Sometimes it can appear that ministry would be more successful if it could receive the full-time attention a job does not allow. But the decision to quit your job and live by faith should be preceded by much prayer. And the factor often missing in this consideration is this: You can live by faith while holding your job, too!
Borrowing money is not a sin.
But it isn’t God’s best either.
Everything in God’s Word is designed to keep you at the top in every area of life—including financially. You are called to be the head, not the tail; above, not beneath; and the lender, not the borrower (Deuteronomy 28:12-13). In other words, borrowing money is not the goal!
If you want to move to the top as God intended, make debt freedom your aim. Build your faith to receive cars, houses and anything else debt free. And make a decision to stop using credit cards!
Whenever praying and confessing isn’t yielding results, it is wise to look at other factors, which is what you’re doing.
Financial success and prosperity are promised in God’s Word, but like any other promise, there are conditions we must meet as well. Obedience is key to every promise. Without it, there is no guarantee of results. So, ask yourself the following:
Dara Maclean Petty has been writing songs since she was 7. Raised in a household of faith, her parents had always encouraged her to seek God’s will for her life. At 22, when her life seemed to have stalled, she wondered where she had gone wrong. When she pressed in to her heavenly Father, He was faithful to give her the wisdom she desired and her life began to change.
When it comes to certain lifestyle choices, as Christians, it is important to discern between absolute truth and what is a wise choice. The Apostle Paul said everything is permissible but not all things are beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23). In other words, if something is not expressly identified in the Word of God as sin, it does not necessarily make it the wisest choice.
First Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil” (KJV). Having money is not evil. It’s the love of money—covetousness—that leads to evil.
Yes, if given opportunity. And you can be sure Satan will try to take advantage of every opportunity made available to him (1 Peter 5:8). Many people are oppressed by Satan in their minds, as others are in their bodies. Satan cannot read our minds, but he can tempt us with wrong thoughts. The good news is that we can resist those thoughts by speaking God’s Word out of our mouths.
Debt-free living is certainly God’s best!
There is no question that it is God’s will for you to live debt free. His Word says He will make you the head and not the tail…and bless all the work of your hands…and you will lend and NOT borrow (Deuteronomy 28:12-13). That means He will help you get there!
On becoming debt-free, Gloria Copeland says, “You are only one decision away from debt freedom.”
Under the old covenant, the people of Israel were given dietary laws which outlined clean and unclean foods (Genesis 9:2-4; Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 7:23-27, 11:1-47, 17:10-16; Deuteronomy 14:3-21). Not only were these laws protective of their health, but they were also required to be obeyed in order to be in right-standing with God. If they obeyed, they were blessed; if they disobeyed, they came under the curse of the law (Deuteronomy 28).
The Church is precious to God, and your prayers make much power available to it. Here are some of the best ways to pray for your church.
1. Find scriptures to stand on concerning the strength and unity of your church. It is critical that we stand on the Word when we go to the throne of grace. As you pray over your church, pray according to the Word of God. His Word never returns void.
Your vote is important because when you vote, your ballot becomes your seed. By seeking the direction of the Lord and voting in faith, you are sowing toward God’s will coming to pass in our nation.
But how do you know who to vote for? How do you choose the right candidate? Start with your focus. Make sure it is on moral issues rather than on economic policies. When we understand that God—and not man—meets our needs (Philippians 4:19), it frees us to make decisions based solely on the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Events seemingly beyond natural explanation happen in all of our lives. But they are never God’s primary way of making His will known. He speaks through His Word and by His Spirit. That should always be the main focus of our attention.
As we grow in understanding of God’s Word, the Bible assures us that we can follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, who is our teacher and guide (John 14:26). When we seek His guidance we can be sure He will lead us into all truth.
Webster defines gambling as “the payment of a price for the chance to win a prize.” The lottery does fit this definition. While the Bible does not explicitly list gambling as a sin, the greater question for a believer is whether something is pleasing to God.
The Bible teaches clearly about the importance of good stewardship (Proverbs 21:20). Every dollar we have belongs to God and He is trusting us to manage it well. When we do, we reap a harvest.
Good success is a way of life that comes from being established in the Word of God. It comes from spending so much of your time and your thought life on the Word that it becomes what you and I could call "second nature." It comes from hearing and obeying the Word so consistently that it begins to guide your actions even when you're not consciously thinking about it.
Remember when you went to school and learned your ABCs? You learned them by using your five senses and your logical abilities to gather information and sort it out. That kind of knowledge is called natural knowledge and it's the only kind most people know anything about.
But in the kingdom of God, there's another kind of knowing. One that works its way from the inside out instead of from the outside in. It's called revelation knowledge.