God’s Financial Plan


These are tough economic times where the little guy can’t seem to catch a break. Well, why not team up with The Big Guy? With televangelist Don Stewart’s “Green Prosperity Prayer Cloth” you will receive and I quote “abundant blessings of financial prosperity.” The Green Prosperity Prayer Cloth is personally blessed and anointed by Don himself. It even comes with instructions! Be sure to order yours today.

The Prosperity Gospel is variously referred to as the “name it and claim it” Gospel, the “Blab It, and Grab It” Gospel, the “Health and Wealth” Gospel, the “Gospel of Success”, and the “Word of Faith” movement. Whatever the moniker, at its core, the Prosperity Gospel preaches that genuine religious conviction and conduct, usually in the form of tithes and other monetary donations, lead to financial prosperity. The gospel contends that financial prosperity and success in your private and professional lives is a sign of the Almighty’s blessings.

What are your thoughts on the Prosperity Gospel? Does God’s financial plan for all of us include untold wealth and riches? Many Prosperity Gospel proponents use Mark 10:30; Matthew 7:7-8; John 10:10; Deuteronomy 8:18; Galatians 3:14, and others to support their claim that financial prosperity is part of God’s financial plan for the devout (variously defined). Oral Roberts referred to such blessings as “Seed Faith”.

As you might have guessed, there is considerable debate over the Prosperity Gospel. 1 Timothy 6:10 states that, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil”. Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 18:22-25; and Matthew 6:24 are but a few of the scripture verses that seem to argue against the love of money and the accumulation of possessions. Since many of us suffer from the modern malady of “Affluenza”, it’s time we rethink God’s financial plan for us.

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15 Responses to God’s Financial Plan

  1. Molly Miles says:

    God never promised anyone worldly riches. He promises to provide for you, and to give you a “rich” life, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that being a Christian guarantees you will have a million dollars and drive a Porsche. By that motto, churches should have income-level entrance requirements, since all poor people (by America’s standards) are not Christians (which is obviously ridiculous). In my opinion, the “prosperity gospel” is nothing but con artists using God as a way to scam gullible and vulnerable people.

  2. Kristin Allinson says:

    I don’t believe God intended for the devout to be blessed through financial prosperity. Jesus himself was born to a poor family and lived a humble life. As sunday school teaches children from a young age, the “king of kings” didn’t have riches and jewles and crowns. He wore a crown of thorns.
    I personally don’t believe God necessarily rewards the devout, at least not in this life, but in the after life.

  3. jim_roberts says:

    Thanks for your insightful comments. Do you (and all of this blog’s other readers) feel Prosperity Gospel preachers are misinterpreting Mark 10:30, Matthew 7:7-8, John 10:10, and the other verses they cite in support of the Prosperity gospel?

  4. Jordan Dunnington says:

    The Prosperity Gospel, if its intention is to create rich Christians, is missing the point of the Gospel if that is its focus in bringing out certain verses to support their stance. Jesus makes it clear that “treasures on earth” should not be the goal of His Followers (Matt. 6:19). Instead, Jesus later says, we should not worry about what we will eat or wear the next day put Christ’s Kingdom first and all the ‘basic necessities’ will be given to you.
    If you take Jesus’ words, I believe you’ll see Christ is talking more in terms of sustenance than wealth. This is echoed by Paul in Phil. 4:11 where he says that he is content in whatever state he is in, whether rich or poor.

  5. Kathryn Zollars says:

    Tangible goods that represent wealth and prosperity in the world we live in today is not what God promised his Christian followers. I don’t think that being successful in what you do is a bad thing, it is what you do with the success you accomplish that truly makes you a good person. Looking to faith to justify your success as something obligated to you for your following of God is silly and false. I think a lot of people get lost in worrying about earthly possessions and forget true riches are what lie in Heaven. I don’t think people should look to the bible as fine print to justify and expect riches.

  6. Sarah Chankaya says:

    I don’t know how much this “prayer cloth” costs or what but is there a some form guarantee/warranty on the product if it doesn’t bring “abundant blessings of financial prosperity”? This televangelist sounds like that guy who predicted that the rapture was going to happen last summer… I really despise scams like these that undermine people’s religious beliefs.

  7. Landen Ellis says:

    I personally feel like the Prosperity Gospel is a scam. There are so many televangelists who make outrageous claims for ratings and financial gain. The Bible says nothing about wealth being part of the Christian walk. Tithing to your church and being faithful with what the Lord has provided is definitely acceptable but giving money towards something as ridiculous as a “Prosperity Prayer Cloth” is just stupid. No where is there biblical evidence to support such an item. I feel like it is wrong for this Pastor to profit off of such nonsense. I do believe the Lord blesses those who are financially faithful but this is just taking things too far in my opinion.

  8. Adam Jackson says:

    I believe tithing is an important part of living the christian life. 10% of your earning go directly to God, through your church. As for the scams on T.V. where you can by “holy water” and a “green prosperity prayer cloth” and other various items is absolutely ridiculous. It takes advantage of the uneducated and desperate people that tend to place hope in such items. It goes against what Jesus and Christians stand for.

  9. Johnny Olenick Jr. says:

    This “religious” movement has always been baffling to me. I mean, how many people can say that their wealth and happiness actually increased just because they gave soe guy money? It sounds pretty crazy, but I guess there is a lot of crazy these days. It’s just like when the Catholic church was selling indulgences for people to get into heaven. It’s just taking advantage of people’s religious needs and it’s ridiculous.

  10. Tori Moore says:

    I don’t think that God intended that for us. I think that giving is just part of being a Christian. I don’t believe that you need some fake cloth to give you anything. That is your relationship with the Lord, not buying some con artists product.

  11. Good one, thank you for sharing. Cheers

  12. Grayson Ricks says:

    I believe that The Green Prosperity Prayer Cloth that is personally blessed and anointed by Don himself is just taking advantage of people in times of need. In hebrew 13:5 it says Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” I think it is funny how he even made the cloth “green” in the reference to money.

  13. jim_roberts says:

    Great scripture reference and I think you hit the nail on the head regarding the green prayer cloth.

  14. Clare Berlinsky says:

    I could go on for a long time about the prosperity gospel.

    I, under no circumstance, think you should pray for financial success, because I do believe that THE LOVE OF MONEY (note, I didn’t say money) is the root of all evil. If you are looking to the King of the Universe solely for financial blessing, you’ve got the wrong guy. My God doesn’t want to give you treasure on earth, but rather treasure in Heaven. (Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also Matthew 6:21)

    I think that the prosperity gospel completely takes away from the character of God, and turns it into this “heaven is earth” ideology where they are basically preaching “this is as good as its going to get folks, so you should probably pray to God for financial blessing” when rather, God says that our treasure and life will be found in heaven, where there is no pain, or sickness or evil and goess what? NO MONEY!

    HOWEVER, I do believe that since God is the God of the universe, He “owns all the money in the world” (I say this to myself all the time when I can’t pay the bills) and I have SEEN money seemingly show up “out of thin air” to provide for a need. I have seen thousands of dollars show up hours before a due date to support a mission trip, and a collection taken to buy someone a brand new car in a matter of 20 minutes. I believe that if you believe to be a child of God, He desires to take care of you, and if you believe that the love of money is the root of all evil, and cling to Jesus rather than money, He will not leave His children out in the cold. Not that he will make money “appear” but He will find a way to get it paid for because He cares for His children and desires to look after them.

  15. Tyler Minchew says:

    I agree with a lot of comments posted. Good article

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