Intro 

1. Have you ever wondered why when you get  discouraged that another meal, another movie,  another purchase does not fix the problem? 
2. That’s because we are more than a “body” and a  “brain.” Evolutionists believe that all you are is a  body and a brain.
3. You are A SPIRIT. “God breathed into man the breath  of life and man became a living “nepesh” (translated  soul in KJV).
4. The child who died in 1 Kings 17:22 was raised from  the dead when his “nepesh” (soul, inward life) came  back into him: “And the Lord listened to the voice of  Elijah. And the life (nepesh, soul) of the child came  into him again, and he revived.” 

Text: Ps. 103: 1-2 

1. “Bless the Lord, oh my soul (nepesh), and all that is  WITHIN ME bless His holy name.” 
2. Your spirit is where encouragement happens (not your  body or your brain). The world tries to get encouraged by physical or mental stimulation.
3. David was totally discouraged at Ziklag. His enemies  had raided the city in his absence and burned it to the  ground. They took all of his army’s families as  captives. His soldiers were talking about stoning him.
4. “But David ENCOURAGED HIMSELF in the Lord His  God” (1 Sam. 30: 6, KJV). He got off behind a rock  somewhere and starting telling his spirit man to rise  up and praise the Lord. He started singing, “Bless  the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me bless  His holy name.” 

III. The source of inner encouragement: “benefits” 

1. “Bless the Lord, oh my SPIRIT MAN, and forget not  all his benefits” (Ps. 103: 2). Your spirit man needs to  focus on your BENEFITS. You need to speak out  these 5 benefits every single day and “encourage  yourself.”
   1. “God is my SAVIOR” (v. 3). Lord, I call you my  Savior today. I’m SAVED. I’m BORN AGAIN. You  forgive all my sins and past failures. Jesus’ blood  on the cross has cleansed my spirit from the taint  and the curse of sin.
   2. “God is my PHYSICIAN” (v. 4). Lord, I call you my  doctor, physician, Healer. By the stripes at the  whipping post sickness was removed from my  body. No disease and curse can remain on my  body. I will live a long life and fulfil my purpose.
   3. “God is my DELIVERER” (v. 5). Lord, I call you my  protector, my deliverer. You are my Ps. 91  protection. You help me to defeat all my enemies  who rise up against me. I trample on demonic  spirits who Christ defeated in the resurrection. 
   4. “God is my FAVOR.” Lord, I call you my favor, my  crown of royalty. My spirit wears a crown of God’s  royalty and I am His special child. I have favor with  God and favor with man. People look at me as  blessed and highly favoured. 
   5. “God is my SOURCE.” Lord, you meet and satisfy  ever need in my life. There is no want, no lack, no  need. I am financially blessed, debt free, and able  to bless many others financially. I return my tithe as a statement that you are my Source, not my job or  my income. You RENEW MY YOUTH like an eagle  so that the older I get the stronger I get. 
2. How Paul and Silas “encouraged themselves”
   1. “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and  singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were  listening to them” (Acts 16: 25)
   2. Their backs were beaten to a pulp, their feet and  arms were extended into an uncomfortable position  locked down in stocks. MISERABLE in the body  and brain.
   3. Then, at midnight, they decided to start releasing  encouragement from their SPIRIT MAN, their INNER MAN. They started to sing. The prisoners  were listening as they started to sing:
      1. “I raise a hallelujah, In the presence of my  enemies;
      2. I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief; c) I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody; d) I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for  me;
      3. I'm gonna sing in the middle of the storm,  louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises  roar;
      4. Up from the ashes, hope will arise
      5. Death is defeated, the King is alive!” 

IV. Conclusion: 

1. You are in this room and your are discouraged. You  have tried the body and the brain approach. You stay  discouraged. 
2. You need the SPIRIT MAN approach. Give your life to  Christ and let Him be your “Saviour, Healer, Deliverer,  Favor, Source.” It’s a NEW WORLD.
3. If you want to change from the OUTER MAN  approach to the SPIRIT MAN approach, this is the  moment to do that.