Prosperity is not only about wealth.
It is about living a successful life. It is holistic and encompasses every area of our undertakings and assignments (at work or at home).
Of course, it also includes wealth but not wealth so that we can spend it carelessly but wealth so that we can control it and make it a blessing to others.
Looking at the 101 verses on "prosper", it would appear that there are six (6) keys to walk in prosperity and they are:
1. Living in repentance
2. Meditating on God's word
3. Obeying God's word and serving God
4. Seeking God wholeheartedly and doing right
5. Share the Gospel
6. Giving to the work of the Lord
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1. Living in repentance
Daniel gave this advice to the king:
Daniel 4:27 "Therefore O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity"
To confess any unconfessed sins, to do righteously to others we have wronged, to be merciful to the poor - this is a step toward prosperity in our lives.
2. Meditating on God's word
It is much easier to obey God's word when we have been spending time meditating on God's word.
The importance of meditating on God's word (not just mere reading) is the key to spiritual prosperity.
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous then you will have good success"
Psalm 1:2-3 captures the essence of the above:
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper"
3. Obeying God's word and serving Him
David commanded Solomon to do this very thing in 1 Kings 2:3. David charged Solomon to keep the charge of the Lord, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes and commandments, judgments and testimonies so that "you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn".
Job 36:11 "If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their youth in pleasures"
Isaac obeyed God's word in not going down to Egypt but he dwelt in Gerar as commanded by the Lord.
In Genesis 26:12-13 "Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped the same year a hundredfold and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous"
4. Seeking the Lord wholeheartedly and doing right
Joseph, Asa, Uzziah are examples of this.
Joseph sought the Lord in the household of his master. In Gen 39:2-3 "The Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand"
Prosperity is of the Lord!
Asa prospered in his reign. 2 Chron 14:2 "Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord His God"
What he told his people confirmed his lifestyle of seeking God wholeheartedly and doing right:
2 Chron 14:7 "Therefore he said to Judah "Let us build those cities and make war around them, and the towers, gates and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought Him and He has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered"
In order to prosper in God, we need to be at REST IN GOD!
Uzziah in 2 Chron 26:4-5 "And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord...He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper"
5. Share the Gospel
Ecc 11:6 "In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening, do not withhold your hand. For you do not know which will prosper, either this or that or whatever both alike will be good"
6. Give
1 Cor 16:1-2 "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also. On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collection when I come"
Today during the Saturday watch, I received this from the Lord:
Isa 26:1 "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah, we have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bullwarks"
Isa 26:2 "Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in."
Isa 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You"
Some key truths:
1. A song will be sung
The "song" here refers to "shiyr" which means "a religious song" or "a song of the Levitical choirs".
In the morning watches, our prayer time is mostly sing and pray, sing and pray....so it seems that God was confirming to me that He was referring to the way we pray and "sing songs" during our prayer time.
2. The land of Judah
This land is where Jesus reigns as Lord and King. Our church is like the "land of Judah", a land where we have a God as our spiritual head and king.
3. A strong city
Our church is a "strong city" because of each one of us. Why is it strong? It is strong because of the prayer watches. It is strong because of praise and worship songs sung in spirit and in truth during the daily prayer watches. It is strong because of its strong doctrinal beliefs.
It is strong because of the word of God which is the foundation of those who dwell in it. We have to build the prayer watches and the word of God in our lives so that collectively as ONE BODY we make up a strong city.
4. Salvation will God appoint for walls and bullwarks
Salvation = "Yeshuwah" which means "salvation by God" or "deliverance" or "victory", "help", "health", "welfare", "saving", "save".
It is not man's appointment but God's appointment meaning that it is God who "appoint" salvation for us/our friends and family members. It is God who will work through us as we obediently go forth to share the Gospel.
God appoints by:
1. setting His mind to do it
2. putting and laying His hand on it
3. stationing Himself there to do it
4. taking His stand on doing it......
"Walls" refer to the walls that surround a town.
If our church is a city then we have walls surrounding the church.
All around us, God has written on our spiritual walls "salvation" for Ampang! This is our destiny to be the hope of salvation for our community!
"Bullwarks" are "cheyl" which means "ramparts, fortress or wall".
Also refers to "an army or host" or a "defence" or "fortification".
Salvation is written on the walls of our church. It is God who appoints it for our community through His church!
Checking further on the meaning of "city", I learn that "city" speaks of doctrinal things. A group of people in a community believing and practising shared doctrines.
The "wall" of the "city" refers to the truths of the faith that defends the doctrines that this group of people believed in.
A "wall" is a neutral thing. In the context of the Bible, it can be good and it can be bad but in this context it is good as it speaks of a church having as its doctrine the importance of evangelism and missions and the truth of faith that the mission of the church is to evangelize the lost.
What is the purpose for this?
So that our gates will be opened for a righteous nation to enter in. Those who believe in Jesus will become a righteous nation. Those who believe in Jesus will keep the truth of what Jesus has done for them on the Cross. Those who believe in Jesus will be obedient to Him!
Entering into the city, we will experience PERFECT PEACE. This is the message of Christmas - PEACE ON EARTH, GOODWILL TO MEN!
Whilst preparing this offering exhortation, I was excited to learn that it is indeed God's will for us to prosper.
What is prosperity? What is the difference between prosperity and materialism?
Prosperity - when we can control our wealth in that we know when to receive wealth and release wealth to others.
Materialism - when money controls us and we seem to never have enough.
I learn the following 4 principles about prosperity in one short verse in 3 John 1:2:
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers"
"Prosper" - "euodoo" in Greek means to grant a successful journey or to lead by direct and easy way. It also means to grant a successful issue.
I realize that I can pray for my office work to prosper so that I can resolve problems in a direct and easy way. Writing that report or looking for answers to difficult questions posed by my bosses will not be a problem if God were to prosper me in my work.
Principle 1 - God wants me to prosper.
Receive this new understanding of the word of God!
101 verses in the Bible cannot be wrong!
Principle 2 - It is ok to pray for others to prosper especially our loved ones.
This morning during the watches, I prayed for the India missions team to prosper. Received update shortly after that the car which broke down, got working again and went for another 130 km! I also prayed for all the Christmas events to prosper!
Principle 3 - Prosperity is not all about money.
Prosperity is HOLISTIC. It encompasses everything in life.
In the NKJV, it is "prosper in all things".
In the NIV, it is "...and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well"
In the NASB, it is "Beloved, I pray that in ALL RESPECTS you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers"
Principle 4 - Prosperity in all our undertakings/endeavors/ventures is anchored in the prosperity of the soul.
Prosperity in our soul is the foundation of prosperity in all areas of our life.
