The Guardian of our soul

We come into this world, and God has great expectations that the plans and purposes that he has for our lives will be

fulfilled. He hopes that our parents and those around us will do everything in their power to love and keep us safe!

He knows the beginning from the end!

“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready

to believe the best of every person,

its hopes are fadeless under all

circumstances, and it endures  everything without weakening.” 1 Cor 13:7

God is that Love!

Life isn’t always kind.

Some never get to enter this world.

Some die of disease, abuse or violence.

Some live, yet experience neglect, abuse or poverty.

Some excel, rise above it.

Some feel like nobody’s child.

Some withdraw, live with fear and anxiety.

Some run and hide.

Some it’s fight or flight.

Some know love, comfort and protection.

Most survive, self-protection, self-sufficiency.

Each one of us are, to some degree, a product of our upbringing - good or bad.

Each one of us, to some extent, self-protects to survive or overcome life and the trials and testing it brings.

BUT GOD!

The guardian of our soul. The one who protects and defends.

He saw who he created you to be before you became you! Before you’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days he planned for you were already recorded in your book! There is a book in heaven that has your life’s story written in it. WOW!

This highlights God’s intimate knowledge of our identity, purpose and predetermined lifespan before birth. Each one of us has a planned purpose! We were intentionally designed, valued and known by God before conception.

He went into our future to prepare the way, and in his kindness, he follows behind us to spare us from the harm of our past! Psalm 139 TPT

We are not defined by our past but often our unhealed past inhibits our moving forward, from one degree of glory to the next!

“As for you, I’ll come with healing, curing the incurable, because they all gave up on you and dismissed you as hopeless…” Jeremiah 30:17

This is God’s desire for each of us: “Beloved, I pray in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 Jn 1:2

Andrew Wommack Ministries

A healthy soul should be the foundation and standard for outward prosperity and physical health!

We are spirit, with a soul (mind, will, emotions). Healing is already within us as our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit! But, for it to reach our physical bodies the Holy Spirit travels through our soul, (mind will emotions) the renewing of our minds.

It is when our soul lines up and agrees with our spirit, which will always agree with the word of God, that our bodies align with truth. We become whole; we return to the original design!

There are many bible-believing, faith-filled Christians not prospering in their souls.

Trauma affects our minds, emotions and bodies and we can become someone God never intended us to be (full of fear, anxiety, sickness, torment etc.) It causes some disconnection between what should be our authentic self and the person we’ve become.

The coping strategies and self-protection behaviours we develop in childhood are survival responses; they made sense and were needful at that time, but they rarely depict who we really are.

Healing is all about returning to who we were originally created to be. That’s the authentic YOU!

At birth we enter into family dynamics, with less than perfect parents, surrounded by a world that would mould us into its image. In addition, we experience the stress and trauma of life. In order to cope and survive we often develop coping strategies, behaviour patterns and ways of dealing with situations that aren’t in alignment with God’s word or with who we were created to be.

Yes, we are that new creation in Christ.

Therefore, if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Cor 5:17

But 1 Thess 5:23 states this:

And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Your spirit is perfect, mature, recreated, just as Jesus’.

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Gal 4:6

We need Holy Spirit to lead and heal us, restoring us back to our authentic selves.

This is how our souls prosper!

I find my true self in scripture, but if the person I’m presenting to the world is contrary to scripture then it causes an inner conflict.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Rom 12:1-2

So, letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Rom 8:6

Our spirit will always agree with the word of God, therefore it is our souls, (mind will emotions) that needs to be renewed to the place where our spirit and soul are in total agreement which in turn affects our bodies! It’s a journey that we are all on. A journey to embrace, not alone but with Holy Spirit, our comforter, teacher, the one who nurtures us.

That journey will be different for each one of us, but if we work with and trust Holy Spirit we will mature and grow into that wonderful new creation that the bible presents us as.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Rom 8:1-2

The one who would try and put condemnation is the accuser of the brethren!

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10

As we desire to draw closer to God, to hear, feel and sense him better, these coping mechanisms that have protected us so well, now become the barrier that keeps out the very one who can heal those pockets in our hearts. These strategies and behaviour patterns are the stumbling blocks to a healthy and prosperous soul.

How do we recognise these behaviour patterns in our lives?

Do you find it difficult to receive God’s love?

Every time that you try and receive his love does it feel like there is a wall around your heart? That the words just bounce off you?

Whenever challenged on a behaviour trait, especially by those who care for you, do you resort to self-protect, fight or flight?

Does fear or anxiety rule your thought life?

Does anger simmer under the surface?

Do you struggle to hear or sense God’s presence?

Do you feel lonely even in a crowd?

Do you feel like giving up because no matter how hard you try you’re not growing in your relationship with God?

As you read the above, is it bringing feelings/memories to the surface?

Any of the above could be an indicator of a wall/ self-protection/ coping mechanism/ behaviour pattern - whatever you want to call it.

I am talking about a habitual behaviour pattern, not the occasional outburst!

The wall is a structure, a coping or self-protecting mechanism, that we either build to protect ourselves or we have allowed someone else to build for our protection. The wall may stop situations or people from harming us, but the wall also stops God from drawing close to us!

The wall can be seen, sensed and/or felt. It’s not necessarily a brick wall, it can be anything from a fence, statue, feeling or colour; it can be small or large. It’s whatever you see or sense.

If unsure, then talk to someone that you trust as well as asking the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you.

How do we deal with them?

I had to deal with this myself over 15yrs ago. It’s more common than we think. Mostly it’s not demonic, it’s pockets of our heart that have been wounded or traumatised. It didn’t stop me hearing God or ministering but it was stopping me from being whole! It was wearing, and it was pockets of my heart that had been affected by my mother’s irrational fear. I had never been taught what I’m sharing with you; there was little or no inner healing taught at that time.

As a church we were being introduced to some inner healing ministry. We decided to run with it and as a result of what I was hearing and seeing I had some ministry and I was amazed at how quickly it was dealt with.

One of the things that we fear is that we are opening a Pandora's box. The enemy wants us to believe that lie so that he can isolate areas of our heart from God’s healing and love!

The reality is that the Holy Spirit has the solution and healing for every situation that we could ever find ourselves in. It’s not always fixed quickly but we can be assured that the Holy Spirit will journey with us to complete wholeness.

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] John 16:33

Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favour] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]. Hebrews 4:16

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love]. 1 John 4:18

Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick,

but a sudden good break can turn life around. Proverbs 13:12

God wants you whole!

If you identify with anything in this article, then I would encourage you to talk to your church leaders or ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the right ministry. Be brave and seek help!

So, if the son liberates you [makes you free], then you are really and unquestionably free.

John 8:36