“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Matthew 7:7
I have traveled to some of the poorest nations on earth. I have seen with my eyes the ravages of poverty, war, corruption, and so on. Yet, one of the worst poisons I have seen is “prosperity theology” being propagated in these countries. This is the belief that God is, in essence, a genie in a bottle that is just waiting for you to ask for anything under the sun, and He will give it to you. Remember – just send in your financial gift to the couple on TV as a “faith seed” and God will return it to you tenfold.
John 14:14 is another example of a verse used for this reason:
“You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
I’m sorry, but I’m not mincing words here. It is an egocentric universe for those who believe this is why God created us, and then try to propagate this lie to gullible masses.
If this were true, you could say this to a Christian in a Muslim country, who has lost everything because of persecution, and God would bountifully restore it to him in this lifetime.
Whole books have been written on prosperity theology by those far smarter than I, and there are myriads of Scripture to disprove this belief. So, how can I sum it up and disprove it here? I believe I’ll let Jesus do that in Matthew 6:19-21:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Take to heart both the reality and comfort Jesus gave His disciples about this life:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33