“Above all I wish that you would prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.” 3 John 2
God wants His children to prosper in every area including financially. God knows that the world we live in requires money. It takes money to provide a home for your family, money to feed and clothe your family, money to get fuel to go to work. Money is important. Yet, so many believers falsely believe that God is somehow “anti” money. It probably started with this mistranslation “Money is the root of all evil.” The scripture actually says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10) This means that the wrong relationship with money is the root of all evil. What’s the wrong relationship with money? It is to trust in money; to exalt it has the number one priority. God should be Number One not money. In fact He tells us that if we seek Him, learn His ways and faithfully follow them, He will add all the things we need to us. (Matthew 6:33)
If God is willing to add things and money to us, then having money and things can’t be wrong. God wants us to seek Him for what we need. He wants to prosper us financially, but He wants us to see Him has our security not the money. Many have thought that being broke is the way to see God has our security, but most poor people spend more time thinking about money than rich people. A poor man is consumed with the thoughts of money because there is never enough. He is constantly thinking of ways to stretch what he has or looking for ways to get more. The man who has more than enough doesn’t have to be consumed with thoughts of money all day because the money is there to be used. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that there are people who have money who are just as controlled by it as people without. My point is that having money or not having money doesn’t make you more God focused, but being God focused can get rid of your money troubles.
“I have given you the power to get wealth.” (Deut 8:18) “Wealth and riches shall be in your house.” (Psalm 112:3) “I will increase you more and more, you and your children.” Psalm 115:14 “My God shall supply your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phill 4:19)
I think my favorite prosperity scripture is “The blessing of the Lord makes us rich and adds no sorrow.” (Proverbs 10:22) When God empowers us to get wealth it causes us to prosper without the sorrow. There are many people who have money, but they work all the time and never see their spouses or children…that is sorrow. Or they spend so much time climbing the corporate ladder that they never have time for a spouse or a family…that is sorrow. Or they work themselves into bad health and an early grave…that is sorrow.
Isaiah 48:17 – God will teach us to profit. God knows how to increase and experience prosperity without destroying a person’s health, relationships or peace of mind. So why don’t more people do things God’s way? They either don’t know or they don’t believe. The bible says that the wisdom of God is foolishness to men. God on purpose chose a system of increase that is a direct contradict to our natural minds. It is the system to seedtime and harvest. “Give and it shall be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.” Luke 6:38
Malachi 3 –“Bring me the tithe and I’ll open up the heavens and empower you to prosper and I’ll keep the devil from stealing the fruit of your labor” (Author’s paraphrase. Because God’s system of increase is based on giving in a world that focused on receiving many Christians miss out. They spend their years struggling because they think they can’t afford to give or they are so concerned about what the preacher will do with the money. You can’t afford not to give. Giving in accordance with the Word, keep Heaven connected to your finances and Heaven NEVER has a recession. It keeps God pouring out ideas that will cause you to prosper no matter what is going on in the economy.
As far as the preacher wanting your money…if you don’t trust your pastor…find a new church! The kingdom operates by authority. God has set people to teach you how to operate in the kingdom…if you don’t trust the person who is teaching you…it will not work. According to Ephesians the apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers are here to help believers develop and grow. If you don’t trust your pastor how can he/she help you develop in faith?
The way to know whether your pastor is teaching you right is get in the Word yourself, spend time in prayer yourself and learn to be led by the Holy Spirit yourself! Often people reject something like the message of prosperity because it’s contrary to what they have previously been taught, but before you decide God’s will isn’t prosperity you should search the Word for yourself!
In this hour that we live it, I take great comfort in knowing that God is concerned about my financial needs. Learning to trust God to provide didn’t happen overnight, but it’s a process of spending time in the Word and spending time. Others can encourage you, but ultimately believing God is a choice you have to make and a journey you have to take.
