Many believers have trouble believing—really believing—they’ll ever be financially prosperous. They look at their mountain of bills, their dead-end jobs and the faltering economy, and they just can’t see how God could prosper them. When money problems come—and they come to many people—there are only two responses—the world’s way or God’s way. Sometimes you may even need to get past what your parents taught you about money, whether by words or example. No matter what your challenges are, there’s only one way out of the money troubles you’re facing—God’s way.
God’s Will Is Prosperity
Let’s get one thing settled right here—God’s plan is to prosper you. Sure, your bank account may disagree right now, but it’s still true. So, when you have money problems, what should you do?
First, we must remember that the Bible reminds us that we will face trials here on Earth, but that He has overcome the world. How do you tap into that? Here are six biblical ways to tackle money problems:
Ask God
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” –Matthew 6:8, AMPC
Start with the basics. If you see a need in your life, talk to God about it. Ask Him for what you need. Make sure, though, that you ask in faith, with full confidence that God will provide. To ask in faith is to leave worry out of the equation, trusting that His Word is true (Matthew 6:25-34).
So many times, we sabotage ourselves by asking for things without fully believing that they are ours the moment we ask. Mark 11:24 clearly states, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
Sow Generously
“Give, and you will receive…. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” –Luke 6:38
When you have a need—God says seed! When we go to God with a need, He immediately begins talking to us about something we can sow, or that we have sown, that will meet that need. Oftentimes, however, that’s the last thing we want to hear.
For example, there was a young rich man who ran up to Jesus and asked, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17, KJV).
“Go…sell whatsoever thou hast,” Jesus told him, “and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (verse 21, KJV).
With that, the man got up from his knees and walked away downcast. Verse 22 tells us why. “For he was holding great possessions” (AMPC).
In his natural way of thinking, he thought Jesus meant he was just supposed to give away everything he had. But that wasn’t the case at all. Jesus was simply trying to help him change from the world’s way of doing things to God’s way, by sowing a seed.
When financial trouble comes, the first move many believers make is to stop tithing. That’s a big mistake! The tithe is our first and best seed. We tithe as an act of worship to God, showing our gratitude for His provision in every area of our lives. That is what Abram was doing in the first example we find of tithing in the Bible (Genesis 14:20).
That is exactly what we do today. We tithe because we love God and are grateful for His provision. And according to the Word, the more we honour God, the more He empowers us to prosper (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
God’s plan is not only to meet our needs but for us to have plenty left over to sow to every good work. If you’re struggling in your finances, check your giving. It can be tempting to pull back, but that’s the devil trying to instill fear in you to prevent you from receiving your harvest.
Watch Kenneth Copeland and Jesse Duplantis share how tithing puts you on the increase
Resist Discouragement
“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9
Are you in a place, financially, that seems so low it seems there is no possible way out? You may even be fighting the battle against falling into discouragement.
To properly fight discouragement, it’s important to first pinpoint where it comes from—fear and unbelief. It comes when you listen to the devil’s lies about what God is not going to do for you.
Courage comes from believing what God says regardless of what the circumstances look like. Courage comes from faith!
As the people of God, we have to stop looking at our own abilities, failures and limitations and start looking to God. We must rise up in the Name of Jesus and the power of His Spirit and establish the kingdom of heaven upon earth.
If you’ve been discouraged lately, refuse to listen to Satan’s lies. Instead, start talking back. Whenever someone tells you God is not going to deliver you, you just tell them, “He’s already delivered me in the Name of Jesus.” Whatever the evil report, answer back with the Word of God that matches your situation.
Remember, God didn’t suggest that you be strong and courageous. That is His command!
Saturate Yourself in the Word
“For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.” –Matthew 12:34
If you’re facing financial difficulty and you can’t seem to stop speaking negatively about the situation, there is only one solution—time in the Word. The more of God’s Word that you put into your heart and mind, the easier it will be to access the truth in your heart when you’re speaking about your situation.
Words have power. They can hurt and they can bless. Our words have supernatural power—power that changes circumstances and shapes destinies.
Words reveal what we truly believe. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34, 37, NKJV). That is why it is so important to say what God has said. When you do, your mind will begin to believe and agree with God’s Word instead of agreeing with the symptoms in your body, situations in your life and what you hear from others around you.
Increase Your Intake
“Meditate on it day and night…. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”—Joshua 1:8, NIV
What do you do if your situation still doesn’t improve? You increase your Word consumption. In Proverbs 4:20-21, we’re reminded, “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart.”
If you’ve ever planted a garden, you know that a heat wave can cause considerable damage to the crop. The scorching sun saps the moisture all the way down to the roots and plants droop to the ground. To revive them back to a state of life, they need more than a sprinkling of water—they need to be saturated—lots of water for a long period of time. This allows the nourishing, refreshing, life-giving water to get back down to the roots.
If your situation has been dragging on, you may feel your faith drooping to the ground. You need more than a sprinkling of the Word—you need to be saturated!
Read your Bible morning and night, listen to worship as you drive, speak confessions as you work, tune in to the VICTORY™ network each day. Whatever you do—stay in the Word!
Stand for Victory
“After you have done everything…stand.” –Ephesians 6:13, NIV
To stand is a state of being firmly planted in one place. It does not involve movement or shakiness. That may not seem courageous on its own, but what if the circumstances were that of a battle? When most people would think of running, standing still and firmly in one place would seem very courageous!
When we’re in a battle, even in our finances, we are called to stand firmly on the Word of God without turning to the right or to the left. We are called to take up the shield of faith in the midst of a full-on assault.
First John 5:4 tells us “we achieve…victory through our faith.” Victory will come. You may not see the manifestation immediately, but that does not mean that God’s Word isn’t true or that it isn’t meant for you—because it is.
When you continue to repeat the first five steps we’ve talked about again and again without doubting, without wavering, without questioning—that’s what it means to STAND.
You can tackle money problems. The victory has already been won on your behalf. Money is not meant to be a burden, but a blessing! It’s time to take a stand for what God has in store for you and resist the enemy with everything in you. He will flee, and you will overcome.
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