The following is a devotion from my message series 10 Steps to Freedom. I hope these devotionals help you experience lasting freedom in Jesus!

STEP ONE: day 4

Fill your soul with the hope of Jesus

What does it look like on a practical level to become a person of hope? How exactly do you fill your soul with the hope of Jesus? Here are five essential steps to hope:

1. Give Jesus your life. This will always be the first step. You need to ask Jesus to save you, to forgive you of your sins. You need to invite him to take charge of your life. Jesus will not force himself in. You need to invite him.
2. Read the stories of Jesus regularly. Spend time getting to know your Savior. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are four eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life. The book of John in the New Testament is a great place to start. Get to know the Jesus who has saved you.
3. Focus on Jesus more than your problems. When you put your focus on Jesus and spend more time with him, your problems will shrink in comparison as Jesus gets bigger in your view and your addictions get smaller.
4. Sing songs of hope often. Worship music is a vital weapon to fight for hope because songs speak directly to your soul. Be intentional to listen to (and sing along with) godly, uplifting and hope-filled music and watch hope begin to saturate your soul.
5. Fight for hope. Your enemy the devil will fight to extinguish your hope, so be aware. Hope is worth fighting for. Never let your gaze move away from Jesus.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. Of the five essential steps listed to fill your soul with hope, which one has been the easiest for you? Which one seems the most difficult?

2. Singing songs of hope to yourself is so powerful that it is the 8th step in the 10 Steps to Freedom. What are two or three songs of hope that you can sing today? (If you don’t know many songs, try searching for songs like “Who You Say I Am” or “Reckless Love” online).

You can read other devotional entries for 10 Steps to Freedom here.