Nuggets from “A Prosperous Soul” by Greg Mohr (Chapters 1 - 3)

[Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks, PsyD]

Nuggets from Chapter 1 - “A Holy Spirit Paradigm Shift:”

1. Our financial prosperity and physical health are linked directly to the prosperity of our souls!!

2.The key to having a prosperous soul is to search and study God’s Word to discover, know, His instructions on having a prosperous soul, and then apply the principles to our lives!!

3. The relationship and difference between the spirit and soul, per Greg Mohr: “You and I are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). When you were born again (accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior) you received His image in your born-again spirit. Your spirit man is pure, holy, and in right relationship with God. In your spirit you are whole, well, and fitted with the faith and love of God. Your spirit is sealed and perfect...Problems do not arise from your perfect, born-again spirit. They arise from the well of your soul. While His image is found in your perfect and sealed spirit man, His likeness is found in the realm of your soul where your mind, will, and emotions reside. When your soul conforms to the likeness of your spirit, then you will walk in greater dominion and experience greater victory in life. God’s will for us as believers created in His image is to yield our souls to His likeness in our spirits and walk in dominion over sickness, disease, poverty and lack.”

4. “Keeping” your soul (Proverbs 22:5) involves making sure your soul is getting and staying in sync with your born-again spirit. The problem arises when your soul does not mirror your spirit. Instead of being in the likeness of God as it was created to be, it is oftentimes in the likeness of Adam, which creates “a dam” in the soul. Yielding to Adam (your un-renewed mind and uncontrolled emotions) in your soul creates “a dam” and makes it difficult to receive from God. Healing and everything else you receive from God comes from the inside out. While the life of Jesus is in your righteous spirit, it will not manifest in your life until your soul comes in alignment with your spirit. Success in life and ministry depends on this powerful truth!

5. A soul that is cluttered with unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, greed, pride, lust, idolatry, fear, and cares will crowd out Jesus, His life, healing, provision, and natural. He is in our spirits knocking at the door of our souls (Revelation 3:20) for the opportunity to enter into areas we have chosen to hold on to and compartmentalized, denying Him access. All this clutter will prevent the life of God within you from flowing out. When you are born again you receive a new nature, the nature of Christ, in your spirit. You are just like Jesus in your spirit man. But this is not automatically true about the condition of your soul. Your mind must be renewed. Your emotions and will must be conformed to the image of Christ in order for your soul to come into the likeness of your spirit. 

6. With many believers, Jesus is in their spirits, but He is knocking on the door of their souls to prosper so we can experience health and prosperity on a consistent basis. The meaning of prosperity is “success in business affairs” or “a good journey.” Financial lack and physical sickness are not indicative of a good journey. According to III John 2, your soul must experience a good journey before your pocketbook, business, or body will experience a good journey.

7. God wants our soul to prosper. If our soul is prospering, we will walk in health and financial blessing and be free to minister to others who are sick or bound. Material prosperity and physical health are the fruit or by-product of a prosperous soul. This is not to say you will never face attacks from the enemy, but that is not where you will abide. You will live instead from a position of peace, health, provision, and power.

Per Greg Mohr, “Through this book, I will share with you principles from God’s Word He has revealed to me that constitutes a prosperous soul. As you apply these truths in your own life, you will begin to experience soul prosperity. This will, in turn, cause you to receive physical health and financial prosperity in greater and more consistent measures in your life.”

Nuggets from Chapter 2 - “Come to Jesus for Rest:”

1. The enemy uses the “pile-up” method to attempt to move us off our assigned place in the kingdom.

2. One of the major keys to establishing a prosperous soul is coming to Jesus regularly for rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Life and ministry apart from these daily, intimate times with Him will wear you out. But coming to Jesus daily during the times you feel worn out, or like quitting your assignment, will produce peace, and provide us with God’s perspective, which we cannot receive on our own.

3. Your soul must rest in order to prosper just like your body needs rest in order to be in good health. But oftentimes, we are not allowing our souls to be at rest. When we allow our souls to become weighted down with pressures, stress, anxiety, and cares, we are not in a place of rest. An un-restful soul is an in-prosperous soul. This kind of soul works so hard that it prevents the body from resting which leads to burnout, exhaustion, depression, and physical problems. The antidote to this is coming to Jesus daily and casting your cares over Him.

4. Jesus is telling us in His Word a primary cause of people failing to find rest for their souls is due to taking yokes and burdens on themselves that are not from Him (Matthew 11:28-30). People often make commitments to others because of fear they will not be accepted, liked, or approved by them. This is the fear of man that results in a soul not being at rest. It is a self-made prison and trap of the enemy designed to keep you out of the purpose God has for your life. People Will place demands on you, but to say “yes” to each one is to take on more than Jesus gave you. ***This is my thought, not Greg’s: people will drain you dry, and overload you with all their demands IF you allow them to!! They are not going to stop, until YOU stop them!! They will wear you out!! Ask God to teach you how to say “NO!!” Stop taking on other people’s problems, trying to fix everything for all people!! That is NOT your responsibility!! You are NOT God!! All you are doing is enabling people to stay in the same rut they are in!! You have become their god, and they will never seek the TRUE and LIVING God, as long as you keep fixing things for them!! JUST STOP!! If you cannot stop on your own, ask God to help you stop taking on assignments He has not ordained you to do.***

5. Engaging in activities and taking on responsibilities initiated by man instead of the Holy Spirit is a recipe for failure. It creates an un-restful soul. Failure to remedy this emotional condition will typically result in people becoming worn out, frustrated, and quitting everything, including the things the Lord did lead them to do!

6. If you want your soul to rest and prosper, you must come to Jesus and find out what things He has assigned to you. That is the only burden He expects you to carry. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. He does not put heavy loads on you. Does He give you responsibility? Yes, because you are to carry out His mission, but it is not burdensome, exhausting, or overwhelming. If it is burdensome or heavy, it is not Jesus.

7. Success in life and ministry comes by developing a vibrant, intimate relationship with Jesus and discovering what He has led you to do and doing no more or less than that. Knowing what He has called you to do and being able to say “no” to everything else will produce peace and is necessary for a restful, healthy, and prosperous soul.

8. The Greek word for rest is anapausis which means “a pause; intermission; refresh” or “to take ease.” While there is nothing wrong with physical entertainment and fun, it will never bring complete rest. At best, it is temporary relief. True rest can only be found in the presence of Jesus. You can only receive ease, refreshing, and intermission for your soul by coming to Jesus and leaving the stress, worries, pressure, and even the dishes behind.

9. Each of us needs to find peace inside our relationship with Jesus while things in our world are unresolved or less than perfect. This can be difficult when bills, pressures, housework, and other responsibilities are piling up in your life. Your natural mind desires to take over and work even harder to get it all done. The better thing to do when facing these kinds of challenges is to take an anapausis and rest in the presence of Jesus. It is there you will be able to refocus, receive God’s perspective, and find both wisdom and peace that will bring rest and refreshing to your soul.

10. Your priorities can affect the condition of your soul. The story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42, shows us this. Mary’s soul was prosperous, and at rest but Martha’s soul was full of anxiety, and not prospering. Jesus was in Martha’s house, but He was not the focus of her attention. Mary chose to make Jesus her focus and priority. As a result, Mary’s soul was prospering and at peace. Martha’s soul was “troubled about many things.” Her soul was not prospering.

11. Like Martha, many Christians today are easily distracted. It can happen when pressures, deadlines, and obligations begin to close in. You may turn your attention for a moment or a day to fulfill a duty that seems important. The next day there is something new and more pressing than before. Quickly, without realizing it, you have lost focus and filled your heart with anxiety instead of the peace of God that passes all understanding.

12. Jesus may be in the house, but is He the focus of your attention? The question is not, “Is He present with you?” The question is, “Are you present to Him?” Is being present to Him your priority? There is no temporal circumstance that can compare to living life in His presence. Regardless of what might seem important in the moment, there is only one thing that is needed: coming to Jesus with your attention fixed on Him-not on others and not on your problems.

13. Success in life has everything to do with being diligent and focused. When your focus and attention is on the Lord, the enemy will not be able to steal from you. An anxious soul is easy prey for the enemy. He seeks to take the Word from your heart and life. Do not let the good things God has planted in you be taken through worry or distracted focus. The good Word He has planted will bear good fruit in your life when you guard your heart by making Jesus and His Word your primary focus.

14. The passage of Psalm 23:1-3 should bring peace and rest to your soul as you realize your physical and financial needs are already met in Jesus, the Good Shepherd. You “shall not want.” The word “want” indicates lack of some kind. When you follow Jesus, you will not lack! This is not to say circumstances will not ever oppose you, but you will not reside in a place of permanent need. Instead, you will stand in a position of trust in the provision of your faithful Shepherd. Praise God!

15. Yielding to your Shepherd when He tells you to lie down can be difficult for your mind. It requires you to cease working in your own strength, lay aside self-efforts, and follow His leadership by camping at the still waters of rest. Take time to come to Jesus and rest by the still waters with Him. It is worth the time you spend there. It is in this place you will find peace, and it is the process by which He restores your soul.

16. In Mark 3:14-15, Jesus called the disciples in a particular order. He called and appointed the twelve disciples first to be with Him. Then He sent them out with power to heal the sick and cast out devils. Most present-day disciples want to start with the power and catch time Jesus whenever it is convenient. That is not the way Jesus set things up for His disciples. His kingdom order is first to be with Him and then go out in power and authority. That does not mean we have to spend hours in prayer before we can minister healing or deliverance to someone. What it does mean is Jesus has called His disciples to value time spent with Him more than work they do for Him.

17. Is it possible that the Lord may be saying that He miss spending time with you? The Lord values time with us as much as He desires us to value time with Him. It is in the sweet presence of Jesus you will know Him and find rest for your soul. It is in coming to Him regularly you will be refreshed and encouraged.

Nuggets from Chapter 3 - “Magnify The Lord:”

1. The passage of Scripture from Luke chapter 1 (verses 46-47; 49) reveals something huge in regards to soul prosperity. Your soul is a magnifier. Whatever your soul magnifies will determine either the release of what God has placed in your spirit or the binding up of that. The thing, person, or circumstance you set the focus of your soul upon will eventually totally consume and envelope your entire being. ***WOW***!! As our souls become focused on God and aligned with our spirits, the promise of His Word becomes a reality in the natural realm. ***This is the KEY to manifesting our healings, and whatever else we need, that God has promised us, into the natural realm!! WOW!! WOW***!!

2. The important question to ask yourself in regards to receiving anything from God is, “Where is my focus?” If your focus is on the wrong thing it can block the life flow from your spirit. Once you are born again, you receive from God from the inside out. In your spirit you have everything you need. But many times, you can have the gates or doors to your soul blocking the life flow from your spirit because your focus is in the wrong place: on circumstances, others, or yourself. 

3. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus is talking to the Church-to born again Christians in whom He is dwelling - referring to the doors of their souls. The verse implies there are Christians who have some doors closed to Jesus in their souls. It is possible to be born again and still compartmentalize your life and hinder the life flow from your spirit. You and I can be Christians who are on our way to heaven, yet close off the “dirty laundry drawers and closets” of our souls from the Lord’s Word and His healing touch. This can occur because of hurts or wounds at the hands of others that are too painful to confront or deal with. Or it can happen because of some sin, failure, mistake, or bad decision you are ashamed of. No matter the reason, Jesus wants access to every area of your soul so He can heal it and align it with your spirit. This allows His life and healing to flow freely to every area of your life.

4. Jesus wants the gates and doors of your soul open to Him. Let us look at the following verse and I believe the connection between your focus and the doors and gates of your soul being open to the Lord will become obvious: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in (Psalm 24:7).” Jesus is clearly telling us to lift up our heads and change our focus. And notice He tells us our focus-either the lifting up of our heads or the hanging down of our heads-will affect the status of the gates and doors of our soul.

5. When your focus is on the problems, the doctor’s diagnosis, the financial prognosis, or the lies and accusations people have spoken about you, the gates and doors to your soul shut off the resurrection life and wisdom that is available to you in your spirit. Yet when you lift up your head from the problems, evil reports, and lies of the enemy and get your focus on the Lord and His Word, the gates and doors of your soul open up and the King of glory (Jesus) will come in! Come in where? He will come into every area of your soul and life that has been blocked off previously because of wrong focus.

6.One of the primary hindrances to people receiving from the Lord is they know more about their problem, sickness and disease than they know about the remedy: God’s Word and the finished work of the cross! If people’s focus can change from their problem to their Savior, the gates and doors of their soul will open up. This allows the resurrection life in their spirit to flow freely and affect their bodies and the natural realm with God’s supernatural power. 

7. Isaiah 26:2-3 is another passage of Scripture that confirms the importance of keeping your focus on the Lord and His Word: “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in thee.” These verses reveal that gates open for us and we enter into our inheritance when our minds are fixed on the Lord! It also reveals that trusting in the Lord is a key factor in staying focused on Him. It is trust in Him that produces perfect peace. This is a very helpful principle to understand. The measure of your peace reveals the degree to which you are trusting God. Praise God for the revelation of the truth! It will set you free from limitations that hinder you from receiving your full inheritance.

8. The Apostle Paul reveals to us where our focus should be and what things our minds should dwell on in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” The phrase, “think on these things” means to “dwell on” or “to meditate.” Whatever you dwell or meditate on, you will eventually see internally. That will become your focus. Whatever you see or imagine in your heart is what you will have or what you will become. Paul told us the kind of thoughts and things to meditate, focus, and dwell upon. My question to you is, “Where is your focus?” Whatever you are dwelling on you will eventually say. And what you say and believe you will eventually have (Mark 11:23)!

9. In the passage of Scripture in Numbers 21:4, God’s people were discouraged because of wrong focus. They were looking at the way, the path, and the journey instead of what God had spoken to them. They allowed the circumstances of their journey to distort their attitude as they took their eyes off God and put them on the path they were traveling. Their focus was on the way instead of the Maker of the way!

10. You cannot afford to allow the barometer of your soul to rise and fall based on the condition of the way. There may be financial obstacles in your path. Perhaps you are dealing with a rebellious child or a carnal mate. Challenges in your job or symptoms of sickness and pain in your body may be vying for your focus. Whatever the condition of the way may be in your life, you cannot afford to make that your focus. Is it true (in line with the truth of God’s Word), honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy? If it is not any of those things, then stop meditating on it! You must change your focus from the condition of the way to the Maker of the way if you want your soul to prosper.

11.  In the story from Numbers chapter 21, the children of Israel failed to change their focus from the condition of the way to the Maker of the way. They got their eyes off God, forgot the miracles He had done for them, and focused on the problems and challenges in their journey. This led them into a downward spiral of discouragement, murmuring, complaining, rebellion, and unbelief. Their souls were not prospering. The results were their health being jeopardized. Fiery serpents bit the people and many of them died. Moses’ remedy for the situation was to pray for them. Then he heard the following from the Lord: “And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live” (Numbers 21:7-8). God said everyone who looked on the fiery serpent on the pole would live. The Hebrew definition of the word, “look” in this verse means “to behold, inspect, perceive, and consider.” All who looked, beheld, inspected, and made this serpent on the pole (who was a type and shadow of Jesus) their focus lived.

12. John 3:14 says, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” All the people in Numbers 21:7-8, who looked at the type and shadow of Jesus were healed. How much more will those who look and set their focus on the reality, Jesus and the finished work at Calvary becomes your primary focus, rather than the present condition of your body, healing will flow unhindered from your spirit through your soul to your physical body. ***My Note: to learn more about Jesus’ finished works, click here, for Creflo Dollar’s teaching, “The Finished Works of Christ: What They Mean For Us.”***

13. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” A primary application of this verse is to be diligent to keep the focus of your soul in the right place. Then the resurrection life and healing power that resides in your spirit will flow unhindered to impact your body with health and freedom from sickness and pain. That is what happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness in the story in Numbers 21. And it is also what happened to me, when a hard knot disappeared from my neck, during a time of intimate worship. It will happen for you too, as you magnify the Lord and make the finished work of the cross your primary focus. When your focus changes from the condition of the way to the Maker of the way, healing and health are inevitable. Your soul will prosper, and you will walk in health and prosperity!

I DEFINITELY HIGHLY recommend the book, “A Prosperous Soul!!”

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God's Blessings to you all and your families!

Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks