So what requirements has God established that lead to a pathway of prosperity? The Bible reveals several overarching keys.

1) Seek Him. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). All what things?
All the things He mentioned in the verses preceding verse 33—such as
treasures upon earth or what you will eat or drink or wear. We are not
to seek those things first. We are to seek the kingdom first.

What does it mean to seek the kingdom? It is seeking to do His will. His will is what He did on the earth, such as healing all (Acts 10:38), casting out devils (Mark 16:15-18) and preaching repentance (Matt. 4:17).

Jesus went about teaching and preaching the gospel (Matt. 4:23)
and told us to preach the good news of salvation: setting people free
from bondages, laying hands on the sick and feeding the poor (Is. 61:1-2; Matt. 25:35-36; Mark 16:15). How could we feed the poor and support the gospel if we are broke ourselves?

Colossians 3:2
states: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the
earth” (KJV). So, let us understand that He will not prosper us unless
we are committed to seeking Him first.

2) Help the poor. Proverbs 19:17
says: “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay
back what he has given” (NKJV). Throughout the Bible we are instructed
to help the poor. Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33) to illustrate giving of ourselves for the welfare of others.

Tommy
Barnett, co-founder of the Dream Center urban outreach ministry in Los
Angeles, explains it this way: “The secret to a successful, happy life
is giving yourself away. According to the Bible, you will succeed in
direct proportion to how much you give yourself away. ?

“Giving
is truly the key to blessing ?.?.?.? because we have learned to focus
more and more on servanthood, downward mobility, on giving everything
away.”

He goes on to say: “We are conditioned to think in terms of limits, and therefore the world operates on the principle of lack.??

“God
approaches life from the opposite angle. He operates on the principle
of plenty. In God’s kingdom, the successful man or woman is the one who
gives the most away. The world says, ‘He who dies with the most toys
wins.’ The kingdom says, ‘He who gives the most away wins.’”

Jesus also said in Matthew 6:19-21
not to “lay up for yourselves treasures on earth … but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven. … For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.” This is the only 100-percent-safe investment.
For us to be about the Father’s business is laying up treasures in
heaven.

3) Examine ourselves. As I
mentioned earlier in the article, when my wife and I are faced with
challenges, we take time out to pray, read God’s Word and examine
ourselves to see where we may have missed the mark.

This is a biblical exercise. We see it in, among other verses, Ecclesiastes 7:14: “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other” (emphasis added); 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves”; and Haggai 1:7: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!’”

In
examining ourselves, we are not to feel that we cannot come to Him if
we have not kept every Scripture verse. No, because it is by grace that
we receive the things we desire from Him. We do not try in our flesh to
live holy. We live holy because we desire to, and it’s by His grace we
can do it.

In addition, God loves us regardless of
how we perform. We don’t score points with God, and if we are good
enough He will love us more.

No, He loves us already
the way we are. However, His desire is for us to grow and mature in Him.
Anytime God corrects us, it is because He loves us. Hebrews 12:6 states, “Whom the Lord loves He chastens.”

4) Obey His Word. I
want to make it clear again that I am not talking about legalism when
it comes to obeying God’s Word. We are not trying to earn God’s grace or
to be burdened under “performance.” We can’t earn anything, as it has
already been given to us freely.

We are justified by Christ’s blood and by faith in what He did for us on the cross only. (See Rom. 3:24-25; 4:25; 5:9, 16, 18; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Titus 3:7; 1 John 1:7-9.)

As I’ve mentioned, God’s grace empowers us to obey His Word. We cannot obey by our own power or ability but only by His Spirit.

The
difference is, when you are truly in love with God, you are eager to
please Him. It is not a burden to keep His Word but a delight. We keep
His Word because of a heartfelt desire and not our performance (Ps. 119:16, 24, 47, 72).

When
we understand His grace, there is a joy that comes to us, because we
see it is not based on our power to keep His Word or resist sin, but by
His power. However, searching the Scriptures to be sure we are obeying
His Word doesn’t nullify grace; being obedient to His Word is a result
of grace.

We are to continually strive to better
ourselves by receiving correction from His Word. Our desire should be to
grow from glory to glory. Our goal is to become more like Him (2 Cor. 3:18). If we say we love Him and do not obey Him, we are liars. We don’t really love Him (1 John 2:3-4), and we don’t know Him (John 14:15).

It is our attitude that makes the difference. An obedient heart seeks to do what pleases Him.

God’s
Word is a mirror, and if we look into the face of His Word, we can see
where we are. It should give us the desire to want to improve ourselves
and please Him.

David said he loved God’s commandments above gold (Ps. 119:127). Solomon said God’s wisdom was better than rubies (Prov. 8:11). Both comparisons are to “treasures” of significant material value “hidden” in the ground.

If I told you I had $10 million hidden for you and gave you the treasure map, you wouldn’t feel burdened to go look for it, would you? No, you would be excited to look for it. In the same way, we are to value God’s Word and apply it to our lives (Prov. 3:1-2). We are to seek after wisdom, knowledge and understanding as hidden treasure (Prov. 2:1-6).

Another important truth we need to apply to our lives is that God’s Word is also holistic—it all ties together. There are built-in safeguards in His Word that cause it to work in its fullness only as a whole.

For instance, if you don’t tithe, you won’t prosper God’s way (Mal. 3:8-9; Matt. 23:23).
However, if you do tithe and do not build God’s house (focus on saving
souls), the money you are blessed with will have holes in the bag and
run out the door (Hag. 1:5-9).

If you do not have faith, you will not receive anything from God (James 1:6-7). However, if you have great faith to move mountains and have not love, it will not do you any good (1 Cor. 13:2-3).

Yet, if we do all of these, but do not honor our parents, it will not go well with us (Eph. 6:2-3).

If we do not put on all the armor of God, we won’t be able to withstand in the evil day (Eph. 6:13). If we do not submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, he won’t flee from us (James 4:7). If we don’t forgive anything, Satan will get an advantage over us (2 Cor. 2:10-11).

If
we labor for souls but lose our zeal for the Lord, we have left our
first love, and Jesus says He will remove our candlestick (Rev. 2:2-4).

Do
you see how God’s Word all fits together? It is our responsibility to
learn all of God’s precepts and do them. As we do, God will prosper us,
as Joshua 1:8
reveals: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate … [and] observe to do according to all that is written
in it. For then you will make your wayprosperous” (emphasis added).

Bill Wiese is a speaker, author and former realtor who has appeared on numerous television and radio shows to discuss his book 23 Minutes in Hell (Charisma House), a riveting firsthand account of his afterlife vision. His latest book, Recession-Proof Living, released in October.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:6-7

I think it might be helpful for some if I were to use a little acrostic, PEACE, on how to know the will of God. None of us want to be deceived when we are open. How may we know we are not being deceived?

First, is it Providential? In other words, if you are praying whether to do this or that, does it fall in place? Do you have to nudge the arm of providence, or does it just happen?

Second, Enemy. Always put this in the computer when you are wanting to know the will of God: What will the devil think? Would it please or displease him?

Third, Authority. What does the Bible say? Is it biblical, in other words. The Holy Spirit will never lead us to embrace what is contrary to Holy Scripture.

Fourth, Confidence. What does this do for your own confidence? Your own assurance? Sense of well-being? Because whenever you are in the will of God, it will increase your sense of confidence. It always does that. When you are lacking in confidence, there is something wrong. If what you are about to do diminishes your confidence, there is something wrong.

Fifth, Ease. Does this decision give you a feeling of ease? “To thine own self be true,” as Shakespeare put it.

So PEACE. That is how to know the will of God. Now this acrostic can be a kind of guide, and yet, if you develop the godly habit, you will not necessarily need this. I do not say it will not be helpful, but that it will simply confirm what you have found to be true anyway.

Excerpted from Are You Stone Deaf to the Spirit or Rediscovering God? (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1994, 1999).

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. —Romans 8:26

Praying in God’s will is carried out at one of two levels (or perhaps both): (1) when you know what God’s will is and pray accordingly, or (2) when you don’t know what God’s will is but pray with groans that words cannot express—that is, words you don’t understand.

The first level is, in my opinion, quite rare. It has happened, but not often. It is when I know somehow that when I pray for something I also know God heard me and that it will be answered because I prayed in the will of God. I wish I could say that I engage in this kind of praying all the time.

Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed for a son. They did not know that they put this request in God’s will and that it was heard. But it was—except that they were not notified for a long time. Zechariah had prayed years before in the will of God, but he was not given the grace of the Spirit to know at the time he was praying in God’s will. Knowing at the time is therefore, in my view, rare.

The second level of praying in the Spirit is when you do pray in the will of God, but you do not know what you are praying for. How can this be? Romans 8:26, quoted above, coheres with 1 Corinthians 14:2: “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.” When you are praying in tongues you are praying in the will of God, which is why you could pray consciously in the will of God at both levels. This is because when I pray in tongues I abandon my wishes to the Spirit. I do not know what God’s will is, true, but I know nonetheless that I am praying in God’s will because I am praying in tongues.

Excerpted from Pure Joy (Charisma House, 2006).

And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. —1 Corinthians 10:10

What I want you to consider is whether you have a complaint, and, if so, is it valid? God knows whether it is valid. Do you feel that it has been unfair that you have had to live all these years with that particular man? Or do you think that God has not been fair to you because you never married, and you have complained? Do you have a valid complaint? It may be. God knows whether it is.

But let me ask you this: In your complaining do you roll up your sleeves, or do you let God handle it? The one thing that can be said about the judgment that must never be underestimated is that it will be the day when God is going to clear His name, and the justice will be carried out totally and in an undoubted way. God knows what people have said. God knows the infidel shakes his fist and says, “If there’s a God, why does He let this happen?” God can wait.

But that will be a day when He will be involved. Judgment will be carried out by an all-wise and all-righteous God who has a perfect memory of everything that ever happened. His Day can be your day, but if you make today your day and do not wait for His Day, then that comes under a different category, what the Bible calls “grumbling.”

We will be judged not only on what we have done then, but also on what we have said. Indignation may have led us to complain, but we must always ask ourselves: Do we speak with tongues of gold or tongues of straw?

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. —Galatians 6:9

Pure joy is promised to all, but it is only received by those who want God and the offense of the cross more than anything in the world. God is a jealous God; He shares His joy with those who honor Him and embrace the stigma.

Do you want pure joy? How much do you want of it? Here is what I recommend to you if this joy is lacking:

1. Be sure that you have totally forgiven anyone who has hurt you or been unjust to you in any way.

2. Embrace any stigma that is associated with the Spirit so that you are utterly willing to look like a fool to those who know you.

3. Dignify any and every trial God puts in your path.

4. Seek the honor that comes from Him rather than getting your ego massaged by the praise of people.

5. Seek His face by praying with all your heart—until this joy is yours.

This joy is nothing else than God Himself. He wants to be real to you. God wants all His children to experience pure joy, but I am not saying that all must have exactly the same manifestations. I have never fallen to the floor in laughter. You may, or may not, speak in tongues (1 Cor. 12:30). The necessary evidence of the baptism, or sealing of the Spirit, is this peace and joy. In my opinion, we delay what God would do in us because of sheer pride or out of fear of what people might think. You may never speak in tongues or fall to the floor, but you must be willing to allow that to happen if you want pure joy.

Excerpted from Pure Joy (Charisma House, 2006).

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. —1 Thessalonians 5:18

The anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit
that enables me to do things with ease. It could be greater insight,
greater energy, greater joy, or greater blessing of any proportion; and
I want a greater anointing. One of the quickest routes to a greater
anointing is to show gratitude to God—in everything.

Thanking God for everything and thanking Him in everything are not
exactly the same thing. Not many people thank Him for everything. We
may end up doing that—when enough time rolls along that “all things
work together for good” (Rom. 8:28, KJV). Then we may thank Him for
things that were once evil and caused grief. But I do not counsel that
we must thank Him for everything at any given moment.

When I sin or fail, I do not say, “Thank You, Lord.” I cannot say
that I thank God for the events of September 11, 2001. It may well be
that all who read these lines live long enough to see God’s sovereign
hand in it all and find reasons to be thankful. But we are not required
to be thankful for everything—for being robbed, raped, lied about, or
being betrayed.

We therefore are not asked to be thankful for all these ordeals. But
it is another thing to give thanks in such adversities. And this we are
asked to do: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will
for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18). Paul and Silas were in jail,
but they were praying and singing hymns to God. (See Acts 16:25.) No
matter what your present state, give Him thanks—in everything.

Excerpted from Just Say Thanks! (Charisma House, 2005).

And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. —Luke 4:32, KJV

In a sense, most of us want spiritual power—to experience signs and wonders. However, we often lack spiritual power because the Word is woefully lacking within our lives. What then is the basis of God’s giving spiritual power to His followers?

1. Personal reading of the Scriptures

We have to ask ourselves a question: “Have I read my Bible completely through?” A poll was taken suggesting that the average clergyman spends an average of four minutes a day alone with the Lord. Then we wonder why the church is powerless. Personal reading of the Scriptures is the first step to power.

2. Personal revelation of the Scriptures

When is the last time the Scriptures got hold of you and shook revelation knowledge into your life? Spurgeon said, “If a text gets hold of you, chances are you’ve got hold of it.”

3. Personal rethinking of the Scriptures

Many of us have accepted uncritically a hand-me-down point of view, secondhand Bible revelation, and secondhand doctrine. There is no personal rethinking by which we acquire the real meaning of the verse.

4. Personal release of the Spirit

Release of the Spirit comes from the Spirit Himself. If you want power, then it’s going to have to come from the Spirit. The Bible is just about His finest accomplishment. It’s His product. He likes it when you like His Word.

The scope for power will be found to the degree that we value His own Word. Power that flows from His name will be in proportion to our love for His Word. When that love is expressed, don’t be surprised to see healings and miracles. There may be no need for people to line up to be prayed for. It will happen right where they are.

Excerpted from The Word and the Spirit (Charisma House, 1998).

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! … Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. —Philippians 4:4, 6

Rejoicing is, more often than not, a choice. We all love spontaneous rejoicing. Such comes from answered prayer, the answers to our questions, the manifestation of the miraculous, the success and prosperity we wanted. It takes little faith to rejoice when it is precipitated by happy, external circumstances. But the command to rejoice comes because we don’t always feel like rejoicing—and yet Paul said to do it all the time. Not rejoicing because of all that has happened but rather “in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:18, emphasis added). The choice we make to rejoice comes because we simply don’t feel like rejoicing. We just have to do it.

How do you rejoice when you don’t feel like it? The answer is, you find things for which you certainly should be thankful and then discipline yourself to voice that gratitude. I go through my journal every morning, item by item of the previous day, and thank the Lord in detail for everything. I have been doing it for over fifteen years. My wife, Louise, and I frequently do this together. Once, when returning to Key Largo in Florida (where we now live) from the airport, Louise said, “Let’s thank the Lord for twenty-five things that took place over the weekend.” We had a wonderful weekend in Connecticut. We began taking turns and naming particular things. When we finished, Louise said we had mentioned fifty-three things. I think God liked that.

Showing gratitude is the sort of thing you can make yourself do whether you feel like it or not. There are always things you can thank God for if you look around. In other words, even if you don’t feel like it, do it anyway.

Excerpted from Pure Joy (Charisma House, 2006).

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. —Genesis 50:20

“How can I know whether I have truly forgiven someone?” Joseph provides a heart-searching frame of reference by showing us how he was able to totally forgive his brothers.

Joseph had much to be bitter about. First, his brothers had treated him with cruelty and disdain. True, he had made them jealous and had not been a very nice guy—he had even been a tattletale. (See Genesis 37:2.) But selling him to the Ishmaelites was a wicked and evil act.

Second, Joseph had been falsely accused. Instead of sleeping with Potiphar’s wife, he had resisted the temptation. We all like to think that God will bless us when we are faithful and obedient to His Word, but the thanks Joseph got was imprisonment.

Third, God allowed all of these things to take place.

Joseph had much to be bitter about, then, and many “offenders” to forgive: his brothers who sold him into slavery, Potiphar’s wife who lied, and God who let it all happen.

The truth is, Joseph needed to be delivered from bitterness and self-pity. Joseph was full of self-pity. He says so: “I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon” (Gen. 40:15). At that point in time, Joseph had not yet forgiven his brothers, Potiphar’s wife, or God.

Joseph had not forgotten his dreams. He knew that one day his brothers would bow down before him. And eventually they did. But when it finally happened, Joseph was a changed man. There was no bitterness. There were no grudges. None. Something had happened to him during those final two years in prison. Instead, when the time came, he lovingly welcomed them and forgave them with tears. It was the moment he dreamed of. But instead of punishing them, which he had the power to do, he wept. Filled with love, he demonstrated total forgiveness.

Excerpted from Total Forgiveness (Charisma House, 2002).

A cardiologist once gave Monty Williams a crushing diagnosis: an enlarged muscle was making it difficult for Williams’ heart to pump blood. The doctor said the condition meant an end to Williams’ college basketball career, the end of his NBA dream—and possibly the end of his life.

Two years later, the condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy vanished. Doctors called it inexplicable; Williams called it a healing from God. A 6-foot-8-inch forward, Williams played nine seasons in the NBA. Chronic knee injuries tested his faith and led to his retirement.

Today, Williams continues to proclaim his faith as the second-year head coach of the New Orleans Hornets, despite relentless hardship. Over the past year and a half, the NBA’s youngest coach has seen his general manager fired, his top scorer blow out a knee (then opt out of his contract), another player arrested, a third player lose two relatives in a fatal car accident and the franchise sold to the NBA. 

“Adversity,” he says, “has a way of getting us to listen to God.”

His second season began with more trouble. The Hornets dealt their best player, Chris Paul, to the Los Angeles Clippers in a controversial trade. Yet through numerous trials early in his coaching career, Williams has shared the source of his strength with media. “No question, it’s my faith in Jesus Christ,” he says. “I read my Bible in the morning and I study in the evening. When tough times do come, it’s not easy. But I realize a guy like me is blessed to be in this position.”

Previous challenges make NBA conflicts seem minor. Williams says he suffered abuse and molestation as a child. He became suicidal when he learned of his fatal heart condition. With God’s help, Williams has emerged with a strong faith and a powerful testimony. 

The Lord is present in our most trying times, Williams says, working all things for our good.

“I’m blessed to be in this business,” he adds. “I pray I can keep this attitude as long as I’m able to coach.”       —Ken Rodriguez