Bring Pleasure to the Heart of God
Jesus asked, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” — Matthew 7:11
Those of us who are parents are always trying to help our children and bless them. If we, falling so far below God’s goodness, do this for our children, how much more does our Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him? As children of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we have been given the blessings of the Lord.
According to Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” As believers, we become enriched in our souls when we know the Lord. The word rich here has only one meaning, and that is for financial prosperity. It is a word that describes wealth, money, income. We could quote Proverbs 10:22 this way: “The blessing of the Lord, it makes financial prosperity.” There is a prosperity that can come from the world. But the world’s system is vicious, and the prosperity it offers brings sorrow with it. You are a child of God. Your Heavenly Father longs to pour out on you, as His child, blessings that have no sorrow with them.
When you receive a bill in the mail, your first question should not be, “How am I going to pay it?” Your first question should be “I wonder how my Heavenly Father is going to bring it to me this time?”
Sometimes people ask, “If it’s God’s will for every believer to prosper, then why are so many dear Christian brothers and sisters still experiencing poverty and lack?” Because their souls have not been trained in this truth. Their understanding of the Scriptures have not been renewed to include all of the promises of God.
In 3 John 2, God’s Word clearly promises financial prosperity as a blessing from God for every believer: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” You will prosper in proportion to the prosperity of your soul—and that comes in accordance with your understanding of the Word and your obedience to that Word. God’s Word says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
Knowledge of the will of God is essential for you to have faith in your prayers. One
man of God said, “Faith can never rise above the known will of God.” You can’t believe for something when you don’t know if it’s God’s will for you to receive it. It’s not just having a covenant with God; it’s being a doer of the Word that releases these blessings. But if you don’t know the Word, how can you be a doer of the Word? You will only prosper in proportion to the prosperity of your soul.
When you know it’s God’s will for you to be saved, you have faith to be saved. When you know it’s God’s will for you to be healed, you can have faith to be healed. Prosperity is just like any promise, any blessing or any other provision of your redemption in God through Christ Jesus.