Spiritual Life Flows through Open Vessels

God wants to bless his children with prosperity and health. As long as you remain an open vessel to God’s spiritual life, you can walk in these blessings. His spiritual life brings the blessings of abundance and prosperity wherever it flows, including spirit, soul, body, family, relationships and finances. Many people want God to change their circumstances and prosper them, without realizing that he is at work changing their lives. As they look for the spectacular blessings of God, they often miss the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

It is important to know how God’s spiritual life flows through a believer. The flow of the spiritual life begins at its source, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-4, 14 and 10:10). The Lord works from the inside out, changing the very core of a believer – the spirit man. Another term used in the Bible for the spirit man is heart. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23 Updated NIV). Believers are instructed to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33a). The kingdom and righteousness are spiritual and they build up the spirit man. Thus prosperity of the spirit comes first. A thankful heart is an open vessel for God’s blessings. Then believers can experience abundance in other areas of life (Matthew 6:33b). God prospers the spirit man before prospering the person in the mental and natural realms. After the spirit prospers, the soul prospers and then the physical and financial realm prospers. The spirit is the container and when it overflows from the blessings of heaven it will pour into the soul and onto the body or physical realm.

The soul prospers by renewing the mind to the anointed word of God. Thoughts that are contrary to the word of God must be cast down. Taking authority over such unfruitful thoughts leads to disengagement from the world. No one can be fully engaged in both the world’s system and the kingdom of God at the same time. “You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13 NIV). Embracing God’s spiritual life diminishes the importance of the world’s system to a believer. Prospering the soul occurs before kingdom prosperity becomes evident in the physical or financial realm (3 John 1:2). John prayed for kingdom prosperity by asking that natural or financial prosperity rise to the same level as prosperity of the soul. If the soul prospers at a high level, then natural prosperity can rise to the same high level. This scripture implies that kingdom prosperity in the natural and financial realm will not exceed prosperity of the soul. Hence seek to prosper first in the spirit, second in the soul and then you can experience kingdom prosperity in the physical and financial realm.

Tip #2: Embrace God’s spiritual life, while casting off the burdens of this world.

Excerpt from Walking in the Father’s Riches: the Prosperity of Sonship by Fred and Sherry White. ISBN: 978-0-615-34349-5