Fuelled Week 3: Love the Lord with all your SOUL | 3 May 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When the Orange Light Flashes

David stood in the cave of Adullam, surrounded by enemies. His men urged action, but he paused. Scripture says, "David inquired of the LORD, saying, 'Shall I go and attack these Philistines?'" (1 Samuel 23:2). He refused to let fear or pressure drive him. Like dashboard warnings, his circumstances signaled a deeper need: to seek God’s direction first. The sermon emphasized this—stop striving, start inquiring. [44:35]

God designed emotions as signals, not solutions. David’s example shows that pausing to pray realigns us with divine strategy. Jesus modeled this in Gethsemane, naming His anguish yet surrendering to the Father’s will. Our feelings matter, but they’re meant to drive us to God, not decisions.

When stress flares this week, don’t default to spreadsheets or advice columns. Pause. Ask: “God, what do You want me to do?” What decision have you been handling alone that needs divine consultation today?

"David inquired of the LORD, saying, 'Shall I go and attack these Philistines?' And the LORD said to David, 'Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.'"
(1 Samuel 23:2, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one decision you’ve managed without God. Ask Him to reveal His plan.
Challenge: Write your current dilemma on paper. Pray over it for two minutes before taking any action.

Day 2: Sweat Like Blood in Moonlight

Jesus knelt in Gethsemane, face to the ground. Sweat fell like blood as He pleaded, “Take this cup.” His raw honesty didn’t offend the Father—it deepened surrender. “Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” The disciples slept through His anguish, but God heard. [01:10:34]

True strength isn’t suppressing emotions but surrendering them. Jesus’ prayer shows that wrestling with God is holy ground. His “why” didn’t paralyze Him; it propelled Him toward the cross. Our darkest feelings become doorways to trust when we voice them to God.

Are you numbing pain or pretending “fine”? Name your deepest struggle aloud today. Then whisper, “Your will, not mine.” What cup are you begging God to remove that He might ask you to drink?

"He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'"
(Matthew 26:39, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for His vulnerable surrender. Ask for courage to voice your fears.
Challenge: Write a one-sentence prayer of surrender. Tape it where you’ll see it hourly.

Day 3: Naming the Unseen Storm

The psalmist stares at his hands, trembling. “Why, my soul, are you downcast?” (Psalm 42:5). He names the storm inside: disappointment, abandonment, rage. No Christian platitudes. Just raw data for God’s processing. [01:13:44]

David’s psalms teach that labeling emotions disarms their power. Like a dashboard light, frustration signals unmet needs. Anger often masks fear. God welcomes our unfiltered honesty—He already knows the tremor in your voice.

Next time irritation flares, stop. Ask: “What am I really feeling?” Dig past “fine” to the root. What emotion have you buried this week that God wants to heal?

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."
(Psalm 42:5, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to expose one hidden emotion. Thank Him for holding it with you.
Challenge: Journal three emotions felt today. Note what triggered each.

Day 4: Broken Teeth and Honest Prayers

David grips his pen, seething. “Break the teeth of the wicked!” (Psalm 3:7). He doesn’t sanitize his rage—he hurls it heavenward. God receives the venom, then detoxifies it. [01:19:19]

Praying our ugliest feelings prevents them from poisoning others. David’s violent psalms show that God prefers honest rage over polite lies. Jesus absorbed wrath on the cross so we could safely vent ours in prayer.

What “unspiritual” emotion have you hidden? Anger? Envy? Tell God exactly how you feel. What broken tooth do you want Him to mend?

"Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked."
(Psalm 3:7, NIV)

Prayer: Scream your anger silently to God. Then ask Him to replace it with peace.
Challenge: Pray Psalm 13 aloud, inserting your current struggle.

Day 5: Valleys That Birth Hymns

David walks the canyon’s shadow, rod in hand. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley…” (Psalm 23:4). He doesn’t camp there. The valley isn’t his home—it’s where he learns God’s nearness. [01:24:13]

Emotional healing isn’t a detour; it’s the path. Jesus’ darkest valley bought our redemption. Our pain, surrendered, becomes a hymn. What if your present anguish is preparing a testimony?

What valley are you rushing to exit that God wants to walk through with you?

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
(Psalm 23:4, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for His presence in past valleys. Ask Him to walk with you in this one.
Challenge: Identify one “valley” you’re in. Commit to praying through it for five minutes daily.

Sermon Summary

Believers receive an invitation to worship, to bring burdens before God, and to inquire of him about life’s choices. Emotions enter the picture as part of the soul, the inner life that holds memory, imagination, conviction, desire, and affection. Emotions function as signals, like dashboard lights, revealing what lies beneath, but they must not drive decisions. A simple framework presents four tanks to fill, including emotional energy, and warns against two unhealthy patterns: the rhinoceros who reacts loudly to every feeling, and the hedgehog who withdraws and buries emotion.

The teaching defines the soul using JR Packer’s language as the identity that makes a person who they are, then emphasizes that emotions are God-given but must answer to the will of the Father. Jesus in Gethsemane models honest feeling paired with surrendered will, praying his sorrow and then submitting to the Father’s plan. The Psalms provide a blueprint for candid prayer, showing how David names anger, sorrow, abandonment, and grief, brings those feelings to God, and later testifies to God’s faithfulness.

Three practical questions guide emotional discipleship. First, name the feeling honestly. Second, trace the trigger and ask why the feeling arose, remembering that feelings can be real but not always reliable. Third, choose a response: pray the feeling to God and enter a processing journey rather than letting emotion dictate action. Processing resembles passing through a valley while God walks alongside, not setting up camp in the valley. The practice of prayer plus processing aims for long-term formation rather than quick fixes.

The teaching closes with an offer of pastoral prayer for those who carry long-standing burdens, especially men who often conceal inner struggles. The final encouragement asks believers to surrender emotions to God, to seek supernatural transformation, and to rely on community for prayer and steady growth.

Key Takeaways

1. Bring decisions to God first Name the specific choice and present it to God before lean ing solely on spreadsheets or human advice. Seeking God first reorients the will, aligns desires, and invites divine wisdom into the decision process. Practically offering the decision to God reduces frantic self-reliance and opens space for supernatural guidance. [45:15]
2. Name and admit true feelings Honest naming disarms confusion and starts the work of healing. When grief, anger, or disappointment receive a clear label, the interior life stops hiding behind vague restlessness. Naming a feeling creates a manageable object for prayer and reflection instead of an undefined weight. [73:13]
3. Emotions are indicators, not drivers Treat feelings as signals that point to deeper needs or wounds rather than commands to act. Allowing emotions to steer choices produces reactive patterns and relationship damage. Training the will to submit feelings to God and reason cultivates steadier, fruit-bearing spiritual maturity. [67:16]
4. Pray and process emotional pain Take feelings to God in honest prayer and then journey through them with God’s help rather than avoiding them. Processing involves time, community, and theological framing, learning that valleys refine rather than finalize identity. Persistent prayer plus patient processing invites transformation over mere symptom management. [83:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[22:06] - Opening prayer and worship
[44:10] - Inquire of the Lord emphasis
[45:15] - Bring decisions before God
[58:34] - Field series verse and focus
[60:48] - Defining the soul and emotions
[62:53] - Rhino and hedgehog analogy
[67:16] - Emotions as indicators not drivers
[70:52] - Jesus in Gethsemane example
[73:13] - Three questions to ask
[83:38] - Pray, process, and walk through valleys
[86:36] - Invitation for personal prayer and closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Matthew 26:36-39 (ESV)
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Psalm 42:5 (ESV)
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Observation questions

In Matthew 26:36-39, how did Jesus express his emotions to God, and what did he ultimately choose to do despite his feelings?
What does David ask himself in Psalm 42:5 when he feels emotionally overwhelmed, and what action does he take in response?
The sermon compared emotions to "dashboard lights" ([01:06:02]). What does this analogy suggest about the purpose of emotions?

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus openly expressed his sorrow and fear in Gethsemane instead of suppressing those emotions? What does this reveal about how God views human emotions?
The sermon emphasized that "emotions are indicators, not drivers" ([01:07:16]). How might ignoring this principle lead to unhealthy patterns (like the rhino or hedgehog examples)?
Psalm 42:5 shows David questioning his own soul but then redirecting his focus. Why is this combination of honesty and intentional refocusing crucial for emotional health?

Application questions

When have you recently felt a strong emotion (anger, disappointment, etc.) that acted like a "dashboard light" ([01:06:02])? What deeper need or concern might it have been signaling?
The sermon encouraged "naming feelings" as a first step ([01:13:13]). Try naming one emotion you’ve struggled with this week. How might labeling it honestly change how you approach it?
Jesus prayed, “Not as I will, but as you will” after expressing his pain ([45:15]). What current decision or situation do you need to bring to God with that same surrendered prayer?
The Psalms model bringing raw emotions to God ([01:14:25]). What would it look like for you to pray more openly about your struggles instead of defaulting to “I’m fine”?
The sermon warned against “camping in the valley” of emotional pain ([01:23:38]). What practical step could you take this week to process a lingering emotion with God instead of avoiding it?
Men were specifically encouraged to seek prayer for hidden burdens ([01:27:22]). How can your group create safer spaces for honest sharing about emotional struggles?

Sermon Clips

And so often we just pray the first part of the prayer. Lord, take it away. Take this pain away. Take this. I don't wanna do this. I don't wanna go through this. I don't wanna face this worry. I don't wanna face this pain. I don't wanna face what I'm going through. And we forget. We see the second part of Jesus' prayer. He acknowledges his pain. He acknowledges his sorrow, but then he prays, but lord, not my will, but yours be done. [01:11:01] (26 seconds) #SurrenderNotEscape

I can take it out on people around me. Or I can pray them. I can take it to God. Here's David. Psalm 13. He's dealing with his sadness. He's saying, how long, Lord, will you forget me forever? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? I mean, like, can you bring that to God? Yes, you can. You can. [01:20:37] (33 seconds) #BringItToGod

What is your soul? And how do I love god with all my my soul? Well, your soul, you it can't be seen on MRI. You can't your soul can't be biopsied in surgery. It can't be proven that it exists from a scientific perspective. So your soul is a place where your world lives, where your emotions lie. So JR Packer gives a following definition of your soul. He says, your soul is the identity that makes you who you really are. [01:00:57] (29 seconds) #SoulIdentity

And the same thing, why am I feeling this way? Is it because something that was said, something that I read, a meeting I was a part of, a conversation I was having, an interaction with somebody, it could have been maybe you received bad news, suffered a setback, somebody lied to us or or let us down. Why am I feeling that way? But at the same breath, we've also gotta remind ourselves that our feelings might be real, but they're not always reliable. [01:16:44] (29 seconds) #FeelingsHaveCauses

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Fuelled Week 3: Love the Lord with all your SOUL | 3 May 2026 | 8am