What the Bible Says About Poverty and Prosperity

Does God want us poor?

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 NKJV

God is against poverty on any level. The mind and heart of God is not against you or to take things from you, He’s trying to get things to you. Poverty is a lack of God’s life and presence in some aspect of our lives. Where God is, there will always be increase.

Is God against our prosperity?

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” II Corinthians 9:8 NKJV

God is for prosperity in every area of life, He’s a God of increase. Everything God created, everything that has life, is created to be fruitful and multiply, to grow and be healthy. Growth is normal. Growth is increase. Anything that’s increasing is prospering.

Is financial prosperity evil?

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17 NKJV

Some have been taught that prosperity is good for every area of life, but not in finances, that it’s evil and God wants us poor to keep us humble. Religion has taught that none of the prosperity is for the church, only for “sinners”. That we should take a “vow of poverty” and be quiet. That is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is about blessing, reversing the curse, and giving you everlasting life, that He might be glorified.

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” I Timothy 6:10 NKJV

“Money is the root of all evil!” That’s not correct, it’s the “love of money” that’s the root of all evil. Another reason people think poverty is evil is because they are afraid of their own hearts. They’re afraid to prosper because they’re afraid the lusts of their hearts are going to get stronger. The problem isn’t money or God, it’s their heart. When you’re heart is all about being a blesser and a giver, money is no issue. Temptations will not be a problem. Our desire should be to want more so we can do more.

Poverty is a mindset.

“The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty.” Proverbs 10:15 NKJV

Poverty is a mindset. Your approach to life begins on the inside of you. If there’s poverty on the inside of you, you will be poor, and eventually you will suffer destruction in life. Poverty is the root - poorness is the fruit - destruction is the consequence.

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7

Our heart and actions follow our most dominant thought. We need to have a hatred for poverty on any level. We need to hate poverty thinking and poverty filled words that curse our health, our relationships, our finances, our emotions, and every area of life. The curse came from Satan.

Shouldn’t I be happy with just enough to get by?

“May the Lord give you increase more and more, You and your children.” Psalms 115:14 NKJV

God wants you to increase and your children to benefit from that increase. This does not say that God wants to just satisfy your basic needs. God is all about abundance.

Is it okay to want more in life?

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” Ephesians 3:20 NKJV

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”” Luke 6:38 NKJV

There’s nothing wrong with wanting more or better. Religion has told us that wanting more or better is evil. On the contrary, desiring increase for yourself and your family is from God, as long as it’s not controlled by greed and selfishness. Desiring increase is a blessing to you and a blessing to others.

Our prosperity expresses the goodness of God.

“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.” II Corinthians 9:10-11 NKJV

God’s not nervous about this, He wants us to be “enriched in everything for all liberality”. We shouldn’t want poverty in any area of our lives or to be poor on any level because we can’t be an expression of God’s goodness. Some people want to bless others and give resources to them, but they can’t because of lack. Lack hinders the flow of God’s blessing. God wants to bless people through us, but He’s limited because we are lacking resources to give.

What are some of the ways I might be participating in my own poverty?

“You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” Psalms 65:11 NKJV

The “paths” mentioned here are “God’s ways of doing things”. His ways drip with abundance. The way the world and sin do things bring lack and poverty. The principles that create poverty are the same for any area of poverty in our lives (spiritual, mental, relational, emotional, physical, financial, material). Where there’s an absence of an understanding of God’s love and goodness in any of these areas, poverty thrives. We can change course and direction in all these areas and get on the path of abundance. But we need to first recognize which of these areas might be causing poverty or loss in our lives and simply make a change.

• Sin. Independence from God. Overall sin from the fall and specific decisions that we’ve made that invite loss.

“by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” II Peter 1:4 NKJV

• Laziness. Not putting action to something.

“How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.” Proverbs 6:9-11 NKJV

• Ignorance. Lack of knowledge. Not knowing the paths and ways of God. Not walking and talking with God as a friend.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Hosea 4:6 NKJV

• Sickness of any kind. It steals time, ruins relationships, steals money, peace, vision, and freedom. It’s a thief on every level. Freely receive the gift of healing and freely give healing.

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8 NKJV

“I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’” Matthew 25:36 NKJV

• Injustice. This is one of the greatest creators of poverty, next to sin, that there is. There are unjust people that create governmental systems that create poverty and oppress people. God is a God of justice, even in the midst of an unjust system, which can be defeated by the light of the gospel, and cause you to come out ahead. If more Christian’s would speak out against injustice in the light of the gospel, it will start to fade because the light is stronger than the darkness. We are the light of the world, we don’t want to contribute to unjust systems that create poverty.

“He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.” Psalms 72:4 NKJV

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20 NKJV

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your [God’s] throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.” Psalms 89:14 NKJV

• Persecution. Jesus speaks of having persecution in this world and is not necessarily something we can escape. Persecution is from the devil, not from God. God will sustain us in the midst of persecution.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Romans 8:35 NKJV

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”” John 16:33 NKJV

• Religious fatalism. “God is sovereign, He does what He wants”, “Whatever will be will be”, “God creates evil, I have no control”, “God is in control”, “Everything happens for a reason”. With this wrong thinking, we are not taking hold of the promises of God, not taking our authority in the name of Jesus, we are just being passive and lazy.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” Ephesians 3:20 NKJV

““So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10 NKJV

““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14 NKJV

How do I take steps to break the cycle of poverty in my life?

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:7-8 NKJV

If you abide in God and He abides in you, there’s not going to be a lust problem, instead you’re going to want to be a giver and want to bless others. God’s Word is given to prosper you in every way. Prosperity of spirit, of mind, in relationships, in your emotions, in finances, they all work together. Understanding what the Bible says about God’s goodness and love will change the way you think about God, about yourself, about others, about your future, and all the good things He has waiting for you.

Poverty is our enemy. The more we take steps to break that barrier of poverty in our lives, the more our faith brings in resources and blessings that are totally unexpected. Doors will begin to open on the resource level, then eventually you are “enriched in everything for all liberality”. That glorifies God. Poverty does not glorify God because God is all about growing, increasing, and multiplying.

What are some of the steps I can take toward God’s abundance?

• Honorable work and diligence. God has always had work for us to do. We were created in the image of God and He is a creator. We have opportunities to be rich in every area of our lives by simply being diligent. If we want to eat, we need to work. Time is meant for something, to be active. Religion has taught that because evil people have gotten rich, being rich must be evil. Evil people have gotten rich because they’re using God’s principles of increase for their own benefit. If Christians would apply His principles, they would be rich too, and even more so because they have God living on the inside of them, which is what God had intended for His people. Lazy people want a get-rich-quick plan. Diligent people have plans, they have vision, this is the nature of God Himself, this is how His kingdom works. God is all about “adding” to us so we will have something to give to others.

“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” Genesis 2:15 NKJV

“He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. Proverbs 10:4 NKJV

“For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” II Thessalonians 3:10-12 NKJV

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5 NKJV

• Seeking God first.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 NKJV

“Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” Ephesians 4:28 NKJV

“He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.” Proverbs 12:11 NKJV

“The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” Proverbs 13:4 NKJV

“In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23 NKJV

“A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 28:20 NKJV

• Having a mindset of increase. God wants us to bless the generations that follows us. Thinking in terms of leaving an inheritance for children and grandchildren. Every generation should be better off than the previous generation, there should be increase. You can only leave an inheritance if you have something to give.

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” Proverbs 13:22 NKJV

• The blessing of the Lord. God opens doors of supernatural favor and encounters as you walk with Him and follow His lead and when there’s a tangible presence of God in your life. Exercise your faith to expect and receive His blessing, and speak it out. He gets glory when we do well.

“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.” Proverbs 10:22 NKJV

“Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.” John 21:3-6 NKJV

“saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”” Hebrews 6:14 NKJV

“that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:14 NKJV

“So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” Galatians 3:9 NKJV

““Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”” Psalms 52:7 NKJV

• Honor the Lord as your Source. God is the One who has given you everything good. Be thankful for all that He has provided. The more we trust that God is our Source, the more generous we will be.

“Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17 NKJV

• The blessing of giving. God is an extravagant God, He wants resources overflowing and running over in our lives. God is the ultimate Giver, He gave us His only Son. He has given us so much, over and over. The greatest Giver lives in us. When we don’t give, we are afraid and don’t trust Him. We need to give like God and have His giving heart. The more we understand the nature of God and righteousness, the more generous we get. Giving is all about the heart. Giving is a kingdom law, if you apply it, abundance will find you.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32 NKJV

“Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.” Matthew 14:19-21 NKJV

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” II Corinthians 9:8 NKJV

“The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.” Proverbs 11:25 NKJV

“He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does not spare.” Proverbs 21:26 NKJV

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” II Corinthians 9:7 NKJV

“There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.” Proverbs 11:24 NKJV

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” II Corinthians 9:6 NKJV

“He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn [strength] will be exalted with honor.” Psalms 112:9 NKJV

“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 whether both alike will be good.” Ecclesiastes 11:6 NKJV

• Prosperity from words. Faith brings things from the invisible into the visible. God spoke and brought things from invisible to visible. We speak and and bring things from invisible to visible. Our abundance has all to do with the words we speak. Words carry power. What you believe in your heart eventually comes out of your mouth (about God, about yourself, and the circumstances of life). Your words bring forth the invisible world of blessing or cursing. There is fruit coming from your tongue, things are materializing from your words. We need to speak out words of life over ourselves and others, but they need to come from a heart that’s been fed the word of God.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3 NKJV

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

“(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”” Romans 4:17-18 NKJV

“For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalms 33:9 NKJV

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Mark 11:23-24 NKJV

“…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Matthew 12:34-35 NKJV

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 NKJV

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21 NKJV

“A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth...” Proverbs 12:14 NKJV

“A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.” Proverbs 18:20 NKJV

What the Bible Says About Poverty and Prosperity

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