Wealth

Dream With God About Your Financial Life

In the midst of the daily grind, have you ever stopped to dream with God about what your financial life could look like? If you haven’t, now’s the time to start.

Why? Because things don’t always have to be like they are right now. And as a matter of fact, if you will take small steps with me (but mostly with God) over the course of this next year and beyond, they can look completely different in one year’s time.

Even in one month’s time.

For some of you, things could look different even in one week’s time.

It all depends on how much you want change–and desire to change usually comes when you are gripped by a dream.

So dream with God (and me) 🙂 about your financial life for a moment:

Money Answers All Things

Have you wondered why your money sometimes disappears before you even knew where it went? If so, the Bible has an answer for you! It’s because money answers all things.

Here’s what it means that “money answers all things”:

Everything on the planet does something. Even inanimate objects–walls, paintings, dishes, money–are actually not inanimate. They are made up of atoms, which are moving:

The atoms in gases are careening around at breakneck speed, slamming into each other and bouncing off one another.
The atoms in liquids are moving fast, but not uncontrollably like the atoms in gases are.
And the atoms in solids are just vibrating next to each other.

So even things that don’t seem like they have the ability to act of their own accord actually do.

Here’s why that’s important:

Imagine yourself walking through the mall. You just received your paycheck, and you’re so excited! You don’t have any plans to spend your money at the mall, though; and actually, you haven’t made a budget yet at all. You’re just going for a stroll, enjoying retail. 🙂 [Read more…] about Money Answers All Things

THE Financial Book that Changed My Life: The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

If there’s one book about money I could recommend to you, it’s hands-down The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. The Total Money Makeover absolutely changed my life.

I was 25 years old and had been working in my corporate job for about 4 years. It was a good job, and I was earning a good salary for my age and experience.

But, I didn’t seem to be making financial progress.

It wasn’t for lack of trying.

I had tried a couple of get-rich-quick schemes … you know, the ones your friends recommend as the “latest and greatest investment opportunity … and the business is CHRISTIAN! And it’s debt-free!”

Yeah. Whatever. In my experience, it’s best to run for your life if you hear people saying that.

I had taken a class in real estate investing and bought my first house. I was living in it, but I planned to turn it into a rental property after I moved out eventually. Unfortunately, however, I was drowning in the mortgage. A first mortgage plus a purchase-money home equity line of credit with a variable interest rate were really hurting me financially.

Basically, I had just made a lot of stupid decisions.

I made those decisions not because I was stupid, but because I was trying to do what “people say” you should do to be well-off financially. I had never had money, and I wanted to be financially stable. Secure. To put money between me and the next disaster.

But it wasn’t working. I had no savings, lots of debt (put that $3,000 real estate investment class on a credit card, you know), and even more frustration.

Then one day, by chance, I walked through a nearby university bookstore and I saw a copy of Dave Ramsey’s book The Total Money Makeover.

It looked interesting. I picked it up, glanced through it, and just knew I needed to read it. I bought it right away and dove in.

And The Total Money Makeover changed my life.

In this book, Dave Ramsey lays out what he calls “baby steps.” They are tiny little steps you take, along a pre-determined plan, to make over your finances. Those steps were perfect for me, because I needed real solutions in small increments. I didn’t have any money to throw at debt–at least, I didn’t think I did. But, by working Dave’s baby steps, I actually found money.

Read here about how I found my first $1,000 emergency fund.

Little by little, my financial life changed. And actually, once I started, I was so motivated by the first tiny wins that it didn’t take that long at all.

Motivation is a huge factor in any transformation, you see. If you look at the victories you HAVE gained, you’ll be motivated to win again.

And again.

So that’s what I did. And it’s crazy:

As soon as I started trying, and following Dave’s baby steps, the Lord came up under me and helped me like crazy.

Remember that He owns it all anyway. So it pleased Him that I suddenly started trying to manage money His way, because it’s His money. And as soon as I did, He helped me. He made things happen, brought money out of seemingly nowhere, and gave me grace, inspiration, motivation, and courage to go after it day after day after day.

It was an anointed process, and it all started just with reading the book, reading the gazillion testimonies in it, and deciding that I could do this. That I would do this.

Are you ready to make over your own finances? If so, grab a copy of Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover. Read it, and start doing what it says at the very beginning.

If you will, your life will change because your finances will change.

God Wants You To Be Paid Well for Your Labor

It is really important to God that you be paid well for your labor. God WANTS you to be paid well for your labor.

How do we know? Because His Word says so!

Case in point:

The first 2 photos below are from Deuteronomy 28. Read the passage (or look it up in your Bible) and see how many of God’s promises pertain to increase, money, and results coming in from your labor, your business, and your assets.

Then look at the blessing of the tithe (below), from Malachi 3. Again, see how much of that has to do with guaranteeing and protecting results OF YOUR LABOR.

Malachi 3:8-12 says:

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of hosts;

“And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:8-12).

See how much of that has to do with blessing your work–and bringing you money from your work and investments?

Many other Scriptures promise the same.

Isaiah 62:8-9 comes to mind as well, where God says:

The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength:

“Surely I will no longer give your grain as food for your enemies; and the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine, for which you have labored.

But those who have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts.”

God wants you to be compensated, rewarded, and paid WELL for your labor.

He never wants you to work without receiving results. ALWAYS, His promises speak of increase on our investments and on our sweat.

Do you have a revelation about this for yourself? If not, it’s another opportunity for the spirit of poverty to remain in your life. Get a STRONG revelation about this for yourself. Study God’s Word about it until you KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW that Papa wants you to be PAID WELL and PROSPER.

Only then will you be able to pray in faith, and only then will you see these things manifest in your life.

Have you been thinking too small about the income your work should produce? What are your thoughts about this? Please leave a comment below!

I Dare You To Kill It

For all of you who are birthing a ministry or business:

I feel the Lion roaring over you this morning. And He’s roaring over the birthing process. Warfare may be strong, BUT HE IS STRONGER.

SO I DARE YOU TO KILL IT.

I dare you to get so aggressive with birthing your ministry or business that the enemy can’t fit a word in edgewise.

I dare you to believe the Lord your God, so you may be established.

I dare you to believe the words of the prophets, so you can prosper.

I dare you to let the old things die so you can step into the new things.

I challenge you to abandon the religious mindsets that have long controlled your future, your finances, and your emotions … and embrace the truth of God’s Word instead.

I dare you to turn yourself into a fit worker for the billion-soul harvest, and not just watch from the sidelines.

I urge you to listen to God in the stillness and quiet, then get LOUD in your affirmation of your faith in His Word.

The time for planning is past. Now is the time to act on those plans.

Kill it. I dare you. Matthew 11:12: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Does this resonate with what God is already telling you? Does it challenge you? If so, leave a comment below!