exempted yourself because of some natural facet of your body or ability. Begin to value your entire being as someone of great worth. You are beautiful, valuable, fearfully and wonderfully made. May your soul know that truth very well!

Possessed With Patience
By your patience possess your souls. (Luke 21:19)

Through these words of Jesus we understand that patience is an essential principle in establishing a prosperous soul. So many Christians I know do not identify patience as a virtue they possess. Yet patience is one of the fruit of the Spirit each Christian has received in his spirit at the new birth.

Your very nature is patient, and allowing that patience you possess in your spirit to control your soul will cause your soul to prosper just as your spirit man is prospering. When you allow the patience in your spirit to rule over your soul, you will receive a greater portion of the inheritance God has provided. The writer of Hebrews confirms this in the following verse:  … That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12)

Patience is not something to be despised. Rather, it is a virtue to embrace. Failure to yield to patience in your soul can cause you to miss out on some aspect of your inheritance.

Patience is not an enemy. Rather it is our friend. In fact, patience is something we are because it is part of the nature of God in our spirit man.

The bigger the dream and vision God has given you, sometimes the harder and longer the fight will be. But if you refuse to give up by adding patience to your faith, you will reel in that dream, vision, or desire from the spirit realm into the natural realm. The following verse sums it up: But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (2 Peter 1:4)

Anyone can fake and feign a prosperous soul when times are good, but in difficult times the truth is revealed. When you are faced with persecution, accusation, or people who are condescending to you, how do you react? Are you releasing patience and partaking of the divine nature within you?

God is love (1 John 4:8) and love is first patient according to 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Therefore, God is patient. And since you have His nature in your born-again spirit man, you, too, are patient. But this does not become a reality in your soul automatically when you are born again. It is your choice to partake of the divine nature in your spirit by responding to the Holy Spirit instead of reacting emotionally. Learn to wait on the wisdom of God in the midst of difficult circumstances by responding to the Spirit instead of reacting in the flesh.

My soul, wait only upon God, for my expectation is from Him. (Psalm 62:5)

If you have difficulty waiting on God it is an indication your expectation is from someone else or something else. It takes discipline and a prosperous soul to wait on the Lord when people and your natural mind are providing you with very reasonable and persuadable options. When you learn to wait on God, He will work things out for you.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.  (Proverbs 21:5)

Pressure is a bad sign. Don’t follow everything you and your unrenewed mind and emotions want to do. It is better to wait on the witness of the Spirit to guide you. The soul who has learned to wait until God speaks to move, even in the midst of pressure from people, circumstances, and time constraints will prosper!

Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is
weaned of his mother, my soul is even as a weaned child. (Psalm 131:2)

A weaned soul is a calm soul. It is weaned from impatience, carnal behavior, whining, complaining, and emotional fits. Adults who act like big babies in an attempt to get their way are simply verifying their immaturity and lack of trust. When I stopped crying and screaming every time I got in a mess and started looking to God and trusting Him, I began to mature and prosper. People who live in continual drama and emotional turmoil have some maturing and weaning of their souls yet to do.

A weaned soul is also a quieted soul. It has been weaned from taking the liberty and freedom to always give others a piece of your mind. Speaking out whatever thought hit your head before you screen it through the Word and love is not evidence of a weaned soul. The word quieted means “silent; still; to stop.”

Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. (James 1:19)

Each of us feels like telling people off sometimes. But the weaned soul refuses to take that liberty. Instead it takes time to wait on God to receive His perspective before it acts or speaks out. A weaned soul is a mature, patient, and prosperous soul.

Some good Christians never grow to their full potential because they fail to take responsibility to control their soul.

They stubbed their own spiritual growth and kingdom potential by holding onto the right to say and do what they want, when they want, and to whomever they want. That is neither a weaned soul nor a prosperous soul.

One of the best examples to learn from in the area of patience is directly from Jesus. He had just learned His closest ministry companion and forerunner to his own ministry, John the Baptist, had been beheaded by King Herod. The circumstances surrounding this event were purely evil. When Jesus received news of this horrific act against his beloved friend, He did something we can all learn from: He took time apart to pray.

Jesus could have reached in the flesh and leveraged His influence with the multitudes that followed Him to get revenge and justice for His martyred friend. Instead, He recognized His need to spend time with the Father to get His emotions under control. Jesus had emotions and feelings just like us, yet He gave time for the patience in His spirit to possess His soul.

He was then able to move out in the Spirit with wisdom instead of reacting in the flesh. From that time of prayer Jesus was moved with compassion and He went out and healed the multitudes. Herod and the devil took out one, but Jesus took many out of Satan’s kingdom because He chose to be led by the spirit instead of his emotions.

You and I can do the very same thing. In every situation we have a choice. We can react and take the situation into our own hands, or we can pause, pray, and commit it to the Father. When we decide to commit it to Him and wait for His Word and perspective, we become a partaker of His divine nature and wisdom in our spirit man. His mind and wisdom is then revealed to us and we can walk in wisdom and manifest Jesus rather than our flesh.

The Bible says it is through faith and patience we inherit the promises of God. (Hebrews 6:12). This truth makes patience a very important aspect of our true nature. When you make patience your friend and determine to let it possess your soul, you are in position to inherit the things God has prepared for you. A patient soul is a prosperous soul!

A Generous Life
A primary character trait of a prosperous soul is generosity. In fact, most men and women of faith I know are generous people. God’s Word certainly confirms this in the following verse:

The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.
(Proverbs 11:25)

A major hindrance to a prosperous soul and a prosperous life is stinginess. The Scripture also bears this principle out in Proverbs 11:24, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.”

You know this man. You have met him before or maybe you have even been him at one time in your life. His name is Mr. Scrooge. Others call him “Tight-Wad.” He still owns the first dollar he ever made – rather, it owns him! He may have money, but his soul is not prospering because of his fear of losing it and the greed that drives him to attain more. The Bible speaks of the condition of the man’s soul in Proverbs 13:7, “There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing.”

Cheerfulness and joy is the barometer you are too used to direct your giving. Give where you find the most joy and where you are most cheerful. And don’t feel condemned or guilty about not giving where you don’t have joy.” Wow! How freeing this revelation was for me. 

His intent for encouraging us to be cheerful in our giving was to help direct our giving to individuals and ministries where we had joy. This totally set me free. I ceased allowing myself to feel guilty or to become condemned about not giving when I did not feel His joy and pleasure over my gift. It set me free to let joy and peace guide me when it came to giving. Joy–based giving is the kind of giving that the Lord loves. I love it too.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.  (2 Corinthians 9:7)