Prosperity And Obedience
Many Christians hate on the modern-day prosperity message, finding it distasteful, self-serving, and incorrectly focused. The fact of the matter is God does desire prosperity for us, both in this present life and the one to come. But we focus on and try to get this prosperity through actions: prayer, giving to God in expectation of a return, and honest hard work. These are Godly and admirable, but there is a disconnect: the emphasis of these actions is all on the outcome. There's something missing.In Malachi 2, God's people equally were searching for this prosperity through the same actions, but they were not receiving what they were asking for and working towards. It got to the point they were wailing in frustration on God's altar. What were they forgetting? That self-drive and determination only goes so far. True obedience matters more. God always wants the way we live to be the emphasis of our drive, not getting what we want at the end.
Related Post: Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
The reality is physical prosperity comes only as a by-product of spiritual obedience. Concentrate on the self-developmental areas God's specifically drawing your attention to. Areas he wants you to submit and obey in, areas you'd rather not deal with and instead get distracted by other goals. Like a prosperity message. (It may even be that God wants you to learn the important lesson of how to be content with little, after all). Take your focus off what you want and place it on what God wants to do in you and around you. Because when your self-determination kicks in to work for what you desire to the point you're ignoring obeying God in the still small areas, then God almighty steps out of the picture and all your earthly efforts get simply left to random chance (Ecclesiastes 9:11).So yes, ask of God what you desire, remembering "you have not because you ask not". But also remember "seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all else will be added unto you". It's a good reminder. Because God can't advance you in the other areas, including prosperity and resource, until you obey and allow Him to advance you (sometimes painfully) in the areas that He's waiting to. It's what we do and the effort we apply in the Spiritual realm that echoes in the physical realm, automatically.