Day 34 : 40 Days Fasting & Prayer

DEALING WITH THE SPIRIT OF POVERTY

"A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest." (2 Kings 4:1,7 NKJV)

It is painful to live in poverty. Poverty does not glorify God. Gone are the days when poverty and lack are mistakenly associated with holiness. However, in this present time, there are still some people who associate holiness with poverty and lack. They consider it a worldly thing. But it is not. The word of God says that money answers everything (Ecclesiastes 10:19). Money is needed in the natural realm to get many things done. It is a medium of exchange. It is what you use also to store value. Money is a tool that must be used for the fulfilment of our life's purpose on earth. It is also a tool that should be used in the advancement of the gospel.

When you lack money, your ability to do exploits will be limited. The God that we serve is rich. He is not a poor God, and yet He is the Most Holy. The streets in heaven are made of pure gold (Revelations 21:21). So, any thought of connecting poverty with holiness is a pure lie from the pit of hell. From our anchor Scripture, you can see that the widow's husband was a genuine prophet, a servant of God who had the fear of God, but he lived in debt and died in debt; he also left his family in debt. The wife had no business or any means to clear the debt. So, how did she deal with poverty?

If you read through the story, you'll discover that this woman had a pot of oil in the house but did not know what it signifies. She did not maximise the pot of oil before prophet Elisha showed up. Many believers are like this widow; they have a pot of oil in their house, yet they live in poverty. Many talented people are poor, not because they don't have talent. It is because the devil has blinded their eyes in seeing their unique abilities and glory.

Today, as we deal with poverty, I need you to have a balanced view and look at the spiritual side and also the natural side. Sometimes, people are poor not because there is an attack on their finances but because they are not getting it right when it comes to the law of wealth creation.

What are the causes of poverty?

1. Poverty can be triggered through sin. Sin can sponsor poverty. There are many instances of rich people becoming paupers because they dipped their hands into sin.

Deuteronomy 28:47-48 says,

"Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you." (NKJV)

Because the people failed to obey God, they are conditioned to live in poverty, in lack.

2. Idleness can also sponsor poverty.

The woman with the pot of oil did not know what to do with it; she was idle with it. Proverbs 6:10-11 says, "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep. So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man." (NKJV)

An idle man will end up in poverty because for you to deal with poverty, you must work. So, work is the cure for poverty. You must work hard.

3. Poverty can also be caused by misfortune. This has to do with somebody losing his wealth. A good example is Job. He lost all that he had laboured for. He was a diligent man. He did not commit any sin, and yet he lost his wealth. Because there was a spiritual attack on his finances. So a spiritual attack can cause poverty. It can cause misfortune that will lead to the loss of everything the person has.

In Judges Chapter 6:6, you will see the story of Gideon. The Midianites come around to destroy everything that the people planted.

"So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord." (NKJV)

When you understand the things causing poverty, you'll be able to deal effectively with those things in your life. Sometimes, prayer can be the solution to dealing with poverty; other times, it can be hard work.

4. Poverty can be sponsored by a lack of discipline.

You have to be disciplined in your spending. You have to be disciplined with your use of time. You have to be disciplined in your place of work. You have to be disciplined in your life. How do you spend money? Some of these things are the minor things causing poverty.

5. Disobedience to the words of God can also cause poverty. When we disobey the word of God, we are creating a breeding ground for the devil to afflict us. The word of God comes with blessings and consequences. If you obey it, you enjoy the blessing. When you disobey it, the consequences play out automatically.

6. Satanic activities can also lead to poverty. (Luke 8:43-48). The woman with the issue of blood spent all her fortune on her health. Health challenges (sicknesses, and diseases) are some of the ways the devil attacks the finances of people, making them spend thousands of dollars on drugs each month or each week.

There are different ways the devil can attack the finances of people. All of these satanic attacks can be dealt with in the place of prayer.

Today, we need to deal with poverty through the things that I have mentioned. We must effectively deal with it and not be passive about it.

Repeat every prayer missile till it comes from your heart. Only then move on to the next prayer missile. (Repeat it, personalise it, do this with each prayer point for a minimum 1 minute)

1. Every form of poverty in my finances, family, business, and all areas of my life shall be terminated in Jesus' name.

2. In the name of Jesus, I break away from the spirit of poverty in my life and family in Jesus' name. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

3. Any patterns in my bloodline sponsoring poverty, by the blood of Jesus, I break away, and I terminate the flow in Jesus' name. (Galatians 3:13-14)

4. Any power attacking my finances be destroyed in the name of Jesus. I forbid your activities over my finances in Jesus' name. (3 John 1:2)

5. You devourers eating up my blessings die in the name of Jesus Christ. (Malachi 3:11)

6. Oh Lord, give me breakthrough ideas that will cause me to enter into the realm of abundance in Jesus' name. (Proverbs 8:12)

7. Father, connect me to great opportunities and the right people in Jesus' name. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

8. Father, move me from the realm of not enough to the realm of more than enough in Jesus' name. (Philippians 4:19)

9. All my lost wealth, glory, and resources begin to flow back to me right now in the name of Jesus Christ. (Joel 2:25)

10. Father, send me prosperity; send me help from your sanctuary in Jesus' name. (Psalm 20:2)

11. Father, I pray for breakthrough ideas; I pray that my business will gain visibility. And that your glory will rise upon my life and my finances in Jesus' name. (Isaiah 60:1)

Day 34 : 40 Days Fasting & Prayer

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