2 Steps to Healing the Wounded Soul

There's a secret behind every smile. Oftentimes, what the lips try to mask, the eyes show readily: pain. So many people are smiling on the outside but wounded on the inside. Suicide rates and depression are at an all time high! None of us have to live this way. You no longer have to suffer in silence.

"To be made whole is to be made intact by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s when God takes the broken pieces of your soul and mends them together so that your soul becomes whole." Here are 2 steps to emotional healing from my bestselling book, "The Supernatural Power of Seeking God: Losing and Finding Your Life in Christ."

"STEP ONE: RECOGNIZE THE PATTERN OF YOUR BROKENNESS

The man at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5 had been lying on a mat by the pool for thirty-eight years. He continually waited for someone else to come along and put him into the pool when the angel of the Lord troubled the water (John 5:4), but no one ever came. It wasn’t until Jesus stepped onto the scene of his life that he realized the part he’d been playing in his own brokenness. He had been resigned to the mat of his brokenness. He had become content there. 

Sometimes when you’ve been broken for so long, you become so content with your condition that you may not even realize your brokenness is fueling your every action—the things you do, the people and situations you attract into your life . . . everything. As you seek God, the fullness of Jesus steps into your life, and He’ll eventually reflect your own soul to you so that you can see your need. Then He will ask you, as He asked the man at the pool, “Do you want to get well?” (v. 6).

When God shed the light on my soul in 2012, I realized the part I’d been playing in staying broken. I’d become resigned to the mat of my condition, attracting to myself that which I was. I kept attracting broken, messed-up people into my life because I was broken. It wasn’t until I recognized my responsibility in becoming whole that I was able to move toward inner healing. Once God showed me the pattern of my bad behavior, due to brokenness, He then helped me to eradicate it.

The supernatural power of seeking God helps us to realize the harmful patterns in our lives. Lay yourself on God’s altar in prayer and fasting, and then ask Him to reveal your soul’s pattern to you. Let Him deal with it. Only after you recognize this pattern and the role you play in it can you move on to step two for becoming whole. It then becomes decision time. 

STEP TWO: DECIDE TO BE MADE WHOLE

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 

John 5:6 

The second thing the man at the Pool of Bethesda had to do was to decide to be made whole. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to receive God’s wholeness, the man immediately began making excuses for his condition (v. 7). Jesus looked at the man again, and in His great compassion, He told him to rise. Notice that when Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be made whole, He never asked him about anyone else. Jesus focused only on the man’s desire. He said to him, “Do you want to get well?” This indicates that the key to being made whole is our own will. It wasn’t about anyone else coming along and putting the man into the pool. No, it was about his will to be healed. It was about his decision to accept Christ’s wholeness. What Christ is saying to us through this passage is that His healing is here for us. His wholeness is already available to us, but we must first accept it. We must first decide to be made whole.

Only after the man decided to be made whole did Jesus command him to get up, pick up his mat, and walk. Decide today that you will be made whole in Jesus, and then move on to step three."

For more healing steps, purchase "The Supernatural Power of Seeking God" here: https://amzn.to/2sIWf6x

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This excerpt has been taken from "The Supernatural Power of Seeking God: Losing and Finding Your Life in Christ" (Chapter Fifteen "Receiving Your Kingdom Wholeness") Copyright @ 2017 by Kaila Frierson.

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It's Time to Build Your Tent!

Hello, beloved! God's got an awesome prophetic word for you today. He's saying "It's Time to Build Your Tent!" Listen to this galvanizing word and let the Holy Spirit stir you to action on the vision He's already given you!  God bless you. 

"Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords,and strengthen your stakes" (Isaiah 54:2). 

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Run For Your Life! (Urgent Message from God)

When God said to me out of the clear blue one day, "Run for your life!" I had to stop and make sure I was hearing Him correctly. I wasn't in any imminent danger. I was sitting on my bed, and everything in my world seemed calm. 'Could I be in danger and not know it?' I thought. What exactly was God trying to tell me? It wasn't until later in the week that His meaning became clear.

During my devotional time, I was reading Hebrews 12:1-2 that says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." There it was in plain sight! The Holy Spirit was speaking to me about the Christian race we're in, and He was telling me I've got to run to live!

Hebrews 11 tells us about the saints who've gone on before us in the great Hall of Faith. They've run their race, and it's as if they're sitting in the bleachers cheering us on. Some of us are running at faster speeds than others, but we know that the race is ultimately not about speed. It's a race of endurance (Ecclesiastes 9:11). We have to be the type of runners who run with purpose. We can't do a lazy run, or get distracted by what may be happening on the sidelines. We have to look straight ahead to the joy that awaits us at the finish line just as Jesus did. The writer of Hebrews told us to take Jesus as our example. The end of Jesus's earthly race included a cross, which was a symbol of shame. Still, despite the shame and pain, Christ set His eyes on the joy of having fellowship with you and me and redeeming us to the Father. You were enough to help Him press on to the finish line.

So, you and I, friend, have to run to live. Some runners run with weights to help them build muscle and burn more calories. God puts different weights on each of us depending on the types of trials we face. These body weights are not the type of weight Hebrews 12 is telling us to avoid. The weight we need to lay aside is anything that would try to stop or trip us up as we run. I'm reminded of the story of Joseph as an example. When Joseph was serving in Potiphar's house after he'd been sold into slavery, Potiphar's wife took a liking to him. She ended up trying to seduce him because she saw that he was favored, had a spirit of excellence, and the brother was fine!

Joseph rejected her advances until one day she couldn't take anymore. "She caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside" (Genesis 39:12). Joseph literally ran for his life! Hebrews 12 is warning us to do the same thing when faced with temptation. Throw off anything that would cause you to sin and run to save your spiritual and physical life. You have to face forward and stay focused on the joy of Jesus in order to win. Let this word encourage you on your Christian race to run as if you're going for gold.

 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:24).

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

LETTER TO THE FAITHFUL FEW

Dear Faithful One,

The first thing I want to tell you is, you're not alone. I know there are a bunch of professing Christians around you who do their own thing. The Word of God tells us to, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6). Yet, to find a Christian these days who actually does this is like searching for a needle in a haystack. I know how you feel. Sometimes these same "Christians" ridicule you for seeking and waiting on God. I want to let you know that God's got "7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!" (1 Kings 19:18). He's got a remnant of believers who ARE actually seeking His will and obeying Him. You'll meet some of them soon. Until then, keep letting God prepare and develop you right where you are. God said "none who wait on Him will be put to shame" (Psalm 25:3).

Single one, I know you are waiting on God's first choice for a mate, and often you face outside pressure to settle because, "Hey, 2nd choice is okay, right?" Wrong. Listen, you need to keep waiting on and trusting God for your spouse. If God was able to hook Isaac up with Rebekah (See Genesis 24), then He'll hook you up with the one He has for you at the perfect time. Don't give up faith. God is a master matchmaker, and He's got you covered. Continue to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, and He'll add all these things to you at the right time (Matthew 6:33). People think you're waiting for someone perfect, but all you're waiting for is a "yes" from God. Keep waiting. You're the one who will have to live with your future spouse, not the ones pressuring you, so ignore them. God cannot lie. He has the right person for you, and it won't be long until your hearts meet.

Dreamer, keep on dreaming. You've been working on that God-vision, the dream God gave you, while seeing little to no progress in the natural realm. You need to know that God sees you. The dream He gave you will come to pass just as Joseph's did at the appointed time (See Genesis 45). Keep on building that wall brick by brick, and soon you'll see your hard work pay off.

Planted one, stay planted. You're in a place or position you don't want to be in, but God's placed you there for a reason. I know it's hard, especially when you're facing outside pressure to "just go and find your own pie in the sky." Know that God has you right where you're supposed to be for His purpose and plan. His purpose for your life will prevail. Ignore the outside voices, and stay in position.

This one's for you, my faithful brothers and sisters in the faith. God is with you. Stay submitted. Keep following His voice. He's got a plan for you that's bigger than you can imagine (Ephesians 3:20). If you'll stay in position, He's about to blow your mind! Be encouraged, stay focused, and keep your eyes on God instead of those around you. No one said it would be easy, but it's worth it. Stay in faith!

"His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:23).

There's More! (Prophetic Word)

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost." (Isaiah 55:1)

Jesus is the living water this verse speaks of, and He's got a special invitation for you today to receive more! He's inviting all who are spiritually thirsty to come and satisfy your parched souls. Let's break down this water symbolism a little deeper to see exactly what Christ is saying, and then I'll share with you the fresh prophetic word He gave me for His body.

In John 4 we see Christ at Jacob's well asking a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. The Samaritan woman asks Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans" (v. 9). He tells her "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water" (v.10). 

This meant that she'd never have to come back to the well and fill up again, and she'd never thirst again. It sounded like a win-win to her! Of course, she asks Jesus for some of this water. He then speaks a word of knowledge to her about her life, and reveals Himself as the Messiah, the living water He'd spoken of.

Today, God is giving us the same offer He gave to the Samaritan woman. "Come and drink. I have more for you!," He's saying! John 7:38 tells us that "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." This verse speaks to the miraculous nature of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Here's a modern-day example of what Christ is saying.

Imagine yourself taking a sip from a bottle of water. When we receive God's gift of salvation through Christ, it's as if we take a sip of Him into ourselves.

He comes inside of us and makes His home in the form of the Holy Spirit. Since He's a supernatural being, He doesn't just stay in this one form. He transforms into not just one river, but several. He then flows out of us to touch the lives of those around us! This is God's original plan of salvation. He wants everyone around you to get a drink of the living waters inside of you!

So, why is this not happening more in the body of Christ today? Are people better or worse off when they come into our presence? Are we so burnt out that we can't focus on providing this living water to others? According to scripture, this water should flow out of us naturally, so, what's causing the waters to be stopped up?

God would say to you today that the problem is the evil twins, busyness and distraction. He says you've taken a sip of Him, but there's more! The reason why the waters have been clogged in the body of Christ is because we haven't gotten enough of the living water inside us! The "more" that God is speaking about is an ocean! The deep of God is calling to the deep river in you, beckoning you to go to a deeper level!

"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me." (Psalm 42:7)

God says that so many Christians have His Spirit, but they're lacking in His presence. Today, He's inviting you back into His presence. Too many of us have gotten distracted. The Lord is saying, "Tap into the River! There's more for you! Come and drink in My presence. Here you will be refreshed. Your answers, all you need, is in My presence. Come back Home. Come and drink! You've gotten too busy. Come. Drink. Be refreshed. I've got so much to show you! Don't make an idol of your busyness. Come and drink. Come!"

"The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life."
(Revelation 22:17)

This is an invitation to more! To enter into God's rest. God is refreshing the weary soul (Matt. 11:28), and the door of heaven is standing open for you to come up higher (Rev. 4:1)! If you've been running on empty, going in your own strength, Jesus invites you to drink of His limitless water! We all need to take another sip of Christ and go deeper.  It's in the deep that we'll find satisfaction and begin to overflow to others without hindrance until the whole world gets a drink.

Prayer:
Lord, I repent today for letting anything clog the flow of your living water in me. I return to Your presence and let go of the idols of busyness and distraction in my life. Help me to make you my center and revolve my day around You instead of trying to pile You on top of everything else. Teach me to steward and practice your presence so that You can flow freely to others from within me. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen. 

Top 3 Ways to Get Closer to God

So many of us are seeking so much in life and we're not getting it. There's a reason for that. God tells us in His word that if we'll seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, all other things will be added to us (Matthew 6:33). The reward for seeking God is His presence along with our heart's deepest desires according to His will (Psalm 37:4). Thankfully, God's given us many ways to get closer to Him. Here are my top 3.

1. Acknowledge God before making decisions.

Proverbs 3:6 says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." This means EVERY decision we make. When we acknowledge God before making decisions, we include Him in everything we do. The more God sees that you want to include Him in your life, the more He'll make His presence, thoughts, and feelings known to you.

2. Practice God's presence.

Begin to talk to God all throughout the day about everything. Talk to Him as you would your best friend (Proverbs 18:24). Talk to Him when you're washing your clothes, when you get up in the morning, on your commute to work, and when you lie down for bed. This puts a smile on God's face, and He'll surely talk back to you.

3. Make a lifestyle of worship and gratitude.

The Bible says "in everything give thanks" (1 Thess. 5:18). I never feel God more closely than when I worship Him! God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). When we worship God, He draws near to us with big hugs of His presence. Nothing pleases Him more!

What are some practices that have helped you grow closer to God over time? Please share with us in the comments below.

Gethsemane Before Glory (prophetic word)

"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39).

A little farther. That's the place the Father's trying to take you today. God wants to take you father into the "power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings" (Philippians 3:10). He's got spiritual exploits waiting for you in His Kingdom (Daniel 11:32). He wants to take you deeper into the realm of His glory where you see Him act in power. God still works miracles, signs, and wonders, and He wants to bring heaven to earth through your vessel, but you've got to go a little farther with Him first.

In the garden of Gethsemane we see Jesus praying for the cup of death to be taken from Him before He was betrayed and led to Calvary. The cross was where He'd be separated from the Father's presence for the first time (Matthew 27:46). This was worse than any physical death could ever be; yet, it was the only way we could be redeemed. It was the Father's will, and this cup would not pass. Jesus had to drink it. Jesus finally surrendered saying, "yet not as I will, but as You will."

No servant is greater than His master (John 15:20). If Jesus had to go through Gethsemane to get to glory, so do you, and if He could do it, so can you. "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you" (Romans 8:11).

What is God asking you to surrender today so that you can reach the next level in your spiritual walk? Is it a person, ways of the flesh, or a secret sin? Whatever it is, God will give you the strength and grace to release it if you depend on His Holy Spirit.

Know that you can never out-give God. Anything you give Him can't compare to the riches He'll place in your hands. Someone once said that your penthouse dream is God's basement idea. You've got to give up that basement in order to get to God's best. You won't reach the pinnacle without it.

Will you choose to go a little farther with Christ today? Imagine what blessings await you on the other side of your sacrifice!

"Truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--along with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life"" (Mark 10:29-30).