Prosperity in Perspective

Is it God’s will to prosper His children? That is the raging debate in the Body of Christ today. This war over prosperity has caused great confusion and conflict. However, prosperity takes on a whole new understanding when you uncover God’s divine purpose for your life.

Yes, it is God’s will to prosper you and meet your needs. As we read in Exodus 12:35-36: “Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”

 But the ultimate purpose for prosperity is not just to meet your needs. It is also for God to use you to meet the needs of others!

This understanding of the purpose and reason for prosperity is at the very core of God’s provision in our life. The father of faith, Abraham, was birthed in this understanding of God’s blessing. “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2)

The Lord told him that he would “bless” and then “make him a blessing.” God will bless you if you have a vision to be a blessing. This is the center of the purpose for prosperity. God’s great end-time revival will be financed by believers who become channels of God’s resources into the Kingdom of God. As we see exhibited in Joshua 6:24, God is looking for believers who will do as the Israelites did. When they had defeated Jericho, they didn’t keep the spoils for themselves. Instead, they took the “the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron” and put them “into the treasury of the house of the Lord.” As you develop a vision for building the Kingdom of God, you then become a candidate for God’s provision to flow through.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 that we should “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things” would be added to us. A KINGDOM VISION PRODUCES KINGDOM PROVISION. The world seeks to get wealth and then horde it. God’s people seek God’s provision and prosperity to help others and build the Kingdom of God.

THE POWER TO GET WEALTH

Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us: “‘And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.’”

The Lord spoke to me concerning this next move of God. He told me that we would not lack the resources necessary to accomplish His will. God will finance this next revival by giving His people “the power to get wealth.” When you lose the purpose for prosperity, you lose the source of prosperity. As you build the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God will build you. Learn to give, and you’ll have to give!

The greatest blessing of giving in God’s Kingdom is that, first of all, giving conquers greed in our life. Secondly, giving is also God’s pathway to receiving. The way you give is the way you’ll live. When you’ve learned to give, you’ve learned to live! 

According to Galatians 6:6-10, we should not “be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

We read in 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 that “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

If you aren’t a tither, then you are a God-robber. And God-robbers are under the curse. If you tithe but don’t give offerings, then you are literally strangling the ability of God to bring abundance into your life. Tithing opens the windows of heaven, but offerings determine the size of blessing that will come to us. “‘Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, “In what way have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:8-12)

When people have trouble giving and tithing, it is not a money problem. It is a heart problem! Your giving determines the true feelings of your heart. Because we have “freely received,” we are “freely to give.” The greatest joy in life is to be a giver. God is a giver. He has given us His very best. His children, let us never miss a chance to give.

If we never miss an opportunity to give, in the abundant provision of God we will live!