Disobedience to God's Word (Deuteronomy, Chapter 28:1-20) talks about the blessing of obeying God's Word [His voice] and the curse of

disobedience. Chapter 29 states that the Covenant God made with Israel was not just for them, but for future generations of Israel. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are heirs to that promise. God's Word is based on a Covenant Relationship [agreement], which is made up of promises. Understanding those promises and meeting the conditionof the promises, will determine whether or not we will see the manifestation of all that God promised and provided--"ALL THAT PERTAINS TO LIFE AND GODLINESS." (2 Peter 1:3, 4)

Get to know God's Will for your life. We encourage you to meditate in and on His Word day and night, even a God instructed Joshua, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall mediate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8)

Refusing Instruction / Unteachable - (Proverbs 13:18) "Poverty and shame shall be to him who refuses instruction and correction, but he who heeds reproof shall be honored. "A person who is not willing to received instruction is allowing pride to hinder them from getting the help they need. "Pride goeth before destruction haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)

Laziness/Slothfulness - (Proverbs 24:30 & 34) "I went by the field, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered its face, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I beheld and considered well; I looked and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep; so shall your poverty come as a robber and your want as an armed man." (Proverbs 12:27) "The slothful man will not catch his game, or roast it if he should kill it; but the diligent man will get precious possessions."

Lack of Knowledge/Ignorance - (Hosea 4:6) "My people are destroyed [perish] for lack of knowledge...because you have rejected knowledge [the knowledge of Me]." Find out what God's will is concerning your finances.

Oppressing [robbing] the poor - (Proverbs 22:16, 22,23) "A person that gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty...Do not rob the poor because they are poor or exploit the needy in court. For the Lord is their defender. He will injure anyone who injures them."

Misfortune that God will use for His glory, if we trust in Him - (1 Kings 17 and Genesis 37-45) Joseph's experience that ultimately placed him in position as a ruler of Egypt (He went from the pit to the palace).

Withholding / Selfishness - Giving is a law of God. He calls it "seedtime and harvest." We must sow "seed" in order to receive the harvest "supply, provision, wealth." (Proverbs 11:24-26) "There are those who [generously] scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it tends only to want. The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered. The person will curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it], but a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it."

Lust for things / Uncontrolled Desires - (Psalms 106:13-15) "They hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] respecting them; but lusted exceedingly...and tempted and tried to restrain God [with their insitent desire]...And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls and [thinned their numbers by] disease and death."

Unforgiveness will hinder your blessings and God's forgiveness - (Matthew 6:14, 15) "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." It is sin that hinders your blessings. Forgive and receive forgiveness, click here.

A bad attitude affects your finances and God's provision - (Numbers 14:1-3, 5-9) Complaining is a bad attitude and shows a lack of faith in God to work in your behalf. "Then all the people began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of complaint against Moses and Aaron. "We wish we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!" They wailed. "Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle?"..."Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the people of Israel....They said to the community of Israel, "The land we explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey, and he will give it to us! Do not rebel against the Lord, don't be afraid of the people of the land."

Honor the Lord with your money - (Proverbs 3:9) "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces." (Malachi 3:6-12) "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, "In what way do we rob or defraud You? In [You have withheld your] tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse; for you are robbing Me. Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes [the whole tenth of your income] into the storehouse [church fellowship], that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it", says the Lord of Hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field", says the Lord of Hosts. "And all nations [people] shall call you happy and blessed; for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of Hosts." Read about how you can position yourself for the windows of heaven to be opened over all areas of your life.

Wickedness attracts the curse of the Lord - (Proverbs 3:33) "The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but his blessing is on the home of the upright."

Co-Signing for another man's debt - (Proverbs 6:1-5) "My child, if you co-sign a loan for a friend or guarantee the debt of someone you hardly know--if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said--quick, get out of it if you possibly can! You have placed yourself at your friend's mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don't put it off. Do it now! Don't rest until you do. Save yourself like one escaping from a hunter, like bird fleeing from a nest." (Proverbs 17:18) "It is poor judgment to co-sign a friend's note, to become responsible for a neighbor's debt." (Proverbs 22:26, 27) "Do not co-sign another person's note or put up a guarantee for someone else's loan. If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you."

Debt - (Romans 13:8) "Owe no man anything, but to love one another:.." (Proverbs 22:7) "Just as the rich rule over the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender"

Walking in Wisdom brings blessings and success - (Proverbs 10:6, 22) "The godly are showered with blessings...The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich and he adds no sorrow with it." (Proverbs 12:2) "The Lord approves of those who are good, but he condemns those who plan wickedness." (Proverbs 16:20) "Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust in the Lord will be happy." (Proverbs 11:14) "Where no wise guidance is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety."

Wisdoms's Keys to Success:

1. Love Wisdom (Proverb 19:8; 23:3, 4)

2. Live a godly life (Proverbs 28:20, 25-28)

3. Obey God's Word (Proverbs 13:13)

4. Put God first in everything you do (Proverbs 3:6, 9, 10)

5. Commit your work to the Lord (Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 16:3)

6. Get and follow wise counsel (Proverbs 9:11)

7. Admit and forsake your mistakes (Proverbs 28:13)

8. Work hard and remember steady going brings success. Tryring to make it

happen overnight will just end in trouble. (Proverbs 12:3, 11, 24;

Proverbs13:4; Proverbs 21:5; Proverbs 22:29; Proverbs 23:4, 5; Proverbs

27:23-27)

Income - (Proverbs 3:9, 10) "Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors], and with the first fruits of all your income; so shall your storages places be filled with plenty, and your vats be overflowing with new wine." (Proverbs 12:11) "He who tills his land shall be satisfied with bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits is lacking in sense and without understanding." (Proverbs 13:11) "Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases." (Proverbs 14:23) "In all labor there is profit, but idle talk leads only to poverty." Read about how you can cause God's blessings to be upon your finances.

Business Affairs/Investments - (Proverbs 28:19) "He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty." (Proverbs 27:23) "Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds..." (Proverbs 31:16-18) "She considereds a new field before she buys or accepts it--expanding prudently [and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming others]. With her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm. She tastes and see that her gain from work [with and for God] is good."

Foolishnes/Self-Confidence - (Proverbs 21:20) ""There are precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish manswallows it up and wastes it."

Cheating and Defrauding Others - (Proverbs 28:8) "He who increases his wealth by exhorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor."

Generosity and Stinginess - (Proverbs 11:24, 25) "There are those who [generously] scatter abroad, and yet increases more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it tends only to want. The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered." (Proverbs 22:9) "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." (Proverbs 28:22) "A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him."

Faith is the Key to Success and True Prosperity - (Proverbs 28:20) "A faithful man will abound with blessings; but he who makes haste to be rich [at any cost] shall not be unpunished."

(Romans 4:13-25) "It is clear, that God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his decendents was not based on obedience to God's law, but on the new relationship with God that comes by faith. So if you claim that God's promise is for those who obey God's law and think they are "good enough" in God's sight, then you are saying that faith is useless. And in that case, the promise is also meaningless. But the law brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) So that's why faith is the key! God's promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures means when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn't exist before. When God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, Abraham believed him. God had also said, "Your decendants will be as numerous as the stars", even though such a promise seemed utterly impossible! And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children. Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger and in this he brought glory to God. He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised. And because of Abraham's faith God declared him to be righteous. Now this wonderful truth--that God declared him to be righteous--wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God. Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest priviledge where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory."

Release your faith for God's best in your life by praying a Prayer of Faith & Victory Click here.

Why Some People Fail to Prosper

Is it God's will for His people to live in debt and lack? Absolutely not, according to Philippians 4:19: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Notice this scripture doesn't say that God will meet only our most pressing needs, or the bills due the first of the month. No, the scripture says He will meet all our need.

What does all mean? According to Webster's Dictionary all means "the whole amount of quanity or the whole number of sum." When the scriptures says that God supplies all the need, He obviously doesn't want us living in lack and insufficiency.

So the immediate question becomes: "If it's not God's will for His children to live in lack, debt, and insufficiency, then why are so many in financial bondage?"

IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM

The difficulty is that far too many believers want the gifts, benefits, and promises of God without ever knowing God personally and intimately, the way He deserves to be known [and wants us to know Him]. We must have a relationship with God based on righteousness, holiness, and praise for who He is; being thankful, grateful or Who He is to us and for all He has already provided for us. Just like any father would, Our Father desires and deserves the same. Wouldn't you agree?

"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." (1 Timothy 4:8)

We see that godliness is profitable. According to Strong's Greek and Hebrew Dictionary, profitable is derived from the word "ophelos" which means "to heap up, and it works to your advantage and profit."

This scripture continues by saying, "...having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

Every Christian hears about God's concern over their eternal life, but He is also very interested in your life and your finances RIGHT NOW! [In fact, the very details of your life!]

KNOWING THE WHOLE TRUTH

I grew up in a church that taught four things: get saved, so you can go to heaven, miss hell, and have a mansion in the sky. The Christians in our church commonly believed that if a person was rich they had to be a secret sinner because honest godly people didn't have money.

God wants us to profit in the life hereafter, but he is also concerned about the quality of your life, right here, right now. A major reason some Christians fail to prosper is because they're more concerned with prosperity than with godliness and righteousness. In His Word, God lays out a clear plan on how every beleiver can experience biblical prosperity.

SEEK...LISTEN...OBEY

"...as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper." (2 Chronicles 26;5)

"If they listen and obey God, then they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be pleasant." (Job 36:11)

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

If you are going to seek something, you've got to focus your efforts to go after it. You have to be bold, vigilant, and determined. In order to receive biblical prosperity you've got to seek His righteousness and then all [there's that word again] these "things" shall be added to you.

Is having your mortgage paid off a "thing?" Is having your car paid for a "thing?" Is having your credit card bills paid a "thing?" Is having all your debts paid in full a "thing?" Is having yor retirement properly funded a "thing?" The answer to all these questions is "Yes."

But notice the sequence, first you seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all these things will be added to you. Relationship and righteousness precede the prosperity.

FOCUSING ON THE WRONG THING

All too often believers have a tendency to focus on the wrong thing when asking for financial miracles. I once had a lady ask me to pray in agreement with her for a new tire. I told her I'd be glad to, but suggested we pray like this:

"Father, I want to thank you that I have a car to drive with three good tires. I want to thank you that I have money to buy gas and that it's not $7 a gallon like in England. I want to thank you that I can drive my car to work, to church, to see family and friends. I want to thank you that I can drive from one side of my community to the other without needing a permit. I want to thank you that I can drive along my highway without having to worry about land mines or bombs exploding. Father, I want to thank you for all you've done for me and I thank you in advance for the new tire that you're about to manifest in my life. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray, Amen."

Is it important to praise God for what He's already done in our life? Absolutely! It's in the Book. Psalm 35:27 says: "Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually [all the time], Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant."

Verse 27 is so exciting that it makes us want to jump up, shout, and run for joy. However, the very next verse (28) reveals a powerful insight on what every believer should do when confronted with the appearance of lack. In fact, verse 28 reveals a powerful strategy on defeating every attack of the enemy.

"And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long."

Did you see that word all once again? We are to continually praise God for His righteousness and how He is continually [all the time] manifesting His presence in our lives through His prosperity.

Praise God for what He has already one in your life. Recall past victories to your remembrance. It will defeat the devil in every situation.

DID I EVER TELL YOU ABOUT THE TIME?

In 1 Samuel 17 when David was visiting his brothers on the battlefield, he offered to fight Goliath. But King Saul responded by saying, "You're just a boy." Then David replied by saying, "Did I ever tell you about the time when I was tending my father's sheep and I killed a lion and a bear?"

When the enemy attacks you, your family, your finances or your health, you should follow the steps that eventually made David a king by telling the devil:

"Did I ever tell you about the time when I was a sinner destined for hell and Jesus reached down and pulled me up out of the miry clay and set my feet on the solid rock? Did I ever tell you about the time when I lost my job and God gave me a better job? Did I ever tell you about the time when my child was addicted to drugs and God set him free? Did I ever tell you about the time when I didn't have money for food, or the car payment, or the mortgage payment and God supernaturally opened a door of provision? Did I ever tell you how good my God has been to me?"

When the enemy attacks, you need to immediatly remind him of all the times that God has delivered you out of the bondages of life.

Where does the breakthrough in your finances start? By praising God...by seeking His righteousness. Then He will meet all your needs and all these things will be added unto you.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

"Now Listen! Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death." (Deuteronomy 30:15)

God gives you the choice. You choose how you want to live. Start praising your way to prosperity so you may enjoy all the benefits of biblical prosperity manifesting in your life.

"...observe what the Lord your God requires...so that you may prosper." (1 Kings 2:3)

The reason some Christians fail to prosper is because they have neglected true godliness. That includes praising God for how He has continually manifested His presence in your life. If you want to have all these things added unto you, then you must let your voice praise God all the day long.

Harold Herring, Co-Founder and President of Debt Free Army