Faith and Soul Care | Grow Closer to God | How To Find Joy In Life Again | Spiritual Growth | Biblical Counseling | Christian Mindfulness

Soul Care and the Practicing of the Presence of Jesus | A Fun and Delightful Way to Grow Closer to God | Greek Word for Abide Meno

What If You Could Feel Really Close to God  Again—or For the First Time?

Have you ever found yourself feeling spiritually dry, distant from God, or just… off? Like your prayers are going nowhere, your Bible reading plan is nothing more than checking off a box, (if you are even reading it) and your soul feels parched? If so, you are certainly not alone.

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Recently, someone confided in me that they were feeling exactly that way—down, disconnected, unmotivated, and unsure how to get back to a vibrant spiritual life. I totally understood, because I’ve been there too. In fact, I’ve gone through several seasons like that. No, I’m not proud about it; yet it happens to most all of us. 

 

 

Soul Care and Easter: What Does the Death and Resurrection Mean for Us on an Ordinary Weekday? | Biblical Greek Words | Tetelestai | Anastasei | Anastasis

 What does Easter really mean for us for an ordinary weekday?

 I think sometimes we rush through the story so quickly that we miss the profound truth of what it all means for us, personally, right now, today. We are going to review two biblical Greek words I have taught on before, actually three: tetelestai, anastasei, and anastasis.

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What is Soul Care and How Does It Differ from Self-Care for the Christian? | Biblical Greek word for 'rest' anapausis | Greek word for 'heavy laden' 'burdened'| phortizō

Today we’re talking about something that I've been meaning to discuss for awhile—the difference between self-care and soul care.

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Stress and anxiety and other negative emotions respond best to soul care, not self care! Especially if you are a Christian! Then we have access to the best soul care provider in the universe that can provide us the peace and calm that passes all understanding! Here is the thing though - no clinical counselor can teach you about soul care if they are working within the healthcare or clinical model, even if they are a Christian. Of course, most of them haven't learned about soul care unless they have taken special training in it - it's not taught in most clinical mental health graduate programs. 

So - ok that was a long aside - but back to the question - what makes self-care and soul care different? The main question I will focus on is this: Why is soul care better for our emotional needs and stress management? 

Be Intentional About Spiritual Growth | Journaling Method | Prayer and Bible Journaling | Soul Care

How does keeping a weekly Reflection Page in a prayer journal move us more towards a life of purpose and joy? This is part 2 of How Prayer Journaling Transforms Us; and today I want to share with you about writing down weekly reflections, specifically reflecting on areas where you are struggling and how you can take those struggles over to God. 

 

Resources Mentioned:  

Prayer Journal designed by Sherry:  https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Reflection-Journal-Gospel-Learning/dp/B0DTSWNN53

Women's Connection Cohorts: https://sherryelaine.com/cohorts

 

I am going to share some of my own use of these Weekly Pages.  For the first week of February, my reflection was this:

"I am tired, stressed, and unmotivated for no good reason."

For whatever reason, early February hit, and that’s exactly how I felt—tired, stressed, and unmotivated, and I was struggling with being in that space. But then, there’s also a place in the journal to write down a biblical truth that speaks into your struggle.

So I wrote: Jesus told us that every day has its own trouble. Of course, I had a lot of stress built up. And then, in my little nerdy self, I calculated: If I’ve been alive for this many years, how many days of trouble have I had? Turns out, I’ve had over 19,000 days of trouble in my life!

So of course I’m feeling tired, stressed, and unmotivated for no good reason, because that is what living each day in this crazy world tends to bring you – unless – unless – you are living intentionally and being mindful of caring for your mind and your soul

Part 1: How Prayer Journaling Strengthens and Transforms Spiritual Growth | Soul Care | Christian Counseling Biblical

Resources Mentioned:

Prayer Journal Designed by Sherry Elaine:   https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Reflection-Journal-Gospel-Learning/dp/B0DTSWNN53

Women's Connection Cohorts Notification:  https://sherryelaine.com/courses

 

The Importance of Writing Down Prayers

If we don’t write down our prayers, we often forget what we prayed for. And if we forget what we prayed for, we may not recognize when God answers.

For example, let’s say I prayed, Lord, please protect me from getting sick this month. Then life gets busy, and I forget I even prayed that. A month later, I look back and realize—wow, I didn’t get sick! That was an answered prayer. But without writing it down, I might have completely overlooked God’s faithfulness in that moment.

Prayer journaling helps us see patterns, too. You begin to notice:

• Some prayers are answered quickly.
• Some take time.
• Some are answered in ways you never expected.

And you also begin to see the truth of what the Bible tells us: If we pray according to His will, He hears us and answers us.

When God Says No

Of course, not every prayer gets a “yes.” In the past two months, I’ve had about three prayers where the answer was clearly no. One of them involved an important decision I had to make. And while I may not fully understand why yet, I trust that God’s no was for my good.

Looking at my journal, I can see how often God has been faithful, even in the times when the answer was different than what I hoped for. And this is why keeping track of your prayers can be so powerful—it strengthens your faith and gives you confidence in God’s timing and wisdom.

How to Find Joy and Purpose in God | Greek Word: Meno for Abide or Abiding | John 15:11 Teaching | Abide in Me Meaning

Focusing on another key word: meno, which is deeply connected to abiding in joy through Christ.

Jesus said in John 15:9-11:

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

That word remain is also translated as abide—the Greek word meno.

The Greek word meno means to stay, dwell, or continue. It is an active and ongoing process. However, it’s not about striving harder to be with Christ or trying to accomplish more for Him. Instead, it’s about resting in His love and staying connected to Him in our daily lives.

Notice that Jesus connects abiding with joy. He doesn’t say, “Try harder, do more, and you’ll eventually find joy.” Instead, He tells us that true joy is a natural outcome of abiding—of remaining—of staying close to Him.

 

Big Announcement:

Women's Online Connection Cohorts are beginning! This will be an unprecedented and transformative small group opportunity. Go to:

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Sherry's Featured Books on Amazon: https://www.sherryelaine.com/books

Prayer Journal Designed by Sherry for Gospel Life Learning: Prayer and Reflection Journal

Main Site:  http://www.sherryelaine.com

Blog Site: http://www.gospellifelearning.com

 

How to Set Your Mind & Rewire Your Brain Weekly as a Christian | Spiritual Growth | Finding Purpose in God | Greek "set your mind" | phroneo | Colossians 3:2

Resources Mentioned:

Prayer Journal Mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Reflection-Journal-Gospel-Learning/dp/B0DTSWNN53

 

Women's Connection Cohorts:  http://www.sherryelaine.com/cohorts

Read all Faith and Soul Care podcast transcripts at  http://www.gospellifelearning.com

Book: Closer to God: Simple Method's Starting Today https://www.amazon.com/Closer-God-Simple-Methods-Starting-ebook/dp/B078S23DBZ

Book: Words of Jesus Bible Study: 10 Weeks on Christ's Teachings https://www.amazon.com/Words-Jesus-Bible-Study-Teachings-ebook/dp/B00HQ5NLYE

All Books on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sherry-Elaine-Evans/author/B0073HVSD6

 

Let’s explore how the Greek words phroneó and ménō reveal the key to living intentionally with a heart anchored in God’s truth and joy.

The Greek Word Phroneó—Setting Your Mind with Focus

Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

That phrase, set your minds, comes from the Greek word phroneó, which means to have a mindset or to direct your thoughts intentionally. This isn't a passive practice. It’s an active, deliberate focusing of our mental and emotional energy on eternal truths rather than on the temporary distractions or upsets that occur throughout our day.

One way I implement this practice is through weekly reflection. I write down what I’m struggling with—whether it’s a difficult situation or a negative thought pattern. Then, I find a Scripture verse that directly speaks to that struggle, and I make it my verse of the week to meditate on and pray over.

In the prayer journal I recently designed, there’s a weekly page dedicated to this type of reflection.

Living Intentionally and Finding Your Purpose in God | Greek word peripateo | Hebrew word simchah

Today, we are diving into the topic of living with intention—living with intention to find joy in life and to enjoy life day by day. This is a biblical perspective.

| Ephesians 5:15-17 | Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 Exegesis

Have you ever found yourself just going through the motions? Maybe days or even weeks just blur together—just routines and obligations—a rut but no sense of purpose or joy in your days. Today, we're going to explore what Scripture says about living intentionally. And I'm not talking about just being productive or just setting goals, but intentionally seeking and finding the joy in life that God wants for us.

Big Announcement:

Women's Online Connection Cohorts are beginning! This will be an unprecedented and transformative small group opportunity. Go to:

http://www.sherryelaine.com/cohorts and sign up for email notifications to get the information on the Women's Connection Cohorts. Additionally, then BE SURE to check your email and your spam/junk folder to CONFIRM your opt-in to this notification list. 

http://www.sherryelaine.com

http://www.gospellifelearning.com

Books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sherry-Elaine-Evans