Did you know there is more written in the Bible about finances than on heaven, hell, prayer, or faith? Jesus taught more about this subject than any other, so it’s obvious that the stewardship of money is very important to God. However, there is an ‘anti-prosperity teaching’ attitude in the church today, even though most of the people with that attitude want to prosper as well.

You know, when I teach on healing, it’s not so I can be healed; I’m already walking in divine health. Likewise, when I teach on financial stewardship, it’s not for my financial benefit but for yours. Jamie and I love you and just want to see you walking in the grace of God, full of faith, healthy, and prosperous. Faith comes from hearing God’s Word (Rom. 10:17), and faith for prosperity comes from hearing teaching on prosperity. You need to know what Scripture says about prosperity.

Financial stewardship is probably one of the most misunderstood subjects in the Bible, yet it’s one of the most important.

Jesus said in Luke 16:10-11,

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

In other words, if you aren’t faithful in the area of finances - the least area of faithfulness - you won’t be faithful in greater areas. Some people aren’t healed because they never develop their faith in the area of finances. Don’t misunderstand - I’m not saying that you can buy your healing. But there are people who aren’t seeing their healing manifest because they never trusted God “in that which is least” (Luke 16:10). That may not be true in every case, but it is often the problem. This is the starting place. You can’t skip this.

Many people believe the money they have belongs to them. After all, they earned it. They’ve scrimped and they’ve saved. They may even be working two jobs to make ends meet. They worked for it, so it must be theirs. Right? Wrong.

Your bank account may be in your name, and you may have the title to your car or the deed to your home. But God is the one who gave you the ability to prosper. Before you can be a good steward of your finances, you must recognise God is your source. He gave you your life, your breath, your talents, and your abilities.

Deuteronomy 8:18 says,

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Notice God doesn’t give us wealth directly. He gives us the power, or ability, to get wealth. Whether you realise it or not, God is the source of your prosperity. He gives you an anointing that enables you to prosper. The real asset is not the money - not the house, not the car, not the physical, tangible things - it is the anointing from God to produce wealth. The real asset is the favour of God. Money isn’t prosperity; money is the byproduct of prosperity. Many Christians fall into the trap of measuring prosperity by the number of things they have. Being prosperous is relying on God as your source.

When we understand that God is the source of all our blessing, it’s easy to realise that we are the stewards of all that He gives us. One definition of steward is a person who manages the affairs, especially the money, of another person. If we understand financial stewardship properly, it will enable us to be a blessing to others.

The reason God makes grace abound toward you is so you’ll abound - give - to every good work. The real motive behind finances shouldn’t be to get - it should be to give. This is a critical point.

Many people who reject teaching on biblical prosperity do so because they see it as selfish or greedy. They say, “I’ve got enough. I may not be rich, but I have a roof over my head and my basic needs covered. I don’t want or need anymore.” But that is the selfish attitude. If you have all you need, trust God for more so you can help others. The thinking that says, “I’ve got enough - forget everyone else” is the truly selfish attitude. We need to prosper; not so we can have more, but so we can be a bigger blessing.

I’ve been called by God to raise up Charis Bible College, which is transforming lives by the thousands around the world. And our graduates will go to the four corners of the earth to take the Gospel as far and as deep as possible. It’s a big vision, and I can’t do it alone. It takes a lot of money to accomplish this. That’s why I pray that you will prosper unto every good work (2 Cor. 9:8). That’s what financial stewardship is all about.

I’m not able to cover everything I want to say on this topic in this letter, but I encourage you to get my Financial Stewardship package, which includes the Financial Stewardship book and study guide, the Financial Breakthroughs DVD, and your choice of either the Financial Stewardship CD or DVD album series.

God has a divine purpose for your finances. Learn how to steward His resources in your life! You won’t regret it. You’ll be blessed to be a blessing! Order by going online to awme.net/steward, or by calling the Helpline at +44(0) 1922 473300.