SCRIPTURES
Jeremiah 5 v 25; Jeremiah 17 v 9 – 11; James 4 v 17; Proverbs 12 v 22; 1 Corinthians. 15 v 33; Job 7 v 13; 14; 2 Thessalonians 3 v 10; 1 Thessalonians 4 v; Proverbs 10 v 4.
EXHORTATION
As much as God is interested and has made provisions for your prosperity according to 3 John 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth”. (KJV) The desired quantum of prosperity may be elusive as a result of the presence of some cancerous enemies of one’s desired prosperity. God is faithful to His word as it is expressly stated in the Bible that He (God) honours His word even above His name. The scripture in Num. 23 v 7 further emphasis this characteristic of God in this regard. “God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (KJV)
However, there are many obstacles that may stand in the way of getting to the haven of prosperity round-about. The enemy (devil) is against anything God stands for, so he would naturally constitute himself a nuisance in standing against the manifestation of a man’s prosperity. It is important to know that these enemies will stop that prosperity if we do not deal with them consciously and precisely.
ENEMIES OF PROSPERITY
- SIN – The number one enemy of your prosperity is SIN. “Your iniquities have turned away these things and your sins have withholding good things from you”. Jeremiah 5 v 25. Sin is a de-valuer, and God is very intolerant of any form of iniquity. For you to prosper in your business genuinely, you must avoid sin like a plague.
- SEXUAL IMMORALITY – 1 Corinthians 6 v 18 “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” Sexual immorality has been described as a sin against one’s own body. Remember the Bible also says the body of a man is the temple of the Holy Spirit and the spirit of God dwells there. 1 Corinthians 6 v 19 – 20. So, whatever you do against your body is an infringement on the temple of the living God. Remember that your business is the work of your hands and your hands are members of your body. It is therefore safe to conclude that when you engage in sexual immorality, you are indirectly wounding your business.
- FRAUDULENT BUSINESSES – Jeremiah 17 v 11 – “As the partridge sitteth on eggs and hatchet them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days and his end shall be a fool” Everyone involved in fraud, cheque racketeering, 419 will become fools at the end of the day. No matter the investments you have done with that money, it will turn to zero. Any wealth gotten on the heels of fraud or dishonesty will not endure. It is only the blessings of God that makes a man rich without any attachment of sorrow. The way forward is to do away with your old ways and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Stop fraudulent practices, so that God can bless you.
- CHEATING – Deuteronomy 25 v 13 – 15 “Thou shall not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee”. Let your business transactions and dealings be with fairness, sincerity and honesty. Cheating puts a hole in one’s financial bag. Don’t cheat your business partners and your workers, you won’t gain anything from it.
- WRONG PARTNERSHIP – 1 Corinthians 15 v 33; Proverb 11 v 15 “Whosoever puts up a security for a stranger will suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure” This is a great enemy of prosperity and breakthrough. A partnership acts as an incorporated business operated by two or more individuals. Once two or more individuals agree to go into business, a partnership is automatically formed. It is very important to prayerfully consult with God before entering into any business partnership, as a wrong one could spell doom for the business. Watch the person you are going to do business with, choose your business partners by revelation through prayers.
- REPEATED NEGATIVE DREAMS – Job 7 v 13; 14 “When I say my bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifies me through visions” Negative dreams are bad enough, but a situation where the negative dreams are repeated, it may become indicative of business harvest failure. Every negative dream should be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately. Some dreams are assigned to schedule one to uselessness and wretchedness (get my book on Dreams and their Prayers for further insight).
- SEEKING HELP IN EGYPT – Isaiah 31 v 1 “Woe unto them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in Chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord” Seeking help in Egypt is putting yourself and work in bondage. There is no help in Egypt, only affliction. Don’t go to Egypt, you and your helpers shall both fall together. So, look up to God from whom genuine help can come. Believe in the Lord God to help you.
- LAZINESS – Proverbs 10 v 4 “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand (lazy) but the hand of the diligent maketh rich laziness only gets are into poverty and lack”. A lazy man cannot amount to anything and prosperity will be a mirage to such. The scripture admonishes, that a lazy person should not eat. A lazy person cannot make it. Every achiever is a hard worker, does not sleep anyhow.
- OVERNIGHT SUCCESS – Proverbs 28 v 19 – 20 “He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent”. Our God is a God of process, and as such, overnight success is dangerous and ungodly. Overnight success can be likened to putting papers together and setting it on fire. It generates an initial large fire that sooner than later fizzles out. Anything or success a man has not laboured for may not endure. This is synonymous with overnight success. A quest for quick riches can never lead anyone to true prosperity. There is a process to prosperity, so that your prosperity can endure.
- WRONG BUSINESSES – All that glitter is not gold. You need to carefully and prayerfully engage God in the cause of entering into a business venture. You must ask God for leading into the type of business to engage in. For the fact that some people are making it in a particular business interest, does not mean you should go into it. That others did it and prospered does not make that business the will of God for your life, so be guided by seeking the face of God through prayers Psalm 32 v 8. Avoid the bandwagon syndrome. It is wrong to put money as your top priority ahead of God’s will and what you have a passion for, such mind-set will invariably lead to taking a wrong decision which may be detrimental to your prosperity.
- WRONG LOCATION – Micah 2 v 10 “Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest” Exodus 23 v 20 “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared”. Your location is where your allocation is. Your business location really matters. Wrong spiritual location could lead to attacks on your business. A wrong location could lead to reduction in your business, could fight your business. As long as you are operating in an environment where God has not ordained for you, it may be a life of sweat and struggle. So, your location is a major determinant of your prosperity, and your prosperity is a function of your divine allocation. I pray any business situated in wrong location, let the Lord divinely relocate you in Jesus name.
- WRONG WORKERS – Employing wrong workers is tantamount to inviting devourers into one’s vineyard. Workers with negative mind set on the job, especially those more interested in what they can get out of the organisation and not what they can give into it. Such workers instead of being productive, end up being counter-productive and this eventually takes its toll on the business.
- REFUSAL TO PAY TITHES – Malachi 3 v 8 – 10 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me, But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Refusal to pay tithes, to give offering, to bless the servants of God, to pay your first fruits, to contribute to development in the house of God is disobedience to God; instructions and there are attendant consequences (vs 9). For your prosperity to burst forth in whatever you do, payment of tithe is non-negotiable. A default in all of these, opens or gives access to devourers to wade in. This is great enemy of prosperity, Pay your company tithes and also your personal income tithes.
- NOT ASKING GOD FOR DIRECTION – Proverbs 20 v 24 “Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?” Not asking God for direction in any enterprise or venture is like embarking on a journey with your eyes closed, such a person is an accident going somewhere to happen. God said in Psalm 32 v 8 (if you ask me) “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” If you don’t ask God for direction, you will operate as someone who is directionless.
- LACK OF ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS- Exodus 18 v 17 – 23 Proper administration in any institution or venture can never be over- emphasized, the lack of which may stem meaningful progress therein. An organisation that lacks planning, organising, leading, control, authority, delegation, decision making, leadership, budgeting, problem solving, organisation charts, conflict resolution, may eventually hit the rocks. Prosperity may be an illusion. You must be organised all through. 1 Cor. 12 v 1
PRAYERS
- Ask God for mercy concerning any sin in your life.
- Every enemy of my prosperity, I am no more your candidate, I reject you by fire in Jesus name.
- Power of God to overcome the enemies of my prosperity, fall upon me in Jesus name.
- O Lord, baptise me with the spirit of wisdom in my business in Jesus name.
- Any devourer in my business, attacking my prosperity, your time is up, die by fire in Jesus name.
- Grace of God to overcome sexual immorality, fall upon me in Jesus name.
- In Jesus name, I reject any fraudulent business transaction in Jesus name.
- Spirit of honesty and sincerity in my business transactions, envelope me in Jesus name.
- By fire, by force, I reject activities of strangers in my business transactions in Jesus name.
- Negative dreams attacking my business/prosperity, be cancelled by the blood of Jesus in Jesus name.
- By the strength and wisdom of God, I shall prosper in my business dealings in Jesus name.
- The Lord shall instruct me and lead me in the way that I should go concerning my business in Jesus name.
- Every agent of darkness assigned against my business/prosperity, you are a liar, be destroyed in Jesus name.
- I will not labour for another to it in Jesus name.
- By the mercy of God, I shall plant vineyard and I shall eat the fruit thereof in Jesus name.
- Distraction that can lead to business failure, O Lord my father, deliver me from them in Jesus name.
- Witchcraft activities/agenda programmed against my business/prosperity; you will not prosper in Jesus name.
- Any cloud of darkness over my business, fade away in Jesus name.
- I reject mistakes and errors that may cripple my business in Jesus name.
- By the grace of God, my business will prosper in Jesus name.
Thank God for answered prayers!
