It takes time in some situations to see through the fog of religion and be able to understand and believe what God is saying in His Word about prosperity. There is no magic pill. Some treat the verses on giving and receiving as if they were the beginning and ending, the “magic pill” of prosperity.

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

This is the truth of God’s Word, and God is always faithful to His Word. But this verse and verses like it that speak about giving and receiving are not the only verses in the Bible that deal with prosperity.

Along with myself, I have seen many people that were faithful givers struggle with prosperity even though God promises it in His Word.

Since God is always faithful to His Word, clearly, there was still more to learn. Others asking questions about unrealized prosperity were told:

“You are seeking the blessing, not the Blessor.”

“It is all according to your believing.”

Both statements are non-answers and are not helpful. Prosperity is a much broader topic than can be covered in one verse. The promises of God do come to pass in our lives by believing, but it is possible that we simply have not understood that there are many principles in God’s Word that we need to apply to see the promises come to pass. The want of prosperity may be due to a lack of understanding of or being unfamiliar with many verses.

If we give but we are not diligent in our business to maximize our income, if we spend ourselves into debt, if we buy what we cannot afford, it may be that God has given back to us, but we have not been good stewards of our finances, our time and our labors. It might be more helpful to sit with the person and look at the numbers of their finances.  Talk to them about their understanding of Biblical prosperity.

We could decide to make a study of prosperity and financial principles from God’s Word for ourselves. We could find authors that have already done that and read their books and learn how they incorporated God’s principles into their lives. We could get a journal and take some notes. Here are some principles in God’s Word about prosperity to start us on our quest.

1. Faithful in little, faithful in much!

Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. (NIV)

As we show ourselves responsible with small amounts of money, God can trust us with more. It reminds one of the parables in the Gospels of the men that were given some money. They went and traded with it, and the goodman of the house made them rulers over much more. They took what they were given and made it grow.

2. Get out of debt!

Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. (NET)

Don’t borrow in the first place. But if you have debt, do whatever it takes to get out from under it. Some financial people recommend getting a second job and using that money to pay off those debts. Some recommend paying off the smallest debt first and then apply the money from that debt plus your second job money to the next smallest debt. Continue this until you are debt-free.

So far if you obey what is in these first two steps, you are believing what God has said. These two verses are part of the process of prosperity. Apparently, prosperity is a much bigger topic than can be covered in one verse. It seems that God has given us many aspects of prosperity to believe and do.

3. Be a giver!

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

It seems counter-intuitive to give money away to be more prosperous, but study after study shows that givers become wealthier, are happier, and live better, longer, more fulfilled lives.

4. Be diligent to grow your value in the marketplace!

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Proverbs 22:29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Here are some suggestions if you have a job:

Do more on each task than what is asked.

Arrive early and stay late.

Treat others like you would like to be treated.

Network. Make friends with others in your same field or with similar businesses. It will pay off down the road.

Dress appropriately for your position or business. It shows respect for others and that you respect yourself. When promotions are going on, part of the decision will be made on how you look. They may not want a rube sitting across from them in their office.

Read and learn about your profession as much as you can. Eventually, you will be the go-to person for information and thus more valuable to those you work for.

Be a problem solver.

Learn how to market yourself. You will eventually need that knowledge.

5. Spend Less than You Earn!

Proverbs 21:20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has (NIV)

Once you have an income, you MUST spend less than that income to make financial progress.

Here, God says the wise have plenty left over because they don’t spend it all. Fools, though, spend all they bring in and put even more on credit cards.

By not spending all your income, you will have some to save, and thus grow your net worth.

Even if you only spend $100.00 more per month than your income you are going backwards in prosperity. No matter how much you give.

You cannot violate all the principles of prosperity except one and make progress.

By spending less than you earn, you save money – a key part of financial success.

6. Save some money!

Proverbs 6:6-8 says: Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

The ant saves in a time of plenty for a time when there will be lack or need. If you are wise, you will do the same thing — save now for future expenses that you can be certain will occur: things like retirement, a home, cars, college for the kids, and the like.

My recommendation is to save a part of every paycheck you receive. You did the work, and you deserve to be paid. A good rule of thumb is to start by saving at least 10% of your income, and from there, the amount should increase over time, perhaps 1-2% annually.

7. Get good counsel!

Proverbs 15:22 “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Financial advisors can be very helpful. Just make sure they do not receive a commission off any money you invest. Remember, many people that call themselves advisors are actually salesmen! That is like asking the fox if it is ok to leave the chickens out tonight!

If you are married, your spouse should be your primary source of human counsel. Seeking the counsel of a spouse helps preserve your relationship. No matter what the consequences of a decision, if you’ve made it together, your marriage is more likely to remain healthy. Parents can be a second source of counsel. They usually know you well and typically have the benefit of many more years of experience to share.

8. Too much visiting leads to poverty not prosperity!

Proverbs 14:23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

One of the best ways to end conversations that are wasting your working time at work is to say, “Well, I have to get back to work.” Then just walk away.

9. Be content!

I Timothy 6:6-7 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

As you study financial principles from God’s Word, don’t be anxious. Your thinking does not change overnight. So be patient and be content with where you are as you pursue believing and working on some of these principles of prosperity.

If you will do these things, it may amaze you after a while how your fortunes have changed. You are seeking the Blessor through applying His word in your life. Now, you are gaining a better understanding of the principles God has laid out in His Word as to how prosperity works. Understand AND do. This is believing, and this is all part of The Prosperous Life.