Prosperity and Success for Spirit-Filled Believers by DAVID FRIEND for Charisma News
There are those who believe that the financial prosperity message is something that God does not support. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Word of God is filled with a plethora of Scriptures that promise financial blessings to those who are obedient to the Lord and follow His instructions to obtain wealth. In the book of James, the Lord promises that He wants us to prosper in all things and be in good health even as our soul prospers. Then in Deuteronomy 8:18a, the Word tells us, “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.” We see God’s promises of prosperity for his people throughout the Old and New Testaments.
However, there are those who teach an invalid message “of giving money will always get a significant return of money.” Sadly, there are individuals who have taught that if we give money to their ministry, we will receive back a large financial return. Although I do not agree with that type of teaching, it is true that whenever we give financially to the work of the Lord, we will be blessed in one way or another. We must never forget that the Bible does tell us that when we give to the work of the Lord, we will receive back His blessings pressed down, shaken together and running over.
In my weekly podcast, Quality Christian Living, on Charisma Podcast Network, I will be discussing prosperity, wealth and financial success for God’s people. Prosperity is defined as success and wealth. Yet prosperity has a greater definition than that. We may be blessed financially and be prosperous. Yet we can be prosperous and not always be blessed financially. My father was never financially prosperous. However, he prospered by leaving a great legacy of love, kindness, giving, support, forgiveness and understanding. Even though my dad never made a lot of money, he managed at the age of 62 to retire, pay off his house, travel often to Hawaii and bless his children and grandchildren with gifts at Christmas and birthdays. Therefore, it is possible to prosper without making a lot of money. This kind of prosperity blesses the lives of other individuals. In my podcasts I will be focusing on financial prosperity in your life. However, it’s important to demonstrate another definition of prosperity.
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As we discuss financial prosperity, it is vital to believe that our God desires to bless His people. Now I realize that some may be thinking, If that is true, then why do I lack in my need for a financial blessing? I am happy to answer that question. There are conditions to receive God’s financial blessing. The first is to be obedient to His Word. Obedience is the key to our success. Obedience is a promise (when put into action) that will unlock the blessings of God in our lives. The second condition to receive financial prosperity from the Lord is to set up a plan for our finances. God loves planning in the lives of His followers. The Bible tells us that a man plans his ways, and the Lord directs his steps. This plan could be in the form of a budget to prove our commitment to be a good steward of what our God is currently giving to us. We must be a good manager of what we have in order to be prepared to receive future financial blessings that our God wants to provide to us. The third condition is to understand that a financial blessing requires hard work. The book of Proverbs talks frequently about hard-working people and how they are blessed. One of my favorite Scriptures that explains this is Proverbs 21:5 (NLT): “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”
