It is sad that the topic of prosperity is negatively debated in many Christian circles. Money has been stamped the ‘root of all evil’ and God’s blessings have been redefined to just shelter from evil, good health, joy and happiness. Well, God needs you to have money and enjoy life to the fullest.

Religion has waged war against Christians who seek money and has constantly told them to seek only the kingdom and all things will be added unto them. This has made them not know their worth. They have settled for less and heathens have taken advantage of them in the name of religion.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – Matthew 6:33

But the kingdom of God is not poor. God owns cattle in a thousand hills. He owns all the wealth in the world so no one should demonize money. It is owned by Him. The devil has for long ensured that the child of God is misinformed about the will of His Father so that he gains authority and controls his wealth.

A Little History…

Everything including wealth was created by God.

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. – Colossians 1:16

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. – 1 Corinthians 10:26

And man was given dominion over all these things by God.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 1:28

The devil was once God’s creation but he fell which means he cannot own anything from God. He owns nothing and cannot bless. He is crafty and he uses his craftiness to deceive man. Everything he gives is given with conditions. He is unlike God who gives freely and without a painful toil.

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. – Proverbs 10:22

Why did the devil then tempt Jesus affirming to Him that he will give Him all that is in the world should He bow unto him? Where did the devil get that wealth from?

The answer is simple – You gave it to him. Man handed over dominion to the devil. God did not give dominion to the devil.

When the devil was tempting Jesus, he asked him, ‘Turn these stones into bread.’ Consider the keyword ‘these‘. The stones were not coming from anyone but the devil. He never asked Him to turn the stones near Him nor any other stones in nature but he said ‘these stones’.

Jesus had the power to turn any stone into bread but He couldn’t turn the devil’s stones into bread. Why? Because they were simply the devil’s stones. Things from the devil come with deceit. He knows when to pull the string. If Jesus turned his stones to bread, the devil would have known when to change the bread to his own liking.

Anything that comes from the devil has a painful toil. Jobs from the devil are frustrating. Lifestyle from the devil is painful and full of sorrow. But why would one choose such a life? Because it looks glorious and pleasing to the eyes. Most men love shortcuts.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. – Matthew 7:13-14

Things from the devil look amazing and glorious no wonder the Bible tells us to test spirits.

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. – 2nd Corinthians 11:14

Religion is something that looks as if it is from God but it is a tool that the devil uses to lure men to his control. Religion preaches to its congregation against physical wealth but would invite wealthy people to their aid. Ironical right?

Prosperity Gospel?

According to Wikipedia, Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, the gospel of success, or seed faith) is a religious belief among some Protestant Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one’s material wealth.

It goes on to say, ‘Prosperity theology has been criticized by leaders from various Christian denominations, including within the Pentecostal and charismatic movements, who maintain that it is irresponsible, promotes idolatry, and is contrary to the scripture. Secular as well as some Christian observers have also criticized prosperity theology as exploitative of the poor. The practices of some preachers have attracted scandal and some have been charged with financial fraud.’

So, how exactly does the Lord Bless?

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. – Proverbs 3:9-10

The Israelites after wandering in the wilderness received so much blessing in form of wealth

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. Deuteronomy 28:3-6 ESV

And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant – Deutronomy 6:10-11

The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. – Deuteronomy 28:8-12 ESV

The Bible says that people will be afraid of YOU! You will be blessed as you get into your house and as you shut your door attending to your errands. God says that you shall lend to the nations and you shall not borrow.

But how do you get? You get by giving.

The devil expects you to give him something in return for whatever he will give you. It is so sad that we believe more in the operations of the devil than our Creator’s.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. – Luke 6:38

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. – 2 Corinthians 9:11

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” – Malachi 3:10

God tells man that He should test Him in his giving because He is so sure He rewards and does not go back in His word. But why do most men give and nothing comes back? When we give to God, we should not give pocket change and expect a good measure.

We should give from the heart. Not because God needs our money but because He is moved by our submissive hearts. Jesus was moved by the old woman who gave only two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:7

But one has given cheerfully and has sown generously and they are not yielding what might be the problem? Well, the law of giving is that you partake the grace which you give into. When one gives, they become one with that thing.

When you give to a doctrine that believes that God doesn’t reward, that the money you give is evil and encourages idolatry then you partake in that belief. Nothing will come to you since your giving is not recognized by God. This is because the altar your give to doesn’t acknowledge God.

This explains why so many children of God are bitter, poor, struggling and with unending loans yet the Scriptures say that they shall be lenders to nations; not one nation but many nations. If the Church they give to is surviving on loans why shouldn’t they partake of that altar?

Religion would teach its own congregation to flee from prosperity gospel but would expect them to give in order to run its activities. If prosperity Gospel simply means that God rewards me when I give to Him then why should I not soak in it. If prosperity theology teaches me that God rewards my giving then why not preach it at the peak of mountains?

Note: My understanding of prosperity gospel is as I have stated above – ‘belief that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one’s material wealth.’

Conclusion

God wants you to be rich. God wants you to live in million-dollar houses and expensive cars. God wants to reward you as His child. The devil will come up with all sorts of doctrine that money corrupts and you need to be poor so that you can be humble. His evil people are so rich and arrogant. Please do note that God does not teach you humility in suffering.

As a stinking rich father, you wouldn’t starve your children for days to teach them responsibility. It is time that children of God stopped living in the flesh but in the Spirit who reveals all things to them. The Spirit who opens their eyes so that they can see the will of God in their lives.

You are a holy nation, you are set apart. You are rich, you are wealthy. You were given dominion from the onset of creation. All these things are yours. It is time the remnants of God rise up and take the wealth of the heathens.