The blessing of the Lord is not just about money. It is far bigger and wider than that. It actually has everything to do with Who God really is. It has to do with His character, His nature and His ways of doing things. It is in the creative nature of God to bless. God reveals Himself to us always, through what He does in blessing us and our world.
He is the Blessed One, Who has blessed us with all things (2 Corinthians 9:8). The blessing is about the efficacy of God’s promises to us through His word. God’s word will do what it says He will do for you, if you will receive it and believe it.
His word therefore becomes your source of strength, as you are passing through the trials and tests of your faith. As long as you remain diligent in meditating on the word of God about the blessing, while applying the truth in it prayerfully to your personal life; then you will be empowered to bless others. This is how you become prosperous with the abundance from your Father, in the revelation of the truth that sets people free (John 8:31-32).
As David once said:
“For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”
Psalm 66:10-12 NIV
A place of abundance is your final destination, as you are persevering through the trials and tests of your faith. The blessing therefore works wherever the truths, about God’s promises are being revealed, for you to navigate your pathway through it. You can use every problem in your life, as a stepping stone into greater heights with God. There is no limit to what God has in store for you. That’s why you should always rejoice when troubles comes your way as a Christian (James 1:1-6). The more problems comes your way, the more opportunities abound for you in God to be prosperous.
Wisdom and understanding will get you there
You will always need to use the wisdom of God, that comes to you in the midst of your trials of faith, to prosper yourself. You prosper by practically applying every wisdom from God into your life, and into every situation that confronts you.
Every believer in Christ is a carrier of God’s wisdom. But not every believer has the understanding, to be able to apply the wisdom in them to prosper themselves.
Today we do live in a world that is off the edge. That’s how you do know, that you need godly wisdom to be able to make it. But godly wisdom without getting to know, its proper application for living is useless. Get it at all cost. You will always need it to succeed. Your ability to prosper is in the understanding, of the proper application by faith of the wisdom of God in you.
That’s why Solomon said:
“The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].”
PROVERBS 4:7 AMP
You don’t only apply wisdom to prosper yourself. You’ve got to learn how to pass on the wisdom, that has been a blessing to you unto others around you also. You do this by talking about it to them. The world will gain much more from your heart of wisdom, so that they will not have to go through, what you went through to get it (Proverbs 9:9).
Wisdom is one of the hardest things to teach, or to pass on to people. Some people may get it, while others will never get the understanding, to even be able to tap into it.
Spiritual truths are better caught than taught
The person who needs the blessing of the Lord most desperately, will always do extraordinary things to get it. When people miss out of the spiritual truth, that you are trying to impart to them; then you don’t need to look too far into getting to know, why they missed it. Check out their prayer lives. As you observe their diligence to prayer and intercession, you will be able to know why they missed it.
The most vital spiritual truth in life can be taught to anyone by someone else. But it is not everyone who is taught, that receives what is being taught. The reality of this is that, most spiritual truths are caught in the spirit, faster than when they are being taught. This happens as Christians begins to open their spiritual eyes, to learn in the spirit as we are praying more and more in the Holy Ghost.
Remember that Jesus said:
“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:36 NIV
Watching and praying in the spirit and by the Spirit, is not only to prevent you from falling into temptation, in the midst of the trials and tests of your faith. Watching and praying will keep you spiritually alert, to receive instructions and guidance, from the Lord in wisdom and understanding into your blessed place.
There is absolutely nothing in the Bible, that says you should close your eyes while praying. It all comes from the dead religious tradition of the Church. Watch and pray – be spiritually alert as you are praying.
There are certain things that the Lord may reveal to you, as you have your physical eyes wide open, while praying in the spirit. There are times when I had personally caught certain things in the spirit, as I am being watchful while praying or interceding in the spirit.
Therefore:
“Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 NABRE
That’s why it’s important to always surround yourself, with the believers who can pray in the Holy Spirit. They are most likely to be the ones, who will first be able to catch; what you are trying to impart others with in the spirit. This makes it easier for you to pass on prosperity to others; because those who are getting it first, will be able to help others also, as they are receiving in the spirit. Spend quality time with them, by praying more in the spirit with them. A lot of spiritual impartations do often take place, when Christians do pray together in the spirit and by the Spirit.
There are many Churches and Ministries that are suffering today, because they do not have a strong base of people who pray continually, in covering the anointing over their leaders. People who pray together, do great things together for God. And the best way to build up that strong support base, is by spending quality time to pray in the spirit together with them, as you are training such people about prayer and intercession.
You can’t be effective in teaching about prayer and intercession to any group, if you are not prepared to take much more time than teaching, to practice what you are teaching with them. Practicing what is being taught before the group, opens them up in the spirit to receive your teachings.
If there is anything that you’ll ever do in your life for God. It is the setting up of this strong and powerful base, of faithful believer around your life and ministry. They are the very foundation of everything that you are doing.
Elisha caught the blessing of Elijah
As an example Elijah taught Elisha many things, while serving under him. Elisha had to position himself for the blessing, by fully submitting himself to learn about many spiritual truths under Elijah.
But for Elisha to be able to take the place of Elijah, he had to be ready to catch his mantle. Such things are only caught in the spirit. It is possible to teach about it. But teaching anything doesn’t necessarily means that, what is even being taught is being caught, or relational to the person who is being taught. Spiritual truths are better caught in the spirit, than taught or explained.
The scriptures says about Elisha:
“When they had crossed (the river Jordan), Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
2 Kings 2:9-10 NIV
Elijah never gave Elisha any guarantee, of getting his spirit. He had taught Elisha many things in the ministry. This was to be the most difficult thing for Elisha to understand. Nevertheless Elisha wanted Elijah’s blessing, and he would not be tricked away from it by anyone.
He had learnt many things by just watching Elijah do those things. This was how he learnt everything, that he knew in ministry. He was never a student of the school of the Prophets, as they had it in those days. He had learned to pray with Elijah. He had ministered several times under the leadership of Elijah. He had learnt the application of the wisdom in him, by keeping a close eye on his master. And most importantly he had a heart to receive from the spirit of Elijah. That was how he positioned himself to catch the spirit of Elijah. And catching the blessing is not different.
So when Elijah was about to be taken away, Elisha knew about that very moment in the spirit. He was well prepared for it. Elijah never talked with him before about the moment. But Elisha caught it by the spirit in him. He knew that it was time for him to step up.
So when Elijah asked him if he needed anything, before that moment came. Elisha knew exactly what he wanted – the spirit upon his master, to be able to carry the responsibilities; that goes with his mantle, as the head of all the Prophets over Israel .
Elijah then revealed to him, that it was hard for him to do this. Elijah knew that such things are better caught in the spirit. So he told Elisha the secret to catching it. He simply said: “if you are focused on me when that moment comes, you will catch it”. In other words Elisha was told to keep “watching and praying”. Don’t get distracted. Otherwise you will miss the moment. When Christians slip away from watching and praying, they will always miss their moments of being blessed.
Such things are never taught to anyone. And both Elijah and Elisha understood that. The blessing has to be caught, at the very moment of its release, from the mouth of the person, who is blessing the receiver of the blessing.
Certain spiritual truths do need to be caught in the spirit only, rather than being taught. You can do all kinds of programs, seminars or conferences to prepare Christians for leadership positions. But if they are not well positioned to catch, from the anointing over your life; they are still going to miss that very moment to get blessed. Spiritual truths are always better imparted; when caught in the spirit, than when taught.
Elisha eventually saw Elijah being taken away into the skies. That was how he caught hold of the blessing and the anointing from his master.
The scriptures says:
“Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.”
2 Kings 2:13-15 NIV
Elisha was blessed by catching the moment, in the spirit and by the Spirit. The anointing that Elisha received was the blessing of Elijah itself. And the company of the Prophets, who were watching the first demonstration of what was caught by Elisha, were definitely imparted also. They started following Elisha, because they saw him moving and acting in the spirit of Elijah. This company of the Prophets from Jericho, must have been prayerful and watchful for this moment also. Their prayer lives had something to show for it. Israel was never left without a leader among the Prophets.
If you are not seeing yourself blessed in the spirit, you can never be able to hold on, to the good confession of it with your mouth (1 Timothy 6:12). You are able to receive the blessing in the spirit, by preparing yourself for it through a consecrated lifestyle, as you are continually watching and praying.
The Pentecost blessing was also caught
Jesus told the disciples many things, to prepare them for the moments, when He died, resurrected and ascended into the heavens. Even though they were well taught and instructed; their understanding of those spiritual truths remained vague. They never caught it, until the moment came for Jesus to ascend into the skies.
When Jesus was caught into the heavens all the disciples, who saw Him ascending were finally well positioned, to receive the Pentecost blessing.
The scriptures says:
“After he (Jesus) said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.”
Acts 1:9-10 NIV
The disciples caught it as they looked at Him being taken up into the skies. That was what made them ready, to receive the blessing; which was about to be poured down on Pentecost day.
The angels that appeared to them, as Jesus was ascending into the heavens told them:
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11 NIV
It was not enough for them to see Jesus ascending. The most important part was their ability to hold on, to the promise of His return. The very blessing of His return will be greater, than what the early disciples saw.
How were they to get themselves ready, for the blessing of Pentecost?
Jesus had given them a clear instruction to follow in getting ready for the moment. They were not to leave Jerusalem – the center of all the actions of His crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension. It was to be the beginning of a new thing for them also.
The Bible says:
“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 1:4-5 NIV
They knew that was the only way to catch the blessing of Pentecost. So they remained in Jerusalem, getting themselves ready to catch the moment. They did this by doing, exactly what Jesus had told them to be doing -watching and praying.
They never wanted or needed the side attractions, from the social and the dead religious lifestyle at Jerusalem. They knew that would had taken their eyes, off the instructions of Jesus to them. In reality they finally caught all what Jesus had told them before.
The scriptures says again:
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”
Acts 1:14 NIV
They were doing as Jesus taught them to do – “watching and praying” constantly. That was all they needed to be doing. They were not ready to even mingle with the crowd at Jerusalem yet. They never wanted side attractions away from the blessing of the moment. They all knew that there was so much at stake. They couldn’t afford to miss it now. They had spent more than three years, waiting for this moment. They had left their families, relatives, friends and businesses; to get to this moment. This was the very hope for the future of Israel as a nation. They were to be the ones to carry the light of the God of Israel to the end of the earth. So they continued watching and praying, until they received the blessing of the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost in the upper room.
Your prayer life will prepare you
What the early disciples did, in getting themselves prepared for the blessing, is not different from what you will have to do also, if you are waiting to catch what the Lord is about to do for you.
Your prayer life will help you to separate what you need, away from the unnecessary things of your life. Don’t take everything that you see other people doing, as being for your life and calling in God. Don’t ever accept those things on the face value. You don’t ever want to participate in other people’s sin. That will definitely block your pathway into receiving from God (James 4:4).
This is very important especially when you know by the spirit, what the Lord is leading and guiding you into. You know that you don’t need such things, to fulfill the call of God over your life.
Be smart to separate what is spiritual, from what comes from the flesh, and what comes from the traditions of men. You do need the spiritual blessing alone for your prosperity, and not the elementary things of this world, which often entangles men in bondages to sin. Be careful and be very watchful. Prayer and intercession helps you to do this.
Some will still never get it. Don’t be troubled about them
There are certain people who are just weak, when it comes to praying. That’s why they will often miss out of the blessing of the Lord to prosper themselves. No matter how long you teach them, or try to help them in catching the blessing; they will never get it. They are just spiritually dull. The best you can do for them, is to continually pray for them in the spirit and by the Spirit.
An example can be found in the life of King Jehoash of Israel (2 Kings 13:14-19). He needed the blessing desperately from Elisha before the Prophet’s demise, but he was not spiritually prepared for it.
The scriptures says:
“Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”
2 Kings 13:14-19 NIV
The King did every other thing correctly, except for the last one. He struck the arrows three times only on the ground. He could have done it more than that, in the presence of the man of God, whom he called his father. He was not prepared for the blessing from the man of God. He had a good heart before God, but he was just not that spiritually prepared for Elisha to bless him. He never caught it, even though he wanted it so desperately.
And there may be believers in Christ around you right now, who are receptive of spiritual things just like King Jehoash. You just have to keep loving them, as you are praying for them continually, to catch whatever God is depositing in their lives. Just because they are receptive, does not means that they do have the understanding, to prosper with the wisdom that they are receiving from you.
But don’t ever let them wear you out. There may be the tendency for them, to get over reliant on you, to help them spiritually at all times. Many had often made the mistake, of getting too spiritually attached with such people. If you allow them to get too comfortable, with you helping them at all times; the danger for you is that they may start draining you out spiritually.
They are not ready to learn anything, that will help them to grow up spiritually into maturity. You’ve got to learn how to distance yourself from them, by setting up boundaries around your personal prayer life. You need to hear from God always, and not from them.
If the Lord gives you a word or leads you to minister to them; that’s the only time you should do, whatever the Lord tells you to do for them. The truth is that many people like these, just like to get unnecessary attention for themselves. And you don’t need all of their shows around you.
And very often some people will do this, without even realizing what they are doing. They may be ignorant of what they are doing. And many of them do not means, to be a hindrance to others in this way. But the Devil does has a way of manipulating them in this way, so as to pull down those who are strong.
Just because someone is blessed or anointed for something, doesn’t means that he is able to prosper with it. There are people without the spiritual understanding, about how to apply the wisdom of God in them for prosperity. Watch and pray!
Remember that Jesus had twelve apostles. One of them (Judas Iscariot) betrayed Him, and caught the curse instead of the blessing. Judas Iscariot could not catch the blessing of the resurrection, because he was still struggling with many things, like greed for money in his life. He would have received forgiveness from Jesus after he resurrected; but Judas missed out of a greater blessing for the curse.
Another Apostle (Thomas) struggled to get positioned into the blessing of Jesus’ resurrection. He was trying to reason out the blessing in his mind. The blessing of prosperity is spiritual. The mind doesn’t understand it initially at all. It is beyond reasoning. The mind must be renewed to flow along with it. The blessing can only be received, or caught in the spirit. But Thomas later on ceased struggling, and became a carrier of the gospel into Asia.
Note that:
“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.”
1 John 2:27 NIV
Remember that the anointing for prosperity in you, is ignited through prayer and intercession, as you give yourself to righteous living. The more revelations from God about the blessing that you are receiving, the more you will experience the prosperity of the Lord in reality, as you begin to faithfully declare what God says to you.
As the Psalmist affirmed:
“Yes, the Lord keeps raining down blessing after blessing, and prosperity will drench the land with a bountiful harvest.”
Psalms 85:12 TPT
The Lord is the One who keeps raining down the revelations, about the blessing into your heart, until His prosperity saturates every thing, that you touch with your hand. You can’t ever figure out the blessing with your mind. It is meant to be believed at heart, and to be confessed with the mouth. The blessing is first spiritual, before you can start applying your faith to it, in making it to physically manifest.
Live in the Spirit always
And because the blessing is spiritual, it can only be transferred and received with the spoken words.
Jesus said:
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
John 6:63 NKJV
It is the Spirit Who gives life, Who also manifests the blessing in your life. As Jesus says, it is the spoken words that are confessed with the mouth, which releases the Spirit and the life into your blessing; for you to be able to recognize and receive it. That’s how you will be led to have healing, peace, joy and every other things, in fulfilling the call of God over your life.
If you can’t grasp the blessing of the Lord first in the spiritual realm, then you can never tap into its physical manifestation at all. You can’t take hold of what you are not seeing by faith in the spirit, and by the Spirit of God in you. There are many things that you will never be taught. Some of these things are caught in the spirit, and by the spirit only. Financial prosperity, healing, peace, joy and much more are all included in such things.
If you can’t see yourself blessed in the ministry, then you can’t walk in the physical manifestation of the blessing, that has been made available to you, as you’re serving the Lord (even faithfully) in your calling.
As Paul said:
“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 2:9-14 NIV
The blessing is spiritual, and can only be received or caught in the spirit, for you to prosper with it. Did you catch the moment into your blessing? Your moment is now. Take it and begin to do exploits with it now, by being watchful and prayerful.
