Growing up I always loved learning.
I was the student that looked forward to going to school and on summer breaks longed to be back in the classroom learning. My favorite subject in school was English because I love to read and write. I remember typing short stories on my mom’s blue Apple desktop iMac G3 in the mid-2000s. That thing probably weighed more than I did at the time. Although mathematics wasn’t my favorite subject, I did love geometry, the shapes and formulas made sense to me.
Frequently as I am reading the Bible, I notice formulas in the scriptures. Thankfully, the formulas are not at calculus level, rather, basic math, so, anyone can understand.
Let’s go back to elementary school and do some equation review before we jump into the equations I see in scripture. In Addition, there are two parts to an equation, the addends, and the sum.
For example, in the equation 1+1=2, both 1’s are the addends and the 2 is the sum. The sum of 1+3 is not 2, rather 4. If I wanted my sum to be 2, I need to have the correct addends present to equal 2. It's simple, basic math.
I see a biblical math equation in the scripture 3 John 2. It says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” The ‘sum’ of this scripture is, “prosper in all things and be in health.”
To get technical, there are two ‘sums’ of this scripture:
1. Prosper in all things
2. Be in health
That is the desire of all humanity, to prosper in all things and be in health.
Every human being dreams of prospering, to some degree, in their finances, profession/career, and relationships. Every human being also desires to be in health physically, mentally, and emotionally. But without the ‘addend' “just as your soul prospers” of this scripture, one will not experience the ‘sum’ of “prospering in their finances, profession, business, career, relationships, and be in health physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word ‘prosper’ means to succeed.
The word ‘prosper’ in the Greek means to be on the right path, to be led by a direct and easy way, and to succeed in reaching.
In order for us to be on the right path, succeed in our finances, profession/career, relationships, and be in health physically, mentally, and emotionally, our soul needs to be prospering.
To say it more simply, the level to which your soul is prospering is the level to which all things in your life are prospering and being in health.
What is our soul you ask?
1 Thessalonians 5:23 reveals the answer, “May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Your soul is your mind, emotions, feelings, will, and intellect.
If your mind, emotions, feelings, and intellect are prospering then, all things in your life will prosper (including, finances, career, relationships, and physical, mental, and emotional health).
It’s that simple.
The next question is, how do we prosper our soul?
Again, a formula is found in the Bible!
Joshua 1:8, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
God is saying, if we meditate His Words day and night and do them, then we will be prosperous and successful.
Meditate the Bible day and night + do what it says = prosperity and success.
Before we can meditate and obey God’s word, we first have to know what He’s sayin!
Where do we find out what God is saying?
The Bible!
That is why it is SO important to read the Bible, so you know what God is saying! Once you know what God is saying, you will know what to meditate, and then to obey to receive prosperity and success.
What does it mean to meditate?
Meditate means to ponder (think) and mutter (speak).
Whether you realize it or not, everyone meditates on a daily basis.
For example, let’s say you are in a relationship with someone. You are meditating when you dream of them at night, think of them the moment you wake up, daydream about them in class or at work, and wonder how they are doing. You tell all your friends and family about how amazing your new boyfriend/girlfriend is, and you cannot seem to ‘get them out of your head'; that’s meditation.
Another form of meditation is worry, so let’s say one of your parents are sick. You wonder if their health is going to get worse, you think fearful thoughts of their death, wondering how you will live without them, and you can’t sleep at night because you’re afraid of losing them. Then, you begin to vocalize to your worries to friends and family. This is meditation.
Many of you meditate each time that you look into the mirror and you have thoughts of disgust such as, “I am ugly and fat.” You think or speak over yourself, “No one will want me because I’m too much, I’m not enough, I’m worthless, and I don’t have a good personality.” When someone compliments you, you reject their compliment mentally because of the lies you’ve pondered on and accepted about yourself. You are meditating while doing this.
All the examples are ways people meditate, but not in the way that God commands us to. God commands us to meditate, ponder, think on, and speak HIS WORDS over ourselves.
To the person whose meditating about their boyfriend or girlfriend all day long, God is saying Jeremiah 17:5-8, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
God is not saying that it is a sin for you to think about your boyfriend or girlfriend. What He is saying is that your identity, trust, and confidence should not be in a human, rather, in Him.
Why is this?
Because humans, even your wonderful boyfriend or girlfriend, will fail you. They don’t have the power to save, heal, restore, or sustain you because they are limited. God’s nature is all-powerful therefore, there are no limits with Him. He’s the Savior, Healer, Restorer, and Sustainer. When we meditate His Words all day long, think about them, and speak them over ourselves, we will be prosperous and successful.
To the person whose worrying about the health of their loved one, God says in Philippians 4:4-8, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
You may be noticing by now, but there is another formula in this scripture!
Rejoice in the Lord always + Present requests to God with thanksgiving + think upon the truth (God's Word) = Peace of God will guard your heart and mind.
We will not experience the peace of God in our heart or mind if we are not thinking on the truth.
To the person that thinks negatively about themselves, God is saying, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you,” Song of Solomon 4:7.
God loves you! He doesn’t make mistakes. He cherishes you, every aspect of your being! Meditate, think on, and speak His Words over yourself!
Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Look, another formula!
Rejecting the behavior/customs of the world + changing the way you think = Knowing God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.
How do we change the way we think?
By meditating, thinking, and speaking God's Word over ourselves.
As we do this, we will experience a transformation from the inside out, similar to a caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly.
The caterpillar reaches a certain point in its life that demands a transformation. That caterpillar was made to fly; it just needs its wings. It needs to go through a complete transformation so that it can fulfill its God given and God created purpose.
You were created for a divine purpose and a plan that includes soaring in freedom above the lies and living in truth.
John 8:36 says, “So if the Son liberates you (makes you free), then you are really and unquestionably free.”
Jesus is the Son of God. He has the power to liberate you and set you free because He is the way, the truth, and the life, according to John 14:6.
John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Word of God is the Bible, and Jesus is the Word of God in human form, therefore, He is the Bible.
How our lives are transformed is by transforming our souls (our mind, the way we think, our emotions, feelings, will, and intellect).
Proverbs 4:20-22 says, “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those to find them and healing to their whole body.”
Another formula!
Listen to Gods Word + Allow them to penetrate within your heart = Life and healing to the whole body.
Prosperity, healing, and success come to every area of our lives by allowing our mind to be transformed by the truth of God’s Word.
You can experience a spiritual transformation by allowing Jesus Christ to be the One that you call personal Lord and Savior. Some have chosen to not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and some have doubted His Deity calling Him just a prophet. But the Bible is the truth, and John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Prosperity, health, and success start with a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible calls it a spiritual transformation of being born-again.
Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Look! Another formula!
Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead + Declare with your mouth = Salvation.
If you say this prayer out loud the ‘sum’ of your salvation will be ‘addend’ unto you:
“Heavenly Father, I believe in my heart Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe Jesus died for my sins. God I’m sorry for all my sins and I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you raised Jesus from the dead and I say with my mouth Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Now I am saved, I have chosen life and I am Heaven bound. In the name of Jesus, Amen.”
If you have said this prayer out loud and meant it in your heart, I want to hear from you! Subscribe to receive prayer, content and future blogs on Beauty For Ashes HOME page. In the comments write me about your decision to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior today.