{"id":759,"date":"2019-01-25T06:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T06:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/nextsteps\/?p=759"},"modified":"2019-01-14T02:49:58","modified_gmt":"2019-01-14T02:49:58","slug":"isolate-soul-muscle-strengthen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/nextsteps\/2019\/01\/isolate-soul-muscle-strengthen.html","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Isolate Your Soul Muscle to Strengthen It?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"unsplash-logoVictor
Victor Freitas<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following is a devotion from my message series\u00a010 Steps to Freedom<\/a>. I hope these devotionals help you experience lasting freedom in Jesus!<\/em><\/p>\n

STEP SEVEN: day 5<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Fully engage in\u00a0worship<\/strong>\u00a0to strengthen your soul<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

There are certain muscles in your body that are hard to isolate and build. The calf muscles for instance are easy to see from the outside but difficult to isolate and strengthen through exercise. Difficult, but not impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your soul works in much the same way. It is a muscle within you that is difficult to isolate and strengthen. Difficult, but not impossible. As you begin to isolate and exercise your soul through worship, you\u2019ll begin to see your spirits lift and your soul strengthen. Why is strengthening your soul so vital to your freedom? Because your soul or spirit is fused together with your will. The stronger your soul becomes, the stronger your willpower becomes. As we discovered in step two, your willpower alone isn\u2019t enough to secure your freedom. But as you fully engage in worship, your spirit interacts with the Spirit of God, your soul is filled with the Spirit\u2019s power and your divinely powered will now gives you the strength to say \u2018no\u2019 to sin and \u2018yes\u2019 to God (Titus 2:11-12).<\/span><\/p>\n

Make no mistake: worship is a powerful weapon. Utilize worship through singing as a way to fight for your freedom. When you feel tempted, begin to sing. When shame and guilt threaten to wash over you and drown your joy, fight back through song. When doubt or despair threaten to erode your freedom, preach to your soul and strengthen it through singing. Sing along with worship music throughout the day and regularly engage in the power of corporate worship with other believers. Fully engage in worship to strengthen your soul and secure your freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Over this past week as you\u2019ve learned about the strategic power of singing and as you\u2019ve sung some worship songs, how has your soul been affected?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. How can you more fully engage in worship this Sunday when you\u2019re singing with other believers?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    You can read other devotional entries\u00a0for 10 Steps to Freedom\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The following is a devotion from my message series\u00a010 Steps to Freedom. I hope these devotionals help you experience lasting freedom in Jesus! STEP SEVEN: day 5 Fully engage in\u00a0worship\u00a0to strengthen your soul There are certain muscles in your body that are hard to isolate and build. The calf muscles for instance are easy to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":607,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[316,2],"tags":[318,363,361,364],"class_list":["post-759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-10-steps-to-freedom","category-next-steps","tag-freedom","tag-muscle","tag-soul","tag-strengthen"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Do You Isolate Your Soul Muscle to Strengthen It? - Next Steps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Some muscles are difficult to isolate and strengthen. 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