As a Servant of God you are already positioned before God, to be able to tap into the abundance of your riches in God’s Kingdom. Everything in God’s Kingdom belongs to you; but it is only with your faith that you can begin, to gain access into all of your riches and wealth in Christ Jesus.
Your faith in God will give you far more than, what men will ever give to you, in fulfilling the vision that God gave to you. Don’t ever allow the words or promises of men to become, the driving engine of your ministry. You will be terribly disappointed if you ever make that mistake.
God’s word will always lift you up and sustain you, in your moments of desperation for finances in the ministry. Remember that men are always limited; but your loving Father is never limited. He longs to do far more than, whatever your imaginations can perceive to prosper you (Ephesians 3:20).
In your moments of prayer and the ministry of the word, you do have many opportunities in turning to God; so as to fellowship and commune with Him, as you strengthen yourself in His promises to you. Those moments are very crucial for you, to tap into the knowledge of God’s wisdom in prospering you.
Those moments does require your time and ability, to be able to tarry as you wait in His presence. Unfortunately very few Christians do have the ability, to spend that quality time with their Father. Many are often busying themselves, in doing stuffs around their ministries. And as a result of this they do often go into His presence; by just “zooming in and zooming back out”, into their own spiritual bubbles.
They then will end up saying that they are moving ahead by faith, in doing what they had predetermined on their own volition to do. But in reality they are just saying that, they are moving ahead without a word of wisdom from God, about the finances for the project. This is how many has later on meet their financial “waterloo” (or failure).
The consequences of this is that they will start putting pressures on their congregations and supporters, to give money in supporting that vision; instead of putting pressure on God’s promises to them, in manifesting for the wisdom into where the money is. Do not forget that your ability to put pressure on God’s word, to perform in manifesting what He promises you, requires that you should be spending quality time with Him.
That’s the real world of most Preachers of the gospel today. They want financial prosperity without spending quality time, with the God who will prosper them. Many are resorting to this due to indirect and unconscious peer pressures. They see others doing this, and they are doing the same thing. But don’t ever forget first of all that, your Heavenly Father really longs for you, to be spending quality time in His presence; more than anything else that you are doing right now in the Kingdom.
It takes real bible faith to tarry and wait upon the Lord. Don’t ever be in a hurry to leave His presence. His presence is your mountain of transfiguration. God wants to change you first in His presence, before giving you the promised prosperity. If you will have to receive from Him what He promised you without being changed first; the financial prosperity will destroy you and everything, that you are working so hard to built. It will destroy you because, your Christian character has not yet been fully developed, to sustain such a huge amount of money, that God wants to pour into your ministry. Do not miss this crucial key to your prosperity. Learn to wait and tarry upon the Lord.
David said:
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.””
Psalms 91:1-2 NKJV
God’s secret place is where you dwell in His presence, as you are waiting on Him. That’s the place where you can always find your provisions, prosperity, security and protections. You can’t experience the prosperity of the Lord, if you can’t spend time with Him. And in most cases He may not even tell you, or show you anything as you tarry in His presence. But by just standing and waiting upon Him on a daily basis, you are being built up and changed on the inner man, to be prepared in receiving and in carrying the blessing that’s about to be poured into your life. You will learn so much from His presence that will amaze you, as He prepares you for that next assignment.
Those types of lessons in His presence, are what no man on earth can ever give to you. The Lord will instruct you by Himself. He will start guiding you step by step into your secret wealthy place. That place may initially not look prosperous; but it is by using your faith that you will have to start turning it into what God desire to give you. Remember that Israel was promised the land that flows with “milk and honey”; but they had to use their faith to take every piece of land. They had to use violence to take it from the enemy. And in every battle God’s presence was always going before them. Without a word from God they could not go out into battle victoriously. Your prosperity is not different from theirs. You can’t be prosperous in your own strength. Wait and tarry in His presence. When you hear from God the possession of what is yours’ becomes easier.
Those moments in His presence are when you will receive inside information from above, concerning your hidden riches in Christ Jesus. God is hiding many things specifically for you to enjoy later. They are hidden from you now so that, you won’t have to give the enemy something to weaponize in destroying you and the vision. No other person will be granted access into those things but you alone. And it is only by faith as you wait in His presence, that you will ever get that access.
Just believe as you acknowledge that He sees you, even when you don’t see or understand anything in His presence. Yes, your faith is crucial to your ability to wait on the Lord. God is there with you always. It is wonderful to always wait in His presence.
Your provisions for what He asked you to do, are always from Him. Even though men may be the vessels, that are often used in supplying them; but the very source of everything is always God.
Don’t lean towards men. Have faith in God
Since you are relying on God and not on men; don’t ever allow the board members, as well as other groups in your Church or ministry, to become the backbone of what God called you to do. God is your strongest Financier, Partner and Supporter. And if these people are truly working for God, in helping you to fulfill your vision; they will be hearing His voice clearly, just as you are hearing Him now.
There is no confusion or anarchy within the body of Christ. God is a God of orderliness. He will lead you as you work together with them, in helping you to fulfill your vision without any controversies.
But if they can’t afford to fall in line, with what God has called you to do; then they surely have outlived the main purpose, for their existence with the vision. Your leadership teams were created to help you in fulfilling your vision, and not their own selfish agendas. They were not created to manipulate or control your anointing either. You are answerable and accountable to them in fulfilling your vision, just as much as your utmost accountability is before God. And as long as you’re following God’s command to you, He will always lead you and show you the ways and means, to financially sustain the vision.
There has been many callings, visions and dreams from the Lord, that has been financially strangled, in the middle of “leadership politics” within Churches and Christian organizations. But you surely don’t need all of that nonsense, with the anointing over your life. All of that are the works and strategies of Satan, to hinder and stop you from prospering with your anointing. You will surely do better without them, while keeping yourself in the love of God in dealing with these groups. The One who called you is your Source. He will keep you stronger and sustain you. Put your faith in Him (Philippians 4:7).
Always recast your vision
The scriptures gave a clear blueprint from the early Church, in separating your calling and anointing from that of others within the Church, when it says:
“Some time later, as the number of disciples kept growing, there was a quarrel between the Greek-speaking Jews and the native Jews. The Greek-speaking Jews claimed that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of funds. So the twelve apostles called the whole group of believers together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the preaching of God’s word in order to handle finances. So then, brothers and sisters, choose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and we will put them in charge of this matter. We ourselves, then, will give our full time to prayer and the work of preaching.”
Acts 6:1-4 GNB
You were called full time into the ministry of “prayer and the work of preaching”. That is your calling and your ministry. And it doesn’t really matter if you are an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher. That’s what God called you to be doing. You are only able to stand in your calling, as long as you’re committed to “prayer and the work of preaching”; just as the twelve apostles at Jerusalem did.
Don’t ever take your anointing for “prayer and the work of preaching”, to be running the finances of the Church full time; just because there is no one else to do it. You can’t allow yourself to fall into that trap of Satan, with such a silly excuse of not having people to help you. You do have the power of God over your life, to delegate authority to those who are available and around you right now to do it. Use your authority wisely, and put the money aspect behind you. You don’t have time for all of that. Money is meant to follow you, wherever your Heavenly Father sends you to go. You were never called to be chasing after money, but you were called to be pursuing the presence of God; so as to be better effective in winning the lost souls for God’s Kingdom.
The whole world is waiting for the manifestation, of that anointing over your life in greater measure. So start separating yourself now, for prayer and the work of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s the position from where God will begin to bless you. You are about to step into your abundant prosperity, as you begin to walk in your rightful position of authority.
Many had fallen before your time from the grace of God, as they deviated from their original calling and ministry, in order to be chasing after money. God never called them to do ministry for money, but rather to save the lost. And they knew it. But the desire in them for the worldly pleasures, overcame and overruled their callings. And before they knew it, the enemy had enticed and drawn them far away from their callings, into the pursuit of the riches of this world.
Remember what Paul said:
..“we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.”
2 Corinthians 2:17 NIV
God can give you all the riches of this world, without you necessarily having to loose your focus, in the calling over your life. You are answerable before God, for the ministry of prayer and the preaching of the gospel. While those to whom authority has been delegated under you, are also answerable before God in ministering over the finances of God’s Kingdom under you. Don’t ever use your anointing for what God never called you to do. You will be giving the Devil leverage to attack you if you do this.
Your calling and the ministry should be getting you so busy, to the extent that you don’t even have the time, to be micromanaging anyone and everything that they are doing under you. You surely don’t have time for all of that, if you are truly committed to prayer and the preaching of the word.
Leadership through prayer
If you are truly devoted to the ministry of prayer (as an example); God will always take care of issues within the church administrations on your behalf, that may need your attention. He will do this through your devotion to prayer and intercession, as He reveals things that may need your attention to you. And He will show you exactly how to resolve those issues, if you are really devoted to prayer and intercession.
That’s why Paul advised you:
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 6:18 NIV
You can pray about the things, that you have delegated authority for in the spirit. And that’s the most effective way to pray for them, because there are many things going on, that may be passing you by. But you will only get a glimpse into them, as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray about them. And as you pray in the spirit (or in tongues), God knows how to direct those to whom authority had been delegated, in making the right financial and administrative decisions. It is your duty to lift them up in the spirit always, and not to micromanage them.
Give them the opportunities to function with their gifts and anointing, so that they may become a blessing to the body of Christ. Their gifts will surely promote them. Remember that Stephen would not had become the first martyr for the gospel, if the twelve apostles did not give him the opportunity, to function with his gift as an evangelist in the Church at Jerusalem (Acts 6:8-7:1-60). Phillip also would not had evangelized Samaria and Ethiopia, if he had not been given the room for the advancement with his gift (Acts 7:4-40). Don’t be a party with those who are hindering the spread of the gospel. Give those to whom authority has been given, the opportunity to grow under your anointing.
It is however their responsibility to fix issues on your behalf, as you focus on the calling and the ministry, which God has put over your life. You don’t have to put yourself in the mix of every decision making process. And if anything really needs your attention, God will show it to you, as you’re devoted to the ministry of prayer and intercession. There are many things that you can get yourself into. But are they really as important as your devotion to prayer and the preaching of the gospel? If authority has been delegated to others, then let them take care of those things that are committed into their hands.
Your board members or Church elders do not have any business, in telling you what to preach or what not to preach. God is the One who tells you that, during your devotion to prayer and the word. Their business is to administratively run the Church faithfully on your behalf. And the quicker they are obedient to God in this, the better for them and for God’s people also.
Spend quality time in prayer and the Word with your team
But you however need to be spending quality time in the word and prayer with them also. Don’t ever get too busy to the extent that, you don’t have the time to fellowship with your team in the word and prayer. The enemy wants you to believe that they don’t need you, since they are spiritually matured. But that’s a lie from hell.
The enemy’s plan is to spiritually detach and alienate you from them and the vision. If you are not spiritually connected with them daily, by sharing and recasting the vision with them; then you are really giving the Devil a foothold, into an area that will later do you lots of harm. Pray with them always. Take time out in mentoring them also.
Being in the ministry is a 24/7/365 days in a year occupation. You may never get time to go on vacations. And to be frank with you, you don’t ever retire from serving the Lord. You will always need to re-fire yourself, as you move on from glory to glory. Look at the lives of those who had retired. Their fire for the preaching the gospel and prayer becomes so quickly extinguished. Don’t be like them. You don’t ever want to go to be with the Lord, without the preaching of His Word on your lips. What a glorious way to meet Jesus face to face. That was the manner in which Stephen “fell asleep” (Acts 7:59-60). He went to be with Jesus in style, preaching the good news of Shalom. His last words opened the door for the salvation of (Saul) or Paul.
As Paul later told Timothy:
“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry”
2 Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV.
And you will constantly need to be giving your leadership team, some spiritual food and directions from time to time. Remember that the people that prays together, will always stick and stay together. And that’s your God’s winning team. They need you just as much as you need them also (Proverbs 27:17). Remember also that Jesus always shared His life daily with the disciples, before anointing them into apostleship. Follow the pattern of Jesus daily, in doing discipleship with them. Even when the time comes for you to release them from the ministry under you, you would have secured an unbreakable spiritual bond with them, through the ministry of prayer and the preaching of the word of God. They will always be a part of your ministry. They are the crowns of glory that you will have to present to Jesus, when you see Him face to face.
The result of this relationship with them on your ministry, will be exactly as it was on the early Church. The scripture says:
“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”
Acts 6:7 NIV
There was a huge growth in the early Church as a result of this. This is the type of healthy spiritual atmosphere that you need around your ministry also. When all the members of the body of Christ are doing, what God calls them to do; there will be increase and spiritual growth. There will also be orderliness within your local body of Christ. That’s how edification comes to the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16).
Your ministry will begin to grow and expand, when this biblical order is established around you. Your finances will begin to get healthier and prosperous. Growth will come into what you are doing, just as it happened in the early Church at Jerusalem. You surely do have a great harvest coming your way. I can see it. It is yours. Take it and start walking in your prosperity.
