Gifted to Prosper

What is prosperity? The secular definition is: Financial power, Political power, Social favour and power, and Military might and power. True Biblical prosperity is: The ability to use God’s ability in you to meet the needs of others, regardless of what those needs might be. It is the capacity to draw on God’s abundance.

Divine prosperity is Spirit, Soul and Body: And is the will of God for every believer. The Apostle John declared it was God’s will for the believer to prosper in every area of his life. To prosper means “to excel in something desirable.”

There are four major areas of prosperity:

A. Spiritual Prosperity:

For mankind this is when we are born again and filled with the Spirit of God. This enables us to operate in the will and power of God and will also make us an effective witness, bringing spiritual prosperity to others.

B. Mental / Emotional Prosperity:

You can only prosper to the level that you allow God’s Word to control your soul, (mind, will and emotions). You cannot prosper beyond your soul’s prosperity. The soul cannot truly prosper without the Word of God. It is the standard that controls what we think, feel and decide. You only prosper according to how much your soul is in line with the Word of God.

C. Physical Prosperity:

Physical prosperity is twofold, covering both health and wealth.

1. Divine Health:

Divine health is available to the believer through Christ’s work on the cross.

2. Wealth:

Material prosperity, in the secular sense, is limited to what man can do without God. However, you operate in the Word you take the world’s limitations off so you can prosper according to the limitless ability of God. The standard of living that God enjoys, is beyond anything that the natural mind could imagine.

Deuteronomy 8:18, “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

God has given you the ability to produce wealth - He has gifted you to make money. The subject of money is rarely addressed in church circles. Yet, I do not know anyone who can have a secure life without it.

One of your major goals in life should be financial independence. God wants you to be free [liberated] and He desires that you become exceedingly happy through financial independence.

Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessings of the Lord makes one rich [financially independent], and He adds no sorrow with it.” Therefore, when God makes you financially independent, the by-product of such favours is true happiness. Psalm 144:15 declares, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.”

After seeking first God’s Kingdom, one of your primary aims in life should be the achievement of your own happiness. But note, happiness is something that exists naturally in the absence of fears, doubts, and negative emotions. One of the factors that most deprives you of happiness is worry about money.

Remember, the Reality Principle especially applies to matters of money. This principle states that, “You must deal with financial matters as they are, not as you wish they were or could be.”

Here are some misconceptions or misunderstandings Christians have concerning money:

[1] Too much money is not good for you. The Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Wisdom promises in Proverbs 8:21, “That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.” Today, your treasury is your bank account. Therefore, the Spirit of Wisdom promises to cause you to come into lots of money so that He may fill your bank account. Would He do this if it were bad for you?

Note it is the preoccupation with money to the exclusion of the really important things in life that is the problem, not money itself. Money is essentially neutral. It is neither good nor bad. It is only the way that it is acquired and then used that determines whether it is helpful or hurtful.

[2] Not everyone deserves to be rich. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “And you shall remember the Lord you God, for it is He who gives you power [gift, ability, capacity] to obtain wealth [material blessings], that He may establish His covenant.” People become wealthy because they believe God’s Word, and as a result they decide to become wealthy.

People accumulate wealth because they truly believe that God has given them the ability and capacity to obtain it. And because they believe this completely, they act accordingly. They consistently take the necessary actions that turn their beliefs into realities. Faith without works is dead! You can always tell what your beliefs really are by looking at your actions!

[3] Pray to God and He will give you all the money you need. God is not a counterfeiter, He can not print up Pound notes is heaven and give them to you! You need to be doing something! Psalm 128:2 says, “For you shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands, and you shall be happy and it shall be well [prosperous] with you.”

God can provide supernaturally by releasing finances through the hands of other believers, however, He prefers to prosper you through your own efforts. This way it is directly a win / win situation. You get the benefits and He gets the glory!

[4] It is hard for God to use rich people. A know a story of a man worth more than $500 million dollars who went to one of his employee’s wedding ceremony. Most of the people present had been led to believe that poverty was a virtue and, by extension, financial success was somehow unclean or evil. But to their surprise, this man, who was the richest man they had ever met, was devoutly religious, a solid family man, very low-keyed, polite, courteous and charming. Guess who had to adjust their thinking?

Many of you are probably thinking, “What about Jesus and the rich young ruler in Matthew 19?” Well, if you were to read on, this is what you’d find.... “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Note, some of the main supporters of Jesus’ ministry here on earth were the wealthy women that followed him.

[5] Money can’t buy happiness. A recent scientific study proved without doubt that people who had over a million pounds in the bank were in fact much happier than those with less. Remember, Proverbs 10:22? “The Lord makes one rich and with it he adds no sorrow.” A reverse meaning simply states, “When the Lord makes you rich, He will also make you truly happy.”

[6] Poverty and lack is more spiritual. Poverty is a curse [just read Deuteronomy 28]! Jesus came that we might have life and life superabundantly. Abundant life is a life where God lavishes His blessings upon you. Psalm 36:8 says, “They feast on the superabundance of Your house, You give them drink from Your river of delights.”

Chris Demetriou, 16/09/2007