INSTITUTE OF LOVE

Financial Restoration
Text Box: I believe that this word will be of a tremendous blessing and encouragement to you. I pray that you humbly allow God to speak and minister to you in the areas of your life that He points out, in order for Him to remove those obstacles that hinder the flow of His blessings. So many Christians now a days struggle with lack of money. Many are loving and good people, and now they are finding themselves battling the lack of finances, and are crying out for God’s help. In the midst of all of this, the Devil is keen to want to deceive God’s people with false promises, scams, and formulas of how to get rich quick. “In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money.” 2. Peter 2:3 NLT In total desperation, not able to hear and receive clear direction from God, many resort to wrong actions. For example, they try to buy a financial blessing or breakthrough from God by giving their offerings, and in doing so, causing them to sin against Him. We desperately need God’s help! However, there is indeed only one formula that we can go by, and that is this: “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” Matthew 6:32-33 NLT In other words, if we seek God first, He will definitely answer us! “If you need wisdom — if you want to know what God wants you to do — ask Him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.” James 1:5 NLT Now, God answers everybody individually, and not everybody gets the same answer or instruction. Therefore, when it comes to God’s personal answer to us, there is no universal formula we have to follow, only that what God has specifically designated for us to do in obedience to Him. It seems to me that God many times allows our financial flow to be stopped, in order to get our full attention. It’s His way of saying: “I’ve got something you need to take care of, in order for Me and you to move on to the next level of My glory and blessings.” Let me give you some examples. Could it be that God is saying any of the following points to you? 1. He is testing your faith whether you love Him regardless what you go through, like He did with the Israelites in the desert by the time He withheld food and water from them. “And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Deuteronomy 8:2 NKJV 2. Maybe He is saying to you that there is a curse on your finances because of idol worshipping (people, possessions, career, or even money, has become more important than the love for God.) “Be careful to obey all the commands I give you; show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and clinging to him.” Deuteronomy 11:22-23 NLT “Today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today. You will receive a curse if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn from his way by worshiping foreign gods.” Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NLT “And Jesus replied, "I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return, a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property - with persecutions. And in the world to come they will have eternal life. But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then.” Mark 10:29-31 NLT 3. God might be saying to you that you are giving money stingily, or you feel pressured to give, and you are not giving to the poor and to those in need. “Remember this — a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, "Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten." For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously.” 2. Corinthians 9:6-11 NLT “But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help — how can God's love be in that person?” 1. John 3:17 NLT 4. Could it be that God is saying, you are living in unforgiveness and bitterness, or that you are discontent, unthankful, and always worrying about having enough money and complaining about your life’s circumstances? You just don’t seem to have the faith that God can help you, and you are even upset with Him. This manifests in your doubtful and unbelieving speech. “Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, 'May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,' and your command will be obeyed. All that's required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too." Mark 11:22-25 NLT “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life,…” Philippians 2:14-16 NKJV “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” 1. Timothy 6:8-10 NLT “Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2. Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:14-18 NKJV “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT 5. Maybe God is allowing your finances to dry up, in order to make you understand, that He wants to move you to another place or situation, where He can bless you like He did to the prophet Elijah. “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 1. Kings 17:6-9 NKJV 6. It is also possible that God wants to do a supernatural financial multiplication miracle as He did through the prophets Elijah, Elisha, and Jesus, with food and oil, for His name to be glorified, as you and others who witness it, testify about this miracle that is given to you. “But Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid! Go ahead and cook that 'last meal,' but bake me a little loaf of bread first. Afterward there will still be enough food for you and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be plenty of flour and oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!" So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat from her supply of flour and oil for many days. For no matter how much they used, there was always enough left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.” 1. Kings 17:13-16 NLT “One day the widow of one of Elisha's fellow prophets came to Elisha and cried out to him, "My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves." "What can I do to help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil," she replied. And Elisha said, "Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting the jars aside as they are filled." So she did as she was told. Her sons brought many jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim! "Bring me another jar," she said to one of her sons."There aren't any more!" he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, "Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and there will be enough money left over to support you and your sons." 2. Kings 4:1-7 NLT “Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and it is getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy themselves some food." But Jesus said, "You feed them." "With what?" they asked. "It would take a small fortune to buy food for all this crowd!" "How much food do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out." They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish." Then Jesus told the crowd to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat in groups of fifty or a hundred. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God's blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. Five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves!” Mark 6:35-44 NLT 7. It may be that God simply asks you to trust Him, and wait patiently for Him to act on your behalf. “Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust Him, and he will help you.” Psalm 37:5 NLT “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act.” Psalm 37:7 NLT What is the Lord telling you? What is He pointing out in your life? “Listen! The LORD is not too weak to save you, and He is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call. But there is a problem — your sins have cut you off from God.” Isaiah 59:1-2 NLT These are just some of the things that God may say or point out in your life. And as you respond to it accordingly, by for instance confessing your sin, repenting from it, and asking Jesus Christ to forgive you, I confidently believe that He will restore and bless your finances, so you are able to be a blessing to others on a continuous basis. “And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” 2. Corinthians 3:18 NLT “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1. John 5:14-15 NKJV Copyright©2007 Sophia & Edwin Christiaan Text Box: By Edwin Christiaan