God is a God of prosperity. He’s not some way-off distant God, nor is He a thing. He is not an idol sitting on a shelf or on a wall some place. He is an individual God and He call himself the Great I AM. The reason He calls himself that, is that He is everything that you require. The 16 Jehovah titles really bear up. He is a personal God, and we have a personal relationship with Him through Christ Jesus. For that reason, we need to understand who He is.
Is it God’s will for us to prosper? What is that prosperity? Does He want , as many people are today, teaching the church to live in poverty? Does He want the church to have just enough to get by without need for any more?
Let us examine what the Word of God has to say about it. Forget about what other people have to say about it. We are not interested in what we have to say about it either. We are interested in what the Word of God says about it. Whether it comes from me or some one else, if it does not line up with the Word of God – don’t accept it. You ought to be studying the Word on your own, and not relying on others to hold you up and support you. It’s your life. Your the one who is on the line here. So don’t buy everything you hear and don’t accept everything you see. Get into the word of God and find out for yourself. On the other hand receive the teaching that is Bible based and Word based. The Word of God will set you free, not mans teachings or thinking.
GOD’S WILL IS PROSPERITY
God’s will is prosperity! We make that statement boldly and without apology. Did you ever wonder why some preachers get up to speak and then say;
“Well, I’m sorry for having to do this but …” If they are sorry about it, why should they have to say it at all. We don’t make any apology, nor are we sorry for saying, God’s will is prosperity!
God’s will is for you to live a prosperous life, financially, physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. First and foremost – spiritually. If you are living a spiritually prosperous life, all else will come into prosperity.
CREATED IN GOD’S IMAGE
God created man in who’s image? In His image. We are created in Gods’ very image. Is God not prosperous? Think about it! Is there sickness, disease, blindness, deafness or lameness in heaven? Why then would God create man to be anything less! It’s simple reasoning, is it not! We are created in His image.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him: male and
female created he them. Genesis 1:27
What does that mean “His image”. We are to be an exact duplicate of what God is, and to reflect that image. Meaning that we are to walk, talk and act in the same manner. There is simply no poverty in heaven. As you read and study through this book, you will discover that there should not be poverty on earth for the children of God. The many people who live in it should not.
And God blessed them, and God said unto
them. Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing thatmoveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:28
The theory that, “Well, it was just Adam who was blessed”, just flew out the window. Some men like to project that theory. It does not say that. It says that God blessed them, It also says; He created them male and female and He created them and blessed them. The woman is blessed just as much as the man. I don’t like to burst some peoples’ bubble, but it’s the truth.
DOMINION
God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowls of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. That is a statement of prosperity! Have dominion over, rule over it! Everything! He didn’t leave anything out. If we are to have dominion over it, that means that nothing should have dominion over us.
Lack, poverty and debt are all spirits. If we subject ourselves to these spirits, we fall into those three categories. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the world is being controlled by the spirit of debt. Look around. Every country in the world is in debt – every one. More than half the nations of the world are in complete lack. They don’t have enough to feed themselves.
It is interesting to note that the world nations who give to the need when ever a need shows up, are the ones that always have to give to supply the need. Ever notice that? When ever there is a tremendous need, who do they call on? The Americans. Why? America is based on the Word of God. Their original history is based on the Word of God. They are a giving country. Therefore, as giving countries, they have the necessary and the wherewith all to give. Give and reap – give and reap – and the cycle continues. We are a blessed nation. We are a blessed people that the prosperity of God belongs to us and should be on us.
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house unto a land that I will shew thee. Genesis 12:1
Have you ever wondered why God asked Abram to move? Abram lived in an ungodly land of doubt, despair and poverty. God did not want Abram influenced by the enemy. Instead, God was going to lead him into a better lifestyle and to create a prosperous whole nation out of him.
Sometimes we have to get out from what we’re surrounded by so that we can hear from God. Sometimes we have to turn off things and turn off people so that we can hear from God and get away form their negativity.
“Well that will never work for you. That is just name it and claim it stuff. I tried that one time and it did not work for me. I prayed to God once that he’d help me out and five minutes later, I still had my bill and it was unpaid.”
The world is full of negative people. We need to get out from among them and get to some place that will put into you the Word of God and support you that way without the negativity.
FAMILIES OF THE EARTH
And I will make of thee a great nation,
and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth beblessed. Genesis 12:2,3
Who does not belong to the family of the earth? We are all from the earth – right! We were created out of the earth and are part of the families of the earth. Alone that one promise is ours.
People say, “Well, that is just for the Isrealites”.
The Israelites were not even around yet. This was just the beginning of them. Abram was the father of them. The scripture did not say just your nation, it said all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
POWER
For those that don’t know, the word BLESSED means POWER. Power in you, on you and around you. What power? God’s power that gives you ability to prosper. In order to tap into that power, you have to do two things.
People have said, “I thought I had to do a bunch of things, like get into the Word of God and study and study and study.”
You do! But that is not a whole bunch of things. It’s only one. You must believe the Word of God as the Word of God. You must be in the Word. The Word will not work for you if you ave not made it real to you. We have seen it and done it. You have done it time and time again.
“Well I heard brother so and so preach on this and I tried that.” As soon as you make that statement, “I tried it”, you are saying that it didn’t work for you. You either try it or you do it.
It takes two things to operate in God’s prosperity and you get it the same way you got saved.
1. Believe in the Word of God.
2. Confess with your mouth and you shall have it.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confessionis made unto salvation. Romans 10:9,10
One of the definitions of salvation is prosperity, and an important one. You shall be saved for with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. You have to believe it in your heart and get your mouth in line with the Word of God. All God’s promises are hinged on these two facts: faith and confession.
SPEAK TO THE MOUNTAIN
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mark 11: 22,23
HAVE FAITH IN GOD … HAVE FAITH IN GOD. Where faith is, there can be no fear. People are afraid to confess the Word of God. They are afraid to speak up and be heard.
“I don’t want to say that faith stuff, somebody might hear me saying it.” Yeah! The devil! When he hears the Word, he flees!
For verily I say unto you, that whosoever … you are the whosoever … shall say unto this mountain … the problem you face, the circumstance in your life regardless of what it might be, the situation that you’re facing today … SAY … you have to speak something. The scripture says that right here. It does not say, think about it or meditate on it. It says to speak to the mountain. be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart … the enemy works on the mind. If he can confuse your mind, maybe, then he can bring doubt into the heart. But if he can’t confuse it, and if you can keep your heart on the Word of God and you won’t doubt in your heart, what happens? … but thou shall believe that those things which YOU … thought. No! Those things which you have in your heart. No! Believe that those things which you … says shall come to pass he shall have whatsoever he says.
Remember the guy who said, “I tried that and it didn’t work for me”. He got what he said. Right! If you think about it, that has been the problem of most people. They have been speaking their problem and creating it with the words they say, instead of speaking the solution in the same way God created everything else. God created all by His Word. We are created in His image so we ought to speak the Word to get the desired answer. When nothing else seems to be working, speak the Word or shut up. When you do not speak the Word, you license the enemy to steal the ground that you have gained.
Therefore I say unto you, What things
soever you desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall havethem. Mark 11:24
We’ve gone from the mountain to the desire. These are Jesus’ own Words … and ye shall have them. No question! No doubt! It’s yours!
So the requirements of believing or receiving the prosperity of God are these two.
1.Believing the word.
2.Speaking the word.
God’s will is for us to have the things of God. People do not understand that. I don’t know why some people fight this so much – it is the Word of God. There is testimony upon testimony of people who have received from God in this way.
After this manner therefore pray ye; Our
Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9,10
“Oh, that’s just the Lords prayer.” Some say.
“Yeah, that’s the Lords prayer … for you.” He is teaching you how to pray. This statement always comes back to us.
“Well if it’s God’s will then he’ll do that. If it’s God’s will he will get us out of this poverty syndrome. It it’s God’s will he’ll heal me. If it’s God’s will etc …”
How do you figure out God’s will? How do you get a conception on the will of God? We just read it. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. If you can’t picture something in heaven, it should not be that way here on earth. If you think there is sickness in heaven, then you’ll continue in your sickness. If you think there is poverty in heaven, then you’ll continue in poverty. If you think starving and being put down and under is in heaven, that’s the way you’ll continue in life. You won’t get any better until you change your thinking. The attitude that the poverty syndrome is from God, smells. You slap God right in the face and insult Him when you say anything less. You need to change your thinking. God’s will is God’s Word.
CONFIDENCE
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything
according to his will, he heareth us: 1 John 5:14
The scripture reads that this is the confidence, not maybe, not second guess, but is the confidence that we have in Him that if we ask anything according to his will … How did we find out what his will is? By conceptualizing it. Ask yourself, “Is it in heaven?” If we ask anything according to his will he hears us. If we know that he hears us whatsoever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we desired of him. First off, we found out that if it is His will, secondly, we know that he heard us when we came boldly into the throne room of grace, we have those desires. It is just that simple. All we need to do is hang on to that promise until the answer comes. Don’t back off from it.
SOMEDAY NEVER COMES
Some pray and then say, “Yup, I know God heard me. I sure “hope” its going to take place someday.” Someday is today. I used to be fooled by that lie, and that lie stole from me about 10 years in the ministry. So I waited for someday. Someday never ever comes. It doesn’t. If today we say someday then tomorrow we say someday. That someday will not appear.
This is the day of our salvation. Today is the day. Christ said it is finished, it is complete. Therefore, it is done now, not some time in the sweet by and by. It is finished and done today. When you begin to put God’s Word forth, it works for you now.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of thins not seen.Hebrews ll:1
NOW FAITH IS … not today … now!
IT SHALL NOT RETURN UNTO
ME VOID
So shall my word be … Whose word? God’s Word … that goeth forth out of “my” mouth, it shall not return unto me void … It shall not return unto me void or emptied or unfulfilled … but shall accomplish that which I please and prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
How does God speak His Word? Through His people. How do the angels of God act on His Word? They’ve been all assigned ministering angels They’ve been sent forth to minister unto us. (Hebrews ) How do they do that? By action on the Word of God, fulfilling the Word of God. The only way they can do that is by you speaking the Word of God. You don’t order angels around, they won’t listen to your order. They listen to the Word of God. The Word of God is fulfilled by you speaking and it prospers whereunto it is sent.
Prosperity must be examined through the Word of God and you can’t balance that with anything less. Correct? You can’t say God’s will is prosperity if you haven’t established the fact that God’s will is prosperity from the Word of God. We live in that. We live in prosperity. How? Look at the blessings in Dueteronomy 28:1-15.And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:And it shall come to pass… it will happen, there is no doubt about it. … the LORD YOUR GOD will set you on high above all nations of the earth.
And all these blessings shall come on thee,
and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken untothe voice of the Lord thy God.
And all these blessing … the power to prosper … shall come upon you and overtake you if you hearken unto the voice of the Lord your God.
Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessing thalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of they cattle, the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep.
Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in,
and blessed thalt thou be when thou goest out.
… if you hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord your God.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness and all these thing shall be
added unto you. Matthew 6:33
The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smittten before thy face:they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
Some will rise up against you, others will say ” no thanks, I had that smitten stuff, I don’t need it anymore. I’ve had enough of it.” Satan has not figured that out yet. Christ defeated him, Colossians 2:15 says he was defeated. He hasn’t figured out yet that Christ has empowered you to continue to defeat him. I guess he likes to be smote. When he rises up against you, you have the Word of God.
The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine had unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.
And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.
It is interesting to see that people will fear you. What people? The people of the earth. When you start operating in the power of God, there are certain groups that will flock to you or run from you. Some of them do not want to deal with what is happening in their lives. Some of them don’t want to face the fact and the reality of the Word of God operating in their lives. They don’t want to receive that so they stay away speaking negative and badly. That does not change the fact that God’s Word works. If they are afraid, so be it. That’s their choice. Don’t compromise the Word of God for what people think or say.
And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of they body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto they fathers to give thee. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
Stay out of debt. It is a captive tool of the enemy to bring you down and to keep you under.
And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
When you borrow, you become the tail instead of the head. When the bank loans you money, you have to repay it. If you don’t, what happens? They call the repo man and he takes it away. So don’t borrow. Be the head and not the tail.
Thou shalt be above only and not beneath. You can come under heavy pressure by being beneath the weight of debt. Depression means to be put low, to be cast down and put under, to be pushed down. When you get into the borrowing syndrome, that’s what happens. You get pushed down and the weight comes very heavy. Look around the world today. People are losing their jobs by the thousands. If they had heard this they wouldn’t have to worry. They would be set free.
… If you hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God which I commanded thee this day to observe and to do them.
And thou shalt not go aside from any of the
words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after othergods to serve them.
Now, if you start at verse 15 and read all the way to verse 68, you will be reading the curses of what happens to people who do not listen to the Word of God. It is a bit depressing but one ought to read them. It becomes very simple. Make a choice. Decide today to either serve God or not serve God. If you decide to not serve God, understand that the curses will come upon you. That is not my opinion. It is the Word of God.
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not
hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God,
to observe to do all him commandments and his
statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, andovertake thee:
TO BE OR NOT TO BE
Job know prosperity. “He did? I thought he was the guy who lost everything.”
“Yeah, he’s the guy who lost everything and he’s also the guy who got it all back again.”
If they obey and serve him they shall spend their days in prosperity; and their years in pleasures. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. Job 36:11,12
What’s the opposite of not obeying and not serving? Disobedience and rebellion. So if they obey and serve Him they’ll spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasure.
If they obey not they shall perish by the sword and they shall die without knowledge. What knowledge? The knowledge of what it is to live in the prosperity and pleasure of God. A lot of people are dying who have never experienced that freedom. Believe me – it’s freedom.
It is good to study what words mean. Prosperity means:
- To be good and to have good things.
- To have beauty and be beautiful.
- To be cheerful.
- To be at ease.
A lot of people live in turmoil, who are not at ease; even the people who preach against prosperity. Their lives are in turmoil and are in total strife.
- To have good things.
- To be fair.
- To be in and have favor of God and of man.
- To be fine.
- To be gracious and to live graciously.
- To be joyful, kind and kindly.
- To be liked best.
If you are having problems with your job and you are not getting that promotion, or things are not happening the way they should, begin to confess God’s prosperity on your life and you will be liked best. You need favor to get a job. Begin to confess God’s prosperity on your life and that favor will come upon you. You will be chosen first and they will like you best. That’s what that word means – to be liked best.
- To be loving and merry. (Not to be loving and grouchy).
- To be pleasant and pleasing.
- To be precious.
- To be ready.
- To be sweet.
- To have wealth.
If that’s God’s will for me, I want to get into it. I want to be involved in it. God’s prosperity not only means to have the things of life and to be moving along fairly nicely, but it means that we are to be secure.
Psalm 30:1-12
1 A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.
1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. 3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. 7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. 8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. 9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? 10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. 11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
There is a key if you want to tap into God’s prosperity.
You can begin to exercise thanksgiving and praise in the midst of depression, in the midst of your circumstances, in the midst of your lack, for the answer to it.
Psalms 91 says that if you abide under the shadow of the almighty, I will say unto my God, He is my refuge and my fortress, means that I have my life secure in Him. If you look at the word prosperity, you an see what David is saying here.
PROSPERITY OF THE SOUL
Because this word, prosperity, means to be safe, secure, at ease, peaceable and tranquil, and to live in quietness; you have problems all around you, rushing in from all sides, then how can you have this kind of prosperity? This prosperity is of the soul. God is interested in your entire life.
God’s prosperity is for the whole man, not just certain areas of life. Some believe that mans prosperity is limited to only the spirit man. Others believe that the spirit and soul are to prosper. Most believe that God is not interested in your physical well being. They are wrong!. God is interested in your entire man spirit, soul and body.
David saw Jehovah in many different ways in just these twelve short verses. He saw God, in his prosperity as:
A Deliverer – Jehovah Nissi A Healer – Jehovah Rophka
A Preserver – Jehovah Shammah
A Holiness – Jehovah Medadishkem
A Comforter – Jehovah Shalom
A Provider – Jehovah Jireh
A Protector -Jehovah Saboath
A Helper – Jehovah Rohi
Remember what these mean. David saw God in all these things. His own personal God. God’s will was His prosperity upon David. David knew that God took pleasure in his prosperity.
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. Psalms 35:27
Are you shouting for joy in the midst of your problem? Are you even praying? There is evidence of having to say it and say it and say it … say continually let the Lord be magnified which has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. Let the Lord be magnified … say this continually. Repeat it and repeat it and repeat it. The Lord be magnified who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
What does God do when we do this? He begins to load us with his benefits. Psalms 68:19 says that blessed be the Lord who daily … daily, not once in a while when He gets around to it, not from time to time, … daily loads us with his benefits. Even the God of our salvation.
What David knew, he taught Solomon and Solomon began to realize that God’s will was prosperity. God’s will is prosperity.
TRUST IN THE LORD
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments; For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Psalms 3:1-4
If you are looking for work or any other situation you may be facing that you need man’s favor, begin to confess the Word of God … so shall you find favor and good understanding … not only in the sight of God but also in the sight of man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart not with just a little bit.
“I’ll try it today and tomorrow I’ll try something else. I’ll go see my physiologist or my psychiatrist and I’ll get this psychoanalyst and we’ll find out the way to go.”
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and forget the things of man. They do not work. The world is in a mess and man has messed it up, not God. We’re getting more and more psychologists and we’re getting worse and worse in life.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5,6
Lean not on the understanding of man and get all messed up. Lean onto God’s understanding … in all your ways acknowledge Him … all your ways … and He will direct your paths.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. Proverbs 3:7-12
Get into the Word of God and you will experience prosperity. It works.
Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Proverbs 3:16
In who’s hands? In the Word’s hands are length of days, health, wealth, happiness, riches, and honour. If you are seeking some other way or some other tool to get it, it will not work. Oh yes, you will have it for a season and then you will lose it.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. Ecclesiastes 7:14
It’s okay to have prosperity. It’s okay … be joyful. Your joy should be within self control, not showy, or flaunting. “Oh look at me. Look what I got. Look how wonderfully rich I am.”
That’s pride and you’ll fall quickly. Understand what God’s will is in prosperity. It’s for you to be a giver. To create an avenue so that God can work in your life for other people. Those people who pray to God to provide for their need, are praying in a very greedy way and God will not answer that because they are focusing only on themselves. We should not pray that way.
Yes, God is interested in your needs and He is interested in suppling your needs but he is interested in providing through you the needs of others as well. You need to have a larger picture than just your little old self.
In the day of prosperity be joyful and in the day of adversity consider … consider what? To stop and think. Be thoughtful and give some reflection to how to overcome and defeat the adversity that’s upon you.
“How am I going to get myself out of this mess.”
“Well how did you get yourself into the mess in the first place.”
The best way out is to get back into the Word of God and it will work for you.
FULL OF CARE
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing! Don’t be full of care and have the worries, frustrations and anxieties come upon you and enter into your heart and defeat you. Don’t allow that to happen. Understand that the words “careful for nothing” is not misplaced here. When you allow all that worry frustration, anxiety and mental anguish, and care to come upon you, you can not focus in on God. You can only focus in on the circumstances and the problem that is causing that anxiety.
It says … be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. We pray, our spirit to God. We have a request so we can have it be made known. The scripture does not say only spiritual requests. It says let YOUR REQUEST be made known unto God. Why? Let’s read on.
And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Do you know what peace means? The Greek work for peace means quietness, rest and prosperity. Look it up. Using that meaning you could read that scripture like this:
The quietness, rest, and prosperity of God, which passeth all understanding. Can you understand God’s prosperity? Can you understand God’s security, wealth and heaven? No, you can’t understand or comprehend the whole picture, but you do know its there.
So the prosperity of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Why will it keep it? Because you begin to trust in God not the prosperity of God. God will provide it so trust in Him. Where he gets it from is irrelevant.
The pulpit I use was built by a man I know. I received it with thanksgiving. I did not ask him, where did you get the material to build it. Nor question the his source of supplier of the product or how he put it together. Frankly, I could care less. The fact is he built it and now I have it.
It works the same when using the prosperity that comes from God. It’s totally irrelevant where God is going to get it. Fact is, it’s God’s and he is giving it to you. That is what keeps your heart and mind solid on the word of God.
IN THE MEAN TIME …THINK ON THESE THINGS
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
By mediating on the word of God, that prosperity will come, keeping your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
If you need prosperity, you can take this one scripture alone and say that this is the prosperity of God. I can trust in God. He’s going to keep me and look after me. My rest is in God and I’m kept. A father looks after his children. The children are kept by the father. God keeps us for Him and His worship.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Philippians 4:9
The God of what? The God of peace, quietness, rest, and prosperity shall be with you.
There are flakes that walk around and declare that prosperity is not for man; that God is not interested in prosperity. I am not a theologian nor am I a genius, but I am smart enough to get into the Word of God and study it to find out that the Word says about prosperity and that God is interested in us being prosperous. How can these flakes walk around and say:
“No. No. That stuff does not work any more. It never really did.”
The only reason they can say that is because it never worked for them. They were not willing to pay the price to stay in the Word of God and seeing them through that God will answer them. So they are flakes.
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Philippians 4:10
Paul switches from first dealing with the spirit man and the soul man to the physical realm. He is talking about the Philippians and the care of him. They are giving to him. From dealing spiritually and soulishly into giving. The Philippians were giving and they had opportunity, now they had a new opportunity to give.
Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11
Too often taught in the church today is to be content.
“Don’t worry brother. I know you are going through a tough time, but God is with you. You just be content. Stay there and try and be happy.” That is just a bunch of bunk!
Paul did not say he was going to stay in that state. He just said, that while I am in it, I will be content. Content with what? Content with the fact the God of peace, the God of prosperity, the God of my rest, the God of my quietness is with me. That is why I can be content. He will see me through. He will overcome this circumstance. I don’t have to get worried. I don’t have to take the care upon me. I am at rest in this. I can be content but I do not have to remain here.
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4:12
We have all heard a lot about this scripture. I am going to say only one thing abut it.
It say, he knew how. He is not saying, you know how, or you stay there. He is writing to you, to the Philippians, and the world. He is saying, I know how to be here. I have learned and I have been instructed by God to be full and to be hungry.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13
Isn’t it interesting to notice that while Paul is talking about the financial realm, writes that statement that we quote for everything else – but rarely over our finances. While he is writing about the financial realm, he is saying, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
When we face those financial situations in our life, we ought to be quoting the same thing. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Why say that? Because I have to pay this bill. I can do it through Christ who strengthens me. It’s simple black and white.
Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Philippians 4:14
Paul was in need and he called that need an affliction. So it’s not good to live in poverty. It’s an affliction.
Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. Philippians 4:15
When we get into giving, we are going to come back to this scripture, so you may as well get into it and meditate on it.
For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet small, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. Philippians 4: 16-18
He didn’t have to remain in that condition. Where he says that I know how to abase and to abound (verse 12), now says (verse 18) I have all abound and I am full. He is saying I know how to abase and I know how to abound, but abounding is better. Paul called the abasing an affliction and that abounding is better and he is full.
Having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.
That part of the scripture ought to answer questions that people have.
“Well, we give to this church, and to that church. We give to this man or that man.”
If you are giving right, you are not giving to man. You are giving to God and it is a sacrifice, an odor well pleasing unto God. Keep that in mind.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
Why did Paul say , my God shall supply. This scripture ties it all together. My God. My God of peace, of prosperity shall supply all your need ACCORDING … Don’t ever forget that word – according. It means when you get yourself in line with the Word of God, with the confessions and beliefs coming out of your mouth, then you are according to the Word of God. And He shall supply all your need according to his riches in Christ Jesus. They are met.
GOD HAS A PLAN
We have seen that the entire man is to prosper. Spiritually. Soulishly. Physically.
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Jeremiah 29:4 NIV
Did you know that God has a plan for you. God has a GOOD plan for you. Not a plan to live under the works of the enemy, or as Paul called it, a plan of affliction, but a plan of prosperity.
This scripture deals with the Israelites coming up out of Babylon to Isreal to rebuild the city. How does that relate to us? We also were once captive. We came out of Satan’s heavy bondage the same way the Israelites came out of the Babylonian heavy bondage. We need to relate it the same way as we read the scripture. What applied to them, is a promise of God. What applies to them applies to us today because we have come out of bondage and have been set free.
This is the Lord ALMIGHTY, the highest you can go. There isn’t anyone higher that God can go to. The Lord ALMIGHTY. What ever your need is, He is not going to go to someone else and say, “Well, it’s a new one to me. I don’t know where I’m going to get the answer to that from. I can’t answer that. God hasn’t got that!.” He is the ALMIGHTY, and the almighty means he can create it, and create it in your life.
“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have some and daughters; Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because of it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:5-7 NIV
Pray for what? Peace and prosperity. For if the city prospers so to will you prosper. You too will prosper. God has planted you.
Do you realize why your country is in the mess it is in now. Almost every person on the face of it degrades it and talks it down, and puts down its leaders. Words carry power. If people would grasp that and start lifting their leaders and praying for their leaders, we would have a different country. Churches fall for that same reason. The people begin to speak out against its leaders with words. The Word says here, that you pray for the prosperity of your city, your country and you too will prosper.
Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. Jeremiah 29:8 NIV
There are false people running around among you today. You have heard of the new age and every one seems to focus in on the New Age. Worried of what the New Age is doing. Forget about the New Age – look at what is taking place in the church. Do not’ believe everything you hear. Get into the Word of God and find out if it is fact. That’s what you set yourself on – the Word of God.
They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:9 NIV
… the prophets and diviners among you, are not outside you, they are among you. What do they do? They deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams they encourage you to have.
I remember this one guy who came to me. A big tall guy and he says.
“I have a word from the Lord for you.”
“Oh really!” I replied
He continued. “Well, I’m supposed to pray it over you.”
“No way!” I replied. “You tell me what it is first and then I’ll decide whether or not you can pray it over me or not.”
“Well God says that I should pray it over you.” He wined.”
“You tell me what it is. I want to hear it first.” I demanded.
Giving in he finally said, “Okay. We were at our meeting and the Lord said as we were praying for you, that you are supposed to get up earlier in the morning and spend time with God.”
“God said that eh!” I replied.
“Yes.”
“Is that a fact.”
“Yes.”
“Well let’s see here. I get up at 4:00 in the morning and spend from 4 o’clock to 6 o’clock in prayer and worship. I go to work from 6:30 to 7:00 and get my kitchen ready (I am a Chef) From 7 o’clock to 10 o’clock I’m in Bible school studying the Word. From 10 o’clock to 5 o’clock I work and run my kitchen. From 5 o’clock to 9 o’clock I go back and study the Word. Tell me, how much earlier in the morning do YOU want me to get up.”
The guy looked around and then walked away.
Don’t encourage people to have words for you. You seek God to have your own word and he will give it to you. When someone has a Word for you and they give it to you, it should confirm what you already know. Don’t go around asking;,
“Oh brother so-and-so, do you have a Word for me. You must have a Word for me. Has God given you a Word for me?”
What that says is that you are a lazy Christian and you are going to be lead down the garden path. You are setting yourself up for tremendous hurt and a tremendous fall. Stay in the Word of God. Find out for yourself. Do not rely on other people. When they do come and they give you a Word, if it is of God, it will confirm what you already know. Nothing less.
They are prophesying lies to you in my name. There is the answer. I have not sent them declares the Lord. Watch out for people and their dreams.
This is what the Lord says when the 70 years are completed for Babylon:
This is what the Lord says; “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. Jeremiah 29:10 NIV
Isn’t that great. God has a plan to give you hope.
But there is much more than just hope.
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. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
God greatest desire is that you propser, He has created a special plan to bring prosperty in your life. It’s a good plan for it provides you with hope and a solid future.
Take hold of it and never let it go, God’s paln for you will always be a good one.
