LFLG - Part 2

In the second part of our series, Lessons for Loving God, we shift our focus from the "Heart" to the "Soul." While the heart represents our emotional center, the soul (the biblical nephesh) represents our entire life's vitality and will.

To love God with all your soul is to move beyond "feeling" and into Total Surrender. We are invited to become "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1). This isn't a one-time religious box to check; it’s a habitual, daily rhythm of laying down our time, energy, and cravings at the feet of the Father.

Learning from the Bookends of Faith
We see this most clearly in two historical moments:

• Abraham & Isaac: Abraham was willing to surrender his future—the very son of promise—because he trusted the Giver more than the gift.
• Jesus in Gethsemane: Our Savior modeled the ultimate soul-surrender. In deep anguish, He aligned His will with the Father’s, proving that surrender isn’t the absence of struggle, but the presence of obedience within the struggle.
  
  

True freedom won't come from seizing control; it will come from releasing it.

1. The "Not My Will" Morning Prayer Before you check your phone or drink your coffee, recite Romans 12:1. Visualize your schedule for the day and literally open your hands, saying: "Lord, I offer my body and my plans as a living sacrifice today. Not my will, but Yours."

2. The "Isaac" Inventory In your journal, create two columns. In the first, list your "Isaacs"—the dreams, possessions, or relationships you tie your identity to. In the second, write a prayer of release for each one. Ask: "Lord, if You asked me to lay this down today, could I?"

3. The Sunday "Whole-Life" Review Every Sunday evening, look back at your week. Identify one moment where you lived for yourself (selfishness/grudges) and one moment where you "died to self" to serve someone else. Celebrate the progress and repent for the partial obedience.

4. The Stretching Step Surrender must be tangible. Identify one way to serve this month that costs you something—time, comfort, or finances. Whether it's volunteering in a new ministry or increasing your giving, bridge the gap between "intention" and "action."

This article comes from our Sermon Series - Lessons for Loving God. The following resources are meant to help you go deeper in this topic of the Loving God with Your Soul.