Have you foolishly rejected God's prosperity?

Does God Want Us To Prosper?

As an entrepreneur, I want to succeed and prosper. I want to profit in every area of my life. To me, this is the Best Life. 

And no one has to remind me that life is not easy, that we will face giants on our journey. Yup, I am aware.  

Nevertheless, for anyone partnered and powered by God, biblical prosperity is available to you, right now.

If you are looking for an opinion on what God says about prosperity, you can find one that will match whatever it is you want to believe.

Christians tend to throw around the word prosperity like we do progressive left, liberal, or conservative to place people at odds with our beliefs into camps. We don’t like differences or disagreements.

Having said all that, prosperity, for whatever reason, has become a bad word to many Christians.

The problem is instead of defining what it actually means, we foolishly decide we just don’t like it. 

And we certainly don’t like the prosperity preachers. That’s a label we attach to those with whom we vehemently disagree and assign to the heretic camp, just like we do when we label someone progressive left, conservative, republican, Trump follower, democrat, socialist, or worse, a no-good communist. Those who are banished to one of these camps are there for good.

Fact is, we use our words to judge, slander, and condemn those we disagree with, much of the time without a lot of thought. As a result, sadly, many have stopped asking God to prosper them, even though He makes it clear that He desires to prosper us. And whether or not we receive or reject His prosperity here on earth, when we get to heaven, even the stubborn will be prosperous. After all, it is God’s will, so who are you to challenge God?

What Biblical Prosperity Is Not

Before we get too far, let’s address what Biblical prosperity is NOT:

• Prosperity is not a life without trouble.
• Prosperity is not a get-rich-quick scheme.
• Prosperity is not tricking God into giving you more.
• Prosperity isn’t something God will grant you when your heart isn’t right.
• Prosperity isn’t something God will grant you if you are walking outside of His will.
• Prosperity isn’t a luxury lifestyle.
• Prosperity isn’t being rich as the world defines rich.

It’s important to know that the words prosper, prosperity, and prosperous are in the Bible more than 80 times. If you search for the word prosper at www.biblegateway.com, you will get a list of each instance. Read these scriptures and you will have a hard time believing that God doesn’t want you to prosper. To prosper is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Webster’s definition: the condition of being successful or thriving; especially: economic well-being.

Hebrew definition 6743: tranquility; security, ease, peace, wealth, to have good success.

Greek definition 2137: to help on the road; succeed in reaching, to succeed in business affairs.

Prosper is a biblical word. So as you read the Bible, you’ll get the impression that God wants you to be prosperous. Our approach on any topic should be to see what the Bible says. We should do our homework and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. If you lived when Jesus walked the earth and you had a question about anything spiritual, whom would you ask, Jesus or His disciples? You would go to the source, right? You would ask Jesus Himself. Well, guess what? Nothing has changed.

“Well, Gerald, Jesus is no longer walking around on earth, so when I have a question, I just get my answer online or ask my religious friend.” Both will give you their opinions, right or wrong. But if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you have the Holy Spirit living inside you. Ask Him.

So why are so many Christians against biblical prosperity? And even more important, what are you telling God when you reject His prosperity? Satan works hard to redefine what God has created into lies and deceptions. Satan has redefined the meaning of many biblical words, like The Blessing.  The Blessing of Adam, Noah, Abraham was a huge deal to these characters in the Bible. Today, it has been reduced to a nicety after a sneeze, and prosperity has been reduced to a get-rich-quick theology.

God not only wants to be our source for every kind of provision, but He also wants to abundantly provide for us. Once we know and accept this, we can confidently approach God and ask Him to bless us and bring us into His prosperity. What does the Bible have to say about prosperity?

3 John 2 (AMP) – Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually].

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Deuteronomy 5:33 (NIV) – Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

Deuteronomy 28:11 (NIV) – The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.

Psalm 1:3 (NIV) – That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Psalm 128:2 (NIV) – You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Proverbs 8:18 (NIV) – With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.

Proverbs 11:25 (NIV) – A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Proverbs 16:20 (NIV) – Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

Philippians 4:12 (AMP) – I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need.

As you read through the chapters that contain these scriptures on prosperity, you will find that God promises to reward us for obedience.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) – And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

So, the reason so many Christians are against prosperity when there are so many scriptures that clearly promise it is simple: Satan’s lies.

At some point, these people have asked God to do something for them – get them a new job or more money, heal them of an illness, lead them into new relationships, or show them what their purpose is -- and when God didn’t do what they wanted, when they wanted, they gave up and lowered their expectation of what God will do for them.

They felt burned. Oh, they’ll admit to you that God can do anything because after all, He’s sovereign. But it doesn’t take a lot of faith to believe God might do something for you.

It takes great faith, patience, and perseverance, on the other hand, to believe that God will make good on His Word, especially when after much time, He hasn’t delivered on your prayers. Inevitably, they join a camp of believers who might believe in God; they just don’t believe Him or His Word. These are low-faith individuals, many times low-faith intellectuals, who are especially bothered by anyone who has high-faith expectations, or faith expectations higher than theirs.

Sadly, they live beneath their privilege. They can’t handle any big assignments from God. Low-faith individuals aim about one inch from their present circumstances and net low results. They don’t believe the 6,000-plus promises in the Bible are for them. They’ve rationalized God’s promises and powered them down to the peanut size of their faith.

Many are intellectuals produced out of religious seminary institutions, with information but no revelation knowledge. They recite and interpret the Word of God through the lens of their favorite Christian scholars more than the truth of the Holy Spirit. They are spirit deaf. They would rather err on the side of not enough faith than too much. For these folks, some things are possible, just not anything. They believe in God, but they don’t believe Jesus when He said:

Mark 9:23 (KJV) – Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

The low-faith individual will reduce this scripture to a flesh-minded philosophy that lacks the power to accomplish its purpose and promise, instead of a faith-producing inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 2:8 (NIV) – See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Isaiah 55:11 (NIV) – So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Great News

Anyone experiencing some sort of lack in their life – lack of finances, lack of health, lack of relationship, or lack of purpose, and they begin to read the Bible – IT’S GOOD NEWS.

In fact, IT’S GREAT NEWS!

When they start reading through the 6,000 or so promises, their hope is renewed. The Bible doesn’t have geographic boundaries. There is no place on the planet where God’s Word doesn’t work. If you live in a poverty area, and you are poor, and you are raised by poor people, and you have poor neighbors, and you lack education or a job, here’s the good news.

You don’t have to wait until the right political party gets into office; you don’t have to wait until racial discrimination ends, and you don’t have to wait until you get to Heaven.

It’s God’s desire that you prosper right here on earth. It is His will. And if you’ll believe Him and follow Him, you can be prosperous. God has a plan and purpose for your life, a plan to prosper you!

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

No circumstance, no situation, no nothing can stop you from fulfilling God’s plan and purpose for your life. God is on your side. If you are part of His family, a Christian, He has forgiven you of ALL sin, past, present, and future. If you are sinning right now, just repent and move forward toward His wonderful prosperity.

People who reject God’s prosperity spread this lack-of-hope to other people who really need God to help them. It’s a shame. It’s vain. It’s pride. It’s a lack of knowledge. It’s Satan’s grand deception. Don’t partner with Satan’s lies.

Throughout scripture, we read that nothing is impossible if we would only believe. We need to have faith and believe in His promises for us.

Fear Not. Believe Only. Everything Is Possible.

Provision Vs Prosperity

What is the difference between God’s provision and God’s prosperity? Provision is God’s covenant to take care of us, to provide for us. Think of it as a parent’s role to provide for his or her children. Good parents put food on the table, clothe their children, and provide shelter.

This is God’s promise to provide.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) – And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

But prosperity is God’s covenant promise to reward us for obedience. His plan to prosper us is the result of believing and doing as the bible instructs. As an example, the phrase fear not appears in the Bible around 170 times. Even the slowest learner might conclude that God is trying to tell us something here. The word faith appears in the Bible around 336 times.

The Bible says God grants prosperity to those who fear not and have faith.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) – And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Mark 9:23 (NIV) – “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Matthew 21:21 (NIV) – Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and it will be done.”

Luke 8:50 (NIV) – Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

Mark 5:36 (NIV) – Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Think about these scriptures. First, you can’t please God without faith. Everything is possible for those who believe.

• If everything were possible, what would you stop being afraid to do?
• What would you stop failing to do?
• If everything were possible, what would you go after?
• How big would your dreams be?
• Would they be as big as our God?
• How high would you aim if you could fear not, have faith, and believe only?

God rewards those who believe Him, those who exercise their faith. Fear tolerated is faith contaminated.

The High-Faith Believer

I am a believer in God’s prosperity, not man’s religion of social justice. I don’t look to man for my prosperity; I look to God. If man is unfair, it’s doesn’t reduce the power of God’s promises for me. For prosperity.

Think of the prosperity-minded believer as a faith warrior who aims his or her faith high, based on the power of God’s promises, regardless of and oblivious to the perceived impossibility of his or her present circumstances.

Faith warriors have a genuine desire to be richly blessed so they can be a blessing to others.

These folks see someone in need and cry out “Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord who provides, Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals, bless me, Father, so I can be a blessing to those in need. Make me prosperous, Lord, so I can bring glory to Your Name,” as if it was their own personal need.

They are generous with their time and money. They look at every need as an opportunity to bring glory to God. They would give you the shirts off their backs. Some have modest incomes and some are rich. But either way, their expectation is matched by their faith.

Their future is not determined by their present circumstances; it is determined by God’s plan and purpose for their lives, no matter how impossible it may seem. These prosperity-minded individuals should be you and me. People who aim high. People empowered by God Himself to do all He has called us to do.

Unfortunately, too many of us fall into the low-faith camp of the poverty-minded Christian. These folks tend to desire only enough for themselves. Both low- and high-income people fall into this trap, most often unintentionally. They are unsure of God’s intention to bless us ALL, especially financially.

They’re not sure how to please God, and as a result, they don’t have the faith to believe God’s promises. They’ve never thought to ask God to bless them so they can bless others. Instead, they shrug their shoulders in helplessness and hopelessness over other people’s sorry situations. They focus on their problems, not on other people’s problems. They don’t realize God often works through ordinary people like you and me to meet the needs of others. They appear humble, but their prayer life reveals a selfish heart. A stubborn heart. A prideful heart. To them, what’s possible is determined by their present circumstances, not by the power of faith in God’s Word.

While they believe in social justice, God’s power is unfortunately rendered powerless until mankind changes or the right political power can get into office and force justice upon us.

They are blind to the fact that God’s kingdom power is in EVERY believer right now. Satan is thrilled. These folks won’t do much for the Kingdom unless all the circumstances are just right. And if they hit any obstacles along the way, they’re done. Finished. They try, but can’t do, because they don’t believe.

Prosperity is God’s choice for you. Make it yours today.

- Gerald

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