I have always seen poverty as lack and it can be spiritual or material. Under the Old Covenant the curse for disobedience to the law was poverty and the blessing for obedience was prosperity.

Through faith in Jesus we now are a part of the blessings and promises of Abraham and his descendants. Prosperity is having your needs met and having a surplus (having an abundance), so that you can give to every good work. God gives seed to the sower. We sow seed and reap a harvest. A harvest is always larger than the seed planted. God’s grace abounds to us so that we have all sufficiency to give to every good work. Now I don’t believe that means necessarily that God is going to make everyone millionaires….

But I will say this, if God can get it through you, He will get it to you!!! He blesses us to be a blessing, not to just keep everything for ourselves. But it is not wrong to have things. It is wrong for things to have you!

Money is not the root of all evil, the love of money is. Also we have to remember Paul told Timothy to command the rich, “to not trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” God gives us ALL THINGS RICHLY TO ENJOY! So it is not wrong to believe for the Lord’s blessing on your life so that you can be a blessing to others and that you may enjoy His favor and blessing upon your life. But make sure your trust is in the living God, not your wealth.

John in writing to Gaius prayed that he would prosper in ALL THINGS and be in health even as his soul prospers. I don’t believe John would pray this way if it didn’t line up with the will of God for God’s people. But I would point out that the prayer seems to be contingent upon Gaius’ soul prospering first and that goes along with what Jesus said about seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness….

This is one of those issues that is like a pendulum that swings way out one way and way out the other way. Some are way out on the left and others are way out on the right. But the truth is usually found right down the middle of the road…. I mean it really grieves my heart to see high profile ministers that have taken the offerings of people and squander the money on nothing but lavish lifestyles. (God will deal with that one day!) So there has to be balance and Paul said that there were those that preached Christ for gain. But that doesn’t change the fact that God wants His people to be blessed and prosperous…

Oh, I believe Jesus was prosperous! He had no lack! His Father supplied all of His needs! If he needed funds he could get it from a fish’s mouth or if he needed food He could multiply loaves and fish for multitudes. He was able to take care of Himself, His disciples, and all those that came to Him. He even needed a treasurer. His treasurer stole money and there was an abundance so that no one even knew he was stealing. We Judas went to betray Jesus the disciples thought maybe he was going to give funds to the poor. Oh, and Jesus had a home in Capernaum… Jesus may have not been a millionaire in His time. But He wasn’t pverty stricken and going without…

One more verse, Paul said that God supplies all of our needs ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES, not according to your needs…  God’s promises are always bigger than our needs…