Does God want His children to be prosperous? Absolutely! Put away the idea that the Christian life is a life of poverty. Look at the example of Abraham:
Genesis 13:2
2 Now Abram was very
rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.
Genesis 24:1
1 Now Abraham was
old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way.
Abraham was very rich, blessed in every way. Now look at what the New Testament promises:
Galatians 3:6-9
6
Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith (that’s us!) who are sons of Abraham.
8 The Scripture,
foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel
beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN
YOU."
9 So then those who
are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
Galatians 3:13-14
13 Christ redeemed us
from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written,
"CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE" --
14
in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the
Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, all Christians are heirs to the same blessings that Abraham received from God. This means that these same blessings are available to us. All we have to do is follow His laws of prosperity.
Psalms 112:1-3
1 Praise the LORD!
How blessed is the
man who fears the LORD,
Who greatly delights
in His commandments.
2 His descendants
will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the
upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and
riches are in his house,
And his righteousness
endures forever.
God wants us to have riches; He just doesn’t want riches to have us. This promised prosperity is not automatic just because we are Christians. We have to follow His laws of prosperity, which are outlined in His Word. Then we get this:
Psalms 84:11b
11 No good thing
does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Walking uprightly is not just talking about refraining from sin. Jesus clarified this principle for us:
Matthew 6:33
33 "But seek
first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to
you.
That is the first law of prosperity: Always keep God first.
How do you keep God first? How do you start out each day? Grumbling that you have to work, worrying about the problems you have ahead, screaming at the children, wishing you could just stay in bed all day?
Or do you start out the day with prayer time alone with God? Tell Him good morning, thanks for the day, and ask for any direction or help concerning your needs for the day.
Another example of keeping God first is to spend time in the study of His word every day. Do you place your family ahead of God? Is He more important than your friends? Is He more important than any possession you have? It’s easy to say He is, but how much of your time every day do you spend seeking Him? Do you spend more time learning His word, or watching television?
It’s all about putting your faith into action! When you put Him first, He can bless you with all the things He wants to give you, without those riches taking you away from Him.