Lesson 1. Right Thinking. Foundational Biblical Principles of Financial Well-Being. Everyone who applies these principles will have financial provision for themselves and for ministering to others. This school was compiled by Dmitriy Leo, senior pastor of Father’s Blessing Church.
Lesson 1. Right Thinking
Many people misunderstand the meaning of the word “prosperity.” Opponents of the love of money speak out against prosperity, for some reason confusing prosperity with the love of money. Prosperity and the love of money are not the same thing. According to biblical principles, Christians should prosper.
3 John 1:2: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
There is nothing wrong with prosperity. It is evidence of God’s favor toward a person. Can Joseph be called a prosperous man? Certainly. When did Joseph prosper—in his father’s house, with Potiphar, in prison, or when he became prime minister of Egypt? Joseph prospered at all times. Why?
Genesis 39:2: The Lord was with Joseph…
Is it bad or good when God is with you? Prosperity is not connected with money, time, or place. Prosperity is connected with God, and God’s people are often accompanied by miracles.
Once, an uncle came to visit a minister, and they went to a store to buy some things. The uncle kept 80,000 rubles in his passport. Placing his hand on the passport, the minister said, “Let the money multiply!”—and went off to shop. When he returned, his uncle was sitting there with his eyes wide open. “Why did you play such a trick on an old man? Why did you put money in my passport?” the questions poured out. “What money?” the minister asked in surprise. His uncle handed him the open passport. Amazed, he counted the new, crisp 50,000-ruble bills and found 430,000 rubles instead of 80,000. “God multiplied it!” the man of God simply replied. God went ahead and created 350,000 rubles!
And do not say that this is bad! It is bad when people are experiencing ruin in their families, health, finances, and ministry, yet criticize those who are prospering in these areas. In this way, they judge themselves.
Many people ask: “But I’m not Joseph! How can I prosper?” God said in His Word that if you obey His commands, He will bless you and make you successful. This is not a deal with God; it is your agreement with His offer.
Perhaps you will ask: “What exactly must I do to prosper?” The answer is found in the Bible.
1. Pray for prosperity
3 John 1:2: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Following John’s example, you need to pray for yourself, your children, relatives, disciples, and so on.
2. Know God
2 Peter 1:3: As His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through the knowledge [study] of Him who called us by His glory and goodness, by which He has given us exceedingly great [greatest] and precious promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature [co-owners of the divine nature], having escaped [those who have escaped] the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Conclusions that can be drawn from this passage:
- we have already been given everything we need for life and godliness;
- we can receive all this through knowing God;
- we have already been given the greatest and precious promises;
- through these promises, we have become partakers of God's nature;
- through this we escaped the world’s corruption caused by lust.
If you lack something today, it is not because God has not given it to you. Everything you need for life and godliness has already been given to you by God. However, to possess it, you must receive it by faith. And to receive it by faith, you must learn specifically what belongs to you. You can learn this only through knowing God. In other words, those who do not know God do not prosper.
3. Speak Words of Faith
Mark 11:24: Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
When you know what belongs to you, you must speak accordingly. In matters of faith, what matters is not what you see, but what you know, say, and do.
For example, can you confidently say that you will have dinner today? Yes? Why? Dinner has not even been prepared yet. You are confident because you know it. In the same way, you should act concerning God’s promises for your life.
Speak by faith, as a person who has received from God everything necessary for life. Pray and thank God for the provision He has given you, and you will see the answer.
Once, a certain minister came home and learned that his son had given the last food they had to the poor, leaving nothing to eat at home. “Let us pray and trust God,” he suggested. The next morning, just before breakfast, a truck loaded with food arrived at their house. Someone had sent it to them.
If everything is not going as well as you would like in the ministry you lead, speak words of faith all the more. Do not infect the people walking alongside you with fear and unbelief; otherwise, tomorrow they will respond to you in the same way. What you sow in your disciples, you will reap. When I asked one businessman, “How are things?” he gave a good answer: “It’s difficult, but I’m continuing to move upward.”
It is important to look at everything through the eyes of faith. We must look as people for whom God has already prepared everything necessary for life. The eye is the lamp of the whole body. How you view what is happening will affect you. Do you say that you are in great need, that everything in your ministry is going badly, and that you are an unhappy person? Are you sure? Compared with others, perhaps everything is going very well for you. Many people would like to be in your place. Many people would gladly trade places with you.
Many people are unhappy not because they are truly in trouble, but because they evaluate success incorrectly. Their scale of values is mistaken.
Success cannot always be measured in numbers. One businessman earned a million dollars from a deal, while another earned half a million. Which of them is more successful? Numbers do not determine success. The first deal may have taken a year, while the second took only one day. One church has 1,000 members, while another has 100. Which one is more successful? Numbers do not determine success. There are many external and internal factors that contribute to success.
Success cannot always be assessed visually. During one period, Paul was in ministry; during another, he was in prison. At one time he was in need and hungry; at another, he had an abundance.
4. A Culture of Honor and a Culture of Receiving
Many people understand neither what a culture of honor is nor what a culture of receiving is. Giving to God and people is not only an act of generosity but also a culture of honor.
The Queen of Sheba brought wealth to Solomon not because he was poor or in need. It was an expression of her honor for the king (1 Kings 10:1–2).
When the Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame, she came to test him with difficult questions. Arriving in Jerusalem with a large retinue and camels carrying spices, vast amounts of gold, and precious stones, she came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her heart.
Although Solomon was much wealthier than the queen, he did not refuse to accept the wealth from her hands. For his part, he also gave her wealth (1 Kings 10:13). King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba everything she desired and asked for.
The Queen of Sheba did not refuse Solomon’s gifts, even though she had come from far away to honor the king and bring him gifts.
2 Corinthians 9:10–11: He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also multiply the seed you have sown and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous, and through us your generous gift will result in thanksgiving to God.
If it is normal for us to give, it should also be normal for us to receive. This is the law of sowing and reaping. The harvest is not left in the field. We must not eat the seeds, and we must not sow the bread. We need both seeds to sow and bread to eat. It is not right not to share with others, and it is not right not to receive from others.
People condemned Mary for pouring fragrant oil on Jesus’ feet, but Jesus allowed her to do this and accepted her worship. A culture of honor is expressed through actions. A culture of receiving is expressed by accepting honor. Religion rejects and condemns both cultures. The religious people at that moment condemned both Mary and Jesus.
We should not seek gifts, nor should we refuse them when people want to bless us. Seeds must be sown, and bread must be eaten.
What to Do
Learn to say not what you see, but what you know from the Word of God, and then your faith will begin to grow. Then take action, and you will see miracles.
A minister’s family needed a home, but they did not have the money to buy one. After hearing teaching about faith, they understood that faith without works is useless. They drove around the area where they wanted to live and chose a house they liked—without looking at its price. The house was for sale. They prayed and declared the house to be theirs, thanked God, and returned home. Then they told the owner that they were buying his house.
The family had some savings, and they decided to donate these $15,000 to acquaintances who also needed housing. Two weeks later, the owner called them. He offered to let them move into the house and pay later, when they were able. They agreed. Some time later, at a Christian conference, a stranger blessed them with a large sum of money equal to the value of the house.
Do not speak only about the natural things you see; speak about the supernatural things you expect to see. Faith makes the impossible possible. You will see what you say.
The married daughter of a megachurch pastor had been unable to become pregnant for 15 years. Then her parents took an unusual step of faith. They made a photo collage in which their daughter appeared pregnant. Nine months later, their daughter actually conceived a child with her husband.
So, God has already given us everything we need for life and godliness. We should conduct ourselves as successful, healthy, prosperous, and happy people. This is how faith is manifested. Stop speaking words of unbelief and doubt! If today, tomorrow, and from then on you speak in faith, you will soon discover that you are also living by faith.
Source: Father’s Blessing Church
Teacher: Dmitriy Leo
