STUDY GUIDEanswer to prosperity, but the Bible does. However, prosperity is different things to different people. What Is Prosperity? – Part I Lesson 1 8 A. Prosperity is different

STUDY GUIDE

LESTER SUMRALL TEACHING SERIES

PROSPERITY

GOD’S WAY

by

DR. LESTER SUMRALL

LeSEAPublishing

530 E. Ireland Road

South Bend, IN 46614

PLEASE NOTE:

This study guide is designed to be a companion to the audio/video

teaching entitled, Prosperity God’s Way by Dr. Lester Sumrall.

All scriptures, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the King James Version of

the Holy Bible.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved

Reprinted April 2003

This printing June 2017

PROSPERITY GOD’S WAY

ISBN No. 0-937580-66-X

Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved under International Copyright

Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the

express written consent of the Publisher.

LeSEA Publishing

530 E. Ireland Road

South Bend, Indiana 46614

www.leseapublishing.com

3

STUDY GUIDE



TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. What is Prosperity? –Part I ................................................... 5

2. What is Prosperity? –Part II ................................................ 10

3. Nations and Prosperity ........................................................ 15

4. Families and Prosperity ...................................................... 18

5. Persons and Prosperity ........................................................ 21

6. Prosperity—Lost and Regained .......................................... 25

7. Selfish Prosperity and Early Death ..................................... 29

8. Seven Steps To Prosperity .................................................. 35

9. Seven Don’ts of Prosperity ................................................. 39

10. Seven Ways to Continue In Prosperity ............................... 43

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 1

WHAT IS PROSPERITY? — PART I

5

INTRODUCTION:

There is possibly some controversy in our land today regarding prosperity, and we would like to

remove that. We would like to show you your relationship to prosperity. I have an advantage in that I

have lived in over 100 nations of the world. I have seen the most abject poverty and I have seen the

most remarkable prosperity. It has been my privilege to visit castles and eat with tableware made of

solid gold. So we have seen both sides of the picture and can speak on this general theme of

prosperity.

READING:

III John 2, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy

soul prospereth.

1. WHAT IS PROSPERITY?

Webster says that prosperity is “the condition of being successful, of thriving, or of economic

well-being.”

I will begin in the Bible because God is the author of prosperity. After all, He made planet Earth

and He also planted the oil and diamonds in the earth. He made mountains with the coal in

them; He knows a lot about prosperity. Maybe that is where we miss prosperity altogether. We

must realize that God is the giver of great things to humankind, and the source of prosperity

2. THE SECRET OF PROSPERITY

A. There is a threefold prosperity to the Body of Christ:

(1) To prosper in material things

(2) To prosper in health

(3) To prosper in the soul or the inner man

What Is Prosperity? – Part I

Lesson 1

6

God wants us to have prosperity in the whole man flowing in unison, in victory, in

strength and in power.

B. The Holy Ghost is the connector that brings you into direct relationship with the will and

purpose of God, with what God wants you to have and enjoy. If you do not get these

fundamentals, then prosperity is fleeting away on the wind. When we get the

fundamentals of what it is all about, then it is much easier for us to pursue prosperity in

our family and in our own lives.

If businessmen on their way to work every morning would say, “I am prosperous, I am

successful,” they would be amazed at the strength coming from their insides. Do not get

up saying, “I did not sleep well. I was awake most of the night. I had a burden.” Instead

talk, speak, and think right, and things will get right. That is what the secret of prosperity

is all about.

3. GOD WANTS US TO PROSPER

A. When we think of prosperity most of us think about material things, of not being poor or

wearing rags. God wants you to have plenty of the material things of this life.

B. Physical prosperity

Not only did God say He wants us to prosper, but He wants you to be in health. Do you

know that prosperity without health is worthless? I shall never forget going to school in

Laurel, Mississippi. Mr. Watkins, our educational superintendent, was a very wealthy

man. He drove the biggest car, lived in the biggest house, and went to Europe every

summer. He was the envy of all the boys. When Mr. Watkins came to our school, we

thought, “Look what a beautiful suit he wears! Look at that car he drives! Have you ever

passed by his house?” “Arriving” in this world was to be like “Mr. Watkins.” I was in his

office one day in the first year of high school and I said, “You know what? I am going to

be rich like you someday.” He looked down at me and said, “Lester, I would give

everything I have if I could eat one good meal. I have had ulcers in my stomach for about

ten years. The doctors have done everything they can do, and I still cannot eat a meal like

you do.” He had tears in his eyes. He gave me a new understanding of prosperity! At my

house we may have had turnip greens and cornbread and buttermilk, but we functioned

well on the inside. Some people have prosperity and do not know it. I was from a middle

class family or below, and I had been envious of Mr. Watkins for several years, but when

I talked to him, he had not arrived. He had worked and strained too hard and, because of

ulcers in this stomach, he could not eat a decent meal.

4. I AM PROSPEROUS

A. I am prosperous in my family—all my family flows together in God

B. I am prosperous as a businessman—all of our business flows well in God. I have more

prosperity than ever before in my life.


Lesson 1

7

C. I have had fifty years of perfect health. I have lived in a hundred nations of the world,

eating every kind of conglomeration that the natives handed out to me. A teacher ought to

teach what he has experienced, to know that what he is saying is valid. I am convinced

God wants you to be prosperous. Prosperity is the vast realm of exuberant living. You can

have a million dollars, but if you have ulcers and cancer, you do not have anything. If

your wife just left and your children hate you, you are not prosperous.

D. “As your soul prospers.” What good is it to have health and go to hell? What good is it to

have material prosperity on the earth and lose eternity? God wants you to have prosperity

in your inner parts—in your emotional area, and in your spiritual area. If you have a heavy

heart, whatever else you have does not mean a thing. If you are contemplating suicide,

you do not want a steak dinner.

5. WHERE DOES PROSPERITY BEGIN?

Prosperity is more than dollars or good health. Good health with an empty belly is not what we

are talking about. Good health is the whole composite of the glorious human structure flowing

together in unison, giving victory, strength, and power to be the mighty person that God wants

you to be.

A. Your inner man—your mind functioning right. You can steal a million dollars, but that is

not prosperity. That is just a good way to go to jail. Prosperity begins in the inner man. If

we would understand that, prosperity would flourish in this country. Poverty would stop

in India if those people would believe in soul-prospering and have faith in the true and

living God.

B. The outer man—your body (your health), and the material things outside of your body.

Men like Oral Roberts have lived by III John 2. It is a very important verse; cling to it, it

has a secret, the secret of prosperity.

6. PROSPERITY AND SUCCESS

Webster’s dictionary defines prosperity as “a condition of being successful.” Being successful

is an avenue of prosperity. If you do the right thing at the right time and you make a profit; that

is prosperity. It is also “a condition of thriving.” The corn is maturing, the soy beans are doing

well, the machine shop is making money, and so a person becomes involved in being

successful.

Prosperity is “economic well being.” The natural man, Webster included, does not have the full

answer to prosperity, but the Bible does. However, prosperity is different things to different

people.


Lesson 1

8

A. Prosperity is different in the jungles of Brazil than it is on Madison Avenue in New York

City. When living in the jungle, a hat is some leaves from the banana trees. On Madison

Avenue, you do not want banana leaves on your head. To rent a three room luxury

apartment in New York can run up to a million dollars. A key word for prosperity is

“comfort.”

To a man in the jungle the ability to kill an animal for food and to have a spot in the jungle

to grow rice is prosperity. He has everything he needs.

B. Teaching on prosperity is a subject that Americans need right now. Many people have no

idea what prosperity is. They think that if they have $10,000 in the bank they are

prosperous. It would not be true if you owed $20,000 or if you do not know how to handle

it to make it increase. Some men could take $10,000 and a few weeks later have a

$100,000, while others would just squander it. They eat their seed corn; they do not know

how to plant.

C. To a wife, prosperity is a loving husband, the love of her children, and a comfortable

home. To her husband prosperity might be a far different thing.

7. PROSPERITY IN THE JUNGLE OR NEW YORK

In the jungles of Brazil a man’s clothes might consist of a little piece of cloth 3 or 4 inches wide

tied around the middle of his body. On Madison Avenue in the evening a man dressed “fit to

kill” will wear a beautiful bow tie, striped pants, and lovely black coat. In Brazil they would

laugh at you and tell you to take that junk off so you will be comfortable; it’s hot down there.

So prosperity can be had by everybody wherever you live. If you understand that, we can all

become prosperous.

8. PROSPERITY IN TIBET

In Tibet prosperity was to own a young horse that you could rent to a passer-by like Lester

Sumrall. We rode horseback and muleback across the mountains of Tibet for three months.

When you rented a young man’s horse, he had a rope on it and he stayed with his horse. That

was his treasure, and in that treasure he had prosperity. On the other hand, you would not feel

that having a horse would be prosperity. A horse was given to us and we sold it for $450.

Prosperity in Tibet would not be prosperity here.

9. PROSPERITY TO CHILDREN AND ADULTS

A. In America, to own and ride in your own private jet would be a form of prosperity. To

some people prosperity means having a keg of beer.

B. To a child a nice new toy or his own pet is prosperity. What was prosperity ten years ago

for me would not be prosperity today, and it could be the same with you.


Lesson 1

9

C. Prosperity to a mother and wife is a good husband—for him to make a good living and

keep her in a good home, happy with her children and her surroundings.

D. To others prosperity is dealing with millions of dollars. That is a form of prosperity, but it

can lead to financial trouble.

10. PROSPERITY INFLUENCED BY OCCUPATION

A. A schoolteacher feels fabulously rich with a good student body; if she can get 30 to 40

children that are eager to learn, the teacher walks out of the classroom feeling like a

million dollars. Prosperity to a schoolteacher can be far different from a man who works

in a factory. Schoolteachers feel that they are called to teach; this is their destiny and they

would not want to do anything else. Prosperity is different to every person on the face of

the earth, but God can provide prosperity for every one of us—on whatever level we live.

B. To a farmer, prosperity can be rain because without it, he is finished.

C. To a stockbroker, prosperity is the stock market. The stockbroker is watching

continuously as the board moves up and down; his prosperity is tied to the ticker tape.

CONCLUSION:

You must get the feeling for prosperity. Prosperity works for anybody. Everybody has ability! Use it!

Put it to work; train it, and it will be great! God does not want His people to be poverty-ridden. They

are only that way if they want to be. God can break the chains of poverty and set you free. We are not

living on “pie in the sky.” The prosperity of God begins right here on this earth and you can enjoy it.

I know it is true because I have lived in it for many years, and you can live in it, too.

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 2

WHAT IS PROSPERITY? — PART II

10

INTRODUCTION:

I believe we could not speak on a more universal subject than prosperity. I have lived in over 100

nations of the world and everybody I have ever met is interested in prosperity. Interest in this subject

is universal and there are different avenues to explore.

READING:

Psalm 1:1-3, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the

way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

v. 2, But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he mediatate day and night.

v. 3, And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his

season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

1. BLESSEDNESS IS RELATED TO PROSPERITY

David was a shepherd boy who knew what it meant to stay out on the range when it was cold at

night. He knew what it was to fight a bear that came to steal his sheep. He was a rugged man.

David was a hard worker and when he grew up, God revealed to him what prosperity was.

“The blessed man” does not just mean man, but mankind. “Blessed is the person who walks not

in the counsel of the ungodly.” We live in a world today where we look for counsel. The

beginning of prosperity is proper counsel. Solomon said that “in the multitude of counselors

there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).

2. PROSPERITY RELATES TO OTHER PEOPLE

A. You cannot be prosperous all by yourself. If you cheat others you will not go far in this

life; you will reap what you sow. Any farmer knows that you do not sow soybeans and get

What is Prosperity? – Part II

Lesson 2

11

corn. If you want corn, you plant corn. You plant ungodly counsel and that is what you get

back. As you treat others, you are going to get treated in return, whether you like it or not.

Prosperity begins with establishing yourself with the right kind of people. The wrong kind

of people result in divorce and bankruptcy.

B. The prosperous man does not stand in the way of sinners. He does not go on vacation with

them or fellowship with them. If you do, you are going to get their results. Prosperity is a

total life. The great Psalmist David, who had had a full life, said he had never seen the

righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging bread. That is prosperity.

Prosperity is built around discipline as well as who your companions are. When you know

that, you are building for the future.

C. “…nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Prosperity has to do with disposition. You

cannot expect a prosperous life if you are scornful of everybody, whoever they are—your

neighbors, competitors, etc. If you plant scorn, you reap scorn. Have a right attitude

toward others, and do not downgrade another man’s product. Build something better and

people will know it.

3. PROSPERITY IS DELIGHTING IN JEHOVAH

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD: and in his law doth he meditate day and night”

(Psalm 1:2). Delight in truth; the Word of God is truth. No matter what you think about it; the

Bible is true. An infidel named Ingersol proclaimed that God did not exist. He is dead and in

hell today and everybody has forgotten him. The Bible is still the world’s most popular book.

People in Russia and China will die for the Bible, but no one would die for yesterday’s

newspaper.

4. THE PROSPEROUS MAN IS HONEST

He delights in truth, in the law of the Lord, in honesty, and integrity. The beginning of a well-

rounded life is to always give 100%. If you are working, do not cheat your employer in time.

God cannot prosper you. I have had people who worked for me who constantly cheated me. A

former employee wrote me, “Since I went into my own business, I am getting the same kind of

treatment I gave you.” Whatever you plant, that is what you will reap.

Integrity and prosperity are kinfolks. You can steal a million dollars, but the penalty could be

spending the rest of your life in a penitentiary.

5. GOD’S PROSPERITY BRINGS FORTH FRUIT

The blessed man is like a tree, not like a bush or weed. He grows tall, stately, strong, and


Lesson 2

12

substantial. He is planted not in a desert, but by rivers of water. That man brings forth fruit in

his season and his leaf shall not wither. At my age today, I am stronger than ever before in my

life. I have more than I have ever had in my life; more people are watching me than ever before

in my life. I am going higher and higher without effort on my part, but the momentum was

created over the last fifty years.

I hardly know which division of my life I love the most. We publish several new books every

year; we are on television all over the country; I teach the Word of God in many conferences; I

go overseas and minister to the heathen. Rivers of water are flowing in my life. The Bible says

the path of the righteous grows brighter and brighter, not darker and darker. You do not get

weaker and weaker if you are living for God. Total prosperity is the total person in total union

with Jehovah!

6. TRANSGRESSION BRINGS POVERTY

Poverty and transgression have close relationships. A good share of all the welfare provided by

the government goes to families deserted by the husband/father.

Matthew 25:14-29, For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who

called his own servants, and delivered unto them his good.

v. 15, And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man

according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

v. 16, Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made

them other five talents.

v. 17, And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

v. 18, But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

v. 19, After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

v. 20, And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying,

Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

v. 21, His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful

over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

v. 22, He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two

talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

v. 23, His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over

a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

v. 24, Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art

an hard man, reaping where thou has not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

v. 25, And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is

thine.

v. 26, His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest

that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:


Lesson 2

13

v. 27, Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming

I should have received mine own with usury.

v. 28, Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

v. 29, For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him

that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

7. CAN CHRISTIANS BE PROSPEROUS?

Some people believe that prosperity can be had in heaven, but not on earth. All the prosperity in

the Bible is here on earth with promise of true riches in eternity. They relate together. Read the

parable of the talents. (Matthew 25:14-29)

8. MISGIVINGS ABOUT PROSPERITY

A. Some teach that prosperity is evil. The Bible says in I Timothy 6:10, For the love of

money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the

faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. If you love money more than

your soul, wife, children, or church, you are wrong.

God is not the author of poverty.

B. Others teach that we are victims of circumstances and cannot change conditions. We do

not have to accept circumstances, we can make circumstances.

C. Some others say we are victims of environment: “We are born in the ghetto, we will die in

the ghetto.” Ghettos are made by transgressors who are victims of themselves.

9. THE PROSPERITY OF GOD

God grows billions of bunches of bananas in a year on planet Earth; most of them fall to the

ground in the jungles, unseen by humans, and not even the monkeys will have eaten them! You

could still have all the bananas you would ever want to eat.

Billions of coconuts are grown every year. More coconuts are not eaten than are eaten. God has

plenty of rain and sunshine; God has an abundance of everything. The devil is bankrupt and a

loser; therefore, line up on the right side.

10. RELIGIONS CAN PRODUCE POVERTY

In India the belief in the transmigration of souls and in reincarnation produces poverty. Total

prosperity comes from believing and living right.


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14

11. SUPERSTITIONS CAN PERPETUATE POVERTY

Superstitions come from the devil and they can come through many sources. They are not

related to truth or blessing.

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 3

NATIONS AND PROSPERITY

15

INTRODUCTION:

When you study national prosperity or national poverty, there are several elements to consider.

A. We are all citizens of planet Earth.

B. We are all of the earth family.

C. We are here as nations, races, and tribes.

D. A poor, poverty-ridden country means unlimited human suffering.

READING:

Nehemiah 2:20, Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us;

therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in

Jerusalem.

Nehemiah made a positive statement that he had a personal relationship with the God of heaven. The

beginning of prosperity is a proper relationship with God.

Nehemiah was Israel’s last statesman. He had a burden for his country. Nehemiah was beseeching the

God of heaven for national prosperity, and not personal prosperity.

1. GOD AND PROSPERITY

God raises up nations and gives national wealth. We should use that wealth in a way that will

please God.

From the Garden of Eden it has been God’s desire for all men to be prosperous.

A remarkable example is Daniel’s vision of the first world empire of Babylon. He and the

emperor, in spiritual dreams and visions, witnessed the place of God in world prosperity.

Nations and Prosperity

Lesson 3

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2. THE CYCLE OF PROSPERITY

History confirms that nations and empires of past civilizations have passed through certain steps

of a cycle that begins in bondage, goes into affluence, and ends in bondage again.

3. STAGES IN THE CYCLE OF PROSPERITY

A. Hope—History reveals that humans subjected to bondage and slavery develop seeds of

hope in their souls. They hope to be free and out of slavery. The Israelis hope for the

Messiah. The seed of prosperity originates in hope. Freedom begins in hope.

B. Faith—National hope increases like a ray of light and gives birth to faith! Faith is an act

which begins to shake every chain and try every door. The captive begins believing his

captivity will end and freedom will come. Faith does not cringe in a dark corner.

C. Courage—True faith does not fear but creates courage. A man with courage is convinced

he can be free and is willing to die for his convictions. He does not run but will stand and

fight.

D. Freedom—Courage brings forth freedom. Hope, faith, and courage transform the captive

into a conqueror: when the slave shakes off his bondage, he is free!

E. Abundance—Freedom gives birth to abundance. Free men always out-produce others. The

overflowing bread baskets are among free men. Slaves may be driven to produce quotas,

but only free men reach toward goals of abundance and plenty. The story of mankind

moves from slavery or poverty to freedom and prosperity.

F. Selfishness—Abundance in its natural state leads to selfishness. Oftentimes, the more a

man gets the more he wants.

G. Complacency—Selfishness leads to complacency. He decides he has always had the

ability to produce plenty and he can do it any time, so he becomes complacent.

H. Apathy—Complacency is a destroyer because it produces apathy. An apathetic or

unconcerned spirit drifts along, accepting whatever comes and ignoring dangerous

conditions.

I. Dependence—History shows that apathy does not produce for itself. Man becomes

dependent upon the provision and supply of others. The free man who was once the

supplier and provider becomes the debtor. Dependence ultimately brings the material

equivalent of bondage and slavery. That is the sad story of 6,000 years of man’s history.

J. Slavery—Dependence soon brings man back to slavery, his starting point.

Nations and Prosperity

Lesson 3

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4. EMPIRES AND THE MOVEMENT OF PROSPERITY

The human movement of prosperity is most exciting. You are rich if you have an empire; when

the empire falls you are left poor. The history of nations is the history of prosperity.

Man searches the mountains for gold. He searches the sea for hidden treasures. He braves the

cold of Alaska. He endures the heat of the tropics. He digs in the sands of Egypt. He seeks

wealth!

Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and

lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Material prosperity without spiritual prosperity is nothing.

The history of empires shows how treasures move. The treasures of prosperity move because

men’s dispositions change. A victorious army removes the treasure of gold and jewels from the

vanquished to their home country.

England moved vast treasures from Egypt, India, and China to enrich her empire.

France moved wealth from Syria, Africa, and Indo-China to other parts of her empire.

I personally witnessed the movement of treasure from China to Japan. I rode on a train from

Peking to Manchuria which had several box cars loaded with the silver and gold of China.

Japanese soldiers sat on top of those cars with their guns, because inside was all the wealth from

the banks. I stood for an hour or two, and watched the soldiers with bags laid across their

shoulders, loading the silver and gold of China. But even Japan lost all this later.

Treasure has a way of flowing from empire to empire, from person to person.

CONCLUSION:

National prosperity is affected by:

1. Relationship to God

2. Affluence not used properly

3. Family prosperity

4. Personal prosperity

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 4

FAMILIES AND PROSPERITY

18

INTRODUCTION:

Can family prosperity produce prosperity in the next generation? Can our offspring follow in our

footsteps?

A good preacher does not necessarily produce a good preacher. Charles Spurgeon’s daughter came to

me at an old age as a spiritist. She was the daughter of this famous British preacher. Every one of his

sermons has been printed; however, he could not produce another preacher like him.

George Washington did not produce another president of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln did not produce a son whose path led to the White House.

God blessed Abraham on the preposition that he would bless his children. God wishes to bless us as

families for generations.

Elisha caught the idea. He wanted a double portion of what Elijah had.

I believe in a financial heritage and a spiritual heritage. That is how generations should be. A son’s

desire should be twice as much as his father’s.

Permanent prosperity rests heavily on family unity. If a family is not strongly united, prosperity

becomes a one-generation operation, or less. Parents must train their children to work for and value

prosperity.

Prosperity is happy, joyful, eternal living. It is not fighting, divorce, and hell while living.

READING:

Deuteronomy 4:40, Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command

thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest

prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.

Families and Prosperity

Lesson 4

19

1. PROSPERITY WITH A PURPOSE

Deuteronomy 4:40 teaches a principle for prosperity. Live right as a family, then you will

prosper together as a family. God is a God of plenty. He manufactures wealth, and we should,

too.

I married to build a family, to have children, and so that those children would be blessed and

they would bless others. We want them to bless multitudes. Prosperity is not a selfish thing.

When it is, it ceases to be prosperity.

2. PROSPERITY IN GENERATIONS

A. Usually when a family becomes prosperous in our time it lasts for one generation. The

children are not trained in prosperity; they think it is automatic. Children must work hard

for the prosperity or they will destroy all you made, because they got it without earning it.

B. Some families pass their prosperity to two generations or into the life span of the sons.

C. Very few families can carry their prosperity into a third generation. Families dissolve and

have nothing. Children are not taught that prosperity is to stay in the family and is based

on firm laws from God and a relationship with Him.

Marshall Field of Chicago lasted through two generations, but the third generation sold

the business because they were not interested.

Children must be brought up to love and respect one another. Often the third generation

knows nothing about it.

3. CONTINUING PROSPERITY IS ELUSIVE

A. Royalty in Europe, I have observed, are taught to succeed to the throne, one generation

after another. However, they must have fine children to do so. Sin, degradation, and

mischief do not produce fine children. It is integrity and right living that produce good

children. Without good heirs there are no offspring to perpetuate royalty.

B. Great families are taught not to sell their land. If they suffer financial hardships, they lease

the land. They are still able to hand it down to their children for their prosperity. They

learn how to extend their prosperity.

C. In our modern world of industry and corporations, prosperity on a continuing basis is very

elusive. A family industry can be bought out. A private company can go public. Many

families are rich one year and poor the next.

Families and Prosperity

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20

4. HOW TO PRESERVE FAMILY PROSPERITY

A. God is not poor, nor is he happy in your being poor. God is interested in your prosperity

and that of your children.

B. The Rockefeller Family

When I was preaching in Japan 40 years ago, I met a young Japanese boy who said that he

worked in a hotel with one of the Rockefeller heirs. The boy’s father sent him money for

school, but not his spending money. Here was a father disciplining his son to live right

and work hard with the dignity of labor. This is a reason that this family has had

prosperity for two or three generations. Their family prosperity has been preserved

through learning the value of prosperity by hard work.

C. The Rothchild Family

The Rothchild family from the ghettos of Poland, preserved its prosperity by maintaining

unity through difficult war times. Today it is still a wealthy family. D. David’s Family

I Kings 2:1-4, Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged

Solomon his son, saying,

v. 2, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

v. 3, And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes,

and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law

of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest

thyself:

v. 4, That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy

children take heed to thy way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all

their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

E. If you want prosperity on every side and in every phase of your life, you must know

God’s way and follow it.

A nation needs good families to be prosperous. The children must know and serve God to

have perpetual prosperity.

5. PUT YOUR FAMILY FIRST

Be a leader that your family can look up to and follow. Something is wrong with a man that

gives all of his life to his work and his own pleasure and nothing to his family. Your family

comes first. Your family must become a strong unit and be powerful. Whatever you do, pass

your knowledge on to your family.

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 5

PERSONS AND PROSPERITY

21

INTRODUCTION:

Of the 104 million Americans constituting the work force, the average American in his life span of

public service earns some $841,500. This is over three-fourths of a million dollars. The average

annual wage is $18,700. (Parade Magazine, June 10,1984)

READING:

Isaiah 3:10, Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their

doings.

Isaiah 65:22, They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as

the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

I Timothy 4:8, For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having

promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

1. THE WAY TO PROSPERITY

What would you do if you had money? You could use it like seed corn and plant it, or you

could spend it, or you could spend more than you have and go into bankruptcy. You have no

right to have at twenty, what your parents have at forty. You have no business going into debt.

A. We cannot have a good business without a good home, or a good home without a good

man. These are ingredients of personal prosperity.

I Timothy 6:7-12, For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry

nothing out.

Persons and Prosperity

Lesson 5

22

v. 8, And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

v. 9, But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and

hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

v. 10, For the love of money is the root of all evil: which wile some coveted after, they

have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with any sorrows.

v. 11, But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness,

godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

v. 12, Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou are also

called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

B. This is the right relationship with God. However, it was the Lord who gave, and the devil

who took it away; but the Lord gave again.

Job 1:21, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return

thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the

LORD.

C. Sin destroys. You will find true prosperity in right living. Nations fall because of

improprieties. Families fall because of degradation.

Deuteronomy 29:9, Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may

prosper in all that ye do.

D. Dread and dismay are related to the inner man. If you are fearful of life, competition, good

hard work, and problems, you cannot be prosperous. There are principles and truth related

to prosperity that you must abide by to be prosperous. God does not create poor people.

I Chronicles 22:13, Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes and

judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of

good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.

2. SEEKING GOD BRINGS PROSPERITY

A. As long as Uzziah sought God (hearing God, walking with God, living for God, and

blessing others) God caused him to prosper.

II Chronicles 26:5, And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding

in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

B. Let us confess from the Bible that “naked we came into the world and naked we leave this

world.” What comes in between these two statements is what is interesting. I was once

asked how much Howard Hughes left at his death. I replied, “He left it all.”


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23

C. What you do with your resources while you are living will have to do with your destiny

forever. I use my resources to get souls saved, get the Word out, and bless others. This is

seed sown to bring forth a harvest. Every soul needs to be saved. He needs God more than

food, so he can use his powers to do what God wants him to do.

D. The Egyptians filled the tombs of their pharaohs with gold and rich ornaments trying to

get the prosperity of this world into the next, only to have grave robbers steal it away.

Only your relationship with God in this world makes you rich in the world to come.

E. The North American Indians put corn and personal belongings into the tombs of their

chiefs to use in their “Happy Hunting Grounds.” All these things dissipated there. During

this life we should believe God for great prosperity, share it, and lay up treasure in heaven.

3. DOES GOD BLESS PERSONS?

A. Abraham and prosperity

Genesis 12:7, And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give

this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Genesis 13:2, And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

This is what God wants for you. Make right decisions, have faith, and use our

opportunities. We receive the blessings of Abraham by faith. We are his seed.

B. Isaac and prosperity

Genesis 26:12-14, Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an

hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

v. 13, And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

v. 14, For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of

servants: and the Philistines envied him.

If you make right, good, and spiritual decisions and implement them, your enemies will

wonder how you gained such prosperity.

C. Joseph and prosperity

Genesis 29:2-3, And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he

was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

v. 3, And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that

he did to prosper in his hand.


Lesson 5

24

The Egyptians could see this. He had the right relationship with the environment. He spent

his life blessing, helping, and loving others.

D. Ruth and prosperity

A most remarkable situation of prosperity had to do with a woman. Ruth was a Moabitess,

a heathen who worshipped idols. She married into a family from Bethlehem and became a

widow. When her mother-in-law decided to return home, Ruth said she would go with her.

Naomi instructed Ruth how to conduct herself and find a husband. Ruth married into a

prosperous family and became the grandmother of David, the greatest king of Israel. Ruth

was a foreigner. She came to possess the land. She came poor and became wealthy and

gained in status. In this land you can be an immigrant from anywhere and it has prosperity

for you.

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 6

PROSPERITY — LOST AND REGAINED

25

INTRODUCTION:

The book of Job is one of earth’s earliest records. The subject of prosperity is very evident in the

story of a man named Job.

In this oldest document we discover prosperity won and received, then totally lost, and gloriously

regained. We must realize that when we go down we do not stay down, as the devil would have us

think. Dips are never permanent, crests always follow. We must learn to think straight and not rest in

the accumulation of our wealth. Rather, we must be good stewards of what God has given us in order

to retain the prosperity God has given.

READING:

James 5:11, Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and

have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

“Happy” here refers to a way of life, a source of joy. That is prosperity. Here is a man that rose high,

fell down, and got up again.

Ezekiel 14:14, Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but

their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel, the great prophet of God, places Job with Noah and Daniel regarding the judgment of

nations.

1. THE PROSPERITY OF JOB

In the study of the life of Job, first we see what true prosperity is.

Job 1:1-3, There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect

and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Prosperity — Lost and Regained

Lesson 6

26

v. 2, And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

v. 3, His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five

hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man

was the greatest of all the men of the east.

We find here a man who was good, perfect, and upright. He feared God and hated evil. He had

a wife, 7 sons, and 3 daughters. He had 7000 sheep and 3000 camels.

He had 500 yoke of oxen, or 1000 oxen, and 500 she asses. He had a large household and was

the greatest man in the East. The Bible says he had a large family and they all lived in separate

houses. He had prestige, but he also had a special relationship with God.

2. GOD’S TESTIMONY OF JOB

Job 1:8, And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is

none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth

evil?

Job was God’s number 1 prize!

3. SATAN’S ACCUSATION OF JOB

Job 1:9-10, Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

v. 10, Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath

on every side? Thou has blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the

land.

Satan is the accuser of the brethren. Though a fallen angel, he still has access to the presence of

God. He asked God a malicious question about Job.

The devil has spoken to me personally and said, “Sumrall, you wouldn’t work for God as you

do if you were sick.” I am not going to get sick, and I am going to work for God. The devil has

nothing to do with it. I do not even answer him.

Here the devil calls prosperity a hedge. Riches are a blessing of God.

God, in order to prove the devil wrong, permitted him to remove Job’s prosperity, his precious

belongings, and even his family.

4. THE CHALLENGE PERMITTED

Job 1:12, And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon

himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Here we learn something: Satan cannot put his hands on people without permission. Job was

prosperous. All he touched was pure gold. Satan struck mercilessly and catastrophe followed.


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5. THE CALAMITY OF JOB

Job 1:14-19, And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the

asses feeding beside them:

v. 15, And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants

with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

v. 16, While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen

from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only

am escaped alone to tell thee.

v. 17, While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out

three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants

with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

v. 18, While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy

daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

v. 19, And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of

the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to

tell thee.

6. JOB’S INTEGRITY IN CALAMITY

This is the first true story on prosperity.

Job 1:20-22, Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the

ground, and worshipped,

v. 21, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the

LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD

v. 22, In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 2:9-10, Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and

die.

v. 10, But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall

we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin

with his lips.

Job did not know that the devil had brought these calamities on him. God allowed them to prove

to the devil that Job had enough integrity to serve Him even if he had nothing. These words said

of Job are some of the greatest in the Bible.

7. JOB SEES THE TRUTH

Job 42:1-5, Then Job answered the LORD, and said,

v. 2, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

v. 3, Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I

understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.


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v. 4, Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

v. 5, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

The devil had challenged God over Job’s life. In his wealth and prosperity Job knew God by his

hearing. Through his experience of loss and sorrow, he knew God face to face.

8. THE RIGHT VIEW OF JOB’S CALAMITIES

Job 42:7, And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said

to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye

have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

God rebuked the friends that criticized Job. The Lord commanded Job to pray for them.

9. PROSPERITY REGAINED

Job 42:10, And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the

LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

God would do the same for you. He gave Job twice as much of all he lost. He received 14,000

sheep, 6,000 camels, 1000 yoke of oxen, and more total prosperity.

Job survived the realities of living on this earth. He defeated the devil at his own game and

came out a total winner. Job did not accuse God falsely. In retaining his integrity in calamity, he

rode on a higher crest of prosperity than ever before.

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 7

SELFISH PROSPERITY

AND EARLY DEATH

29

INTRODUCTION:

There are those who get rich and die early. Their ends come through either sorrow, distress, or

suicide. If you want to be truly successful, you must have the right relationship with prosperity.

READING:

I Samuel 2:12-17, Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

v. 13, And the priest’s custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s

servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

v. 14, And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the

priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh, unto all the Israelites that came thither.

v. 15, Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed,

Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

v. 16, And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as

much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I

will take it by force.

v. 17, Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the

offering of the LORD.

1. SELFISH PROSPERITY AND THE SONS OF ELI

The Bible tells of two young men getting extremely wealthy, but not in the right way. They

stole people’s wealth and got more than their share, and also committed adultery with the girls

that came to worship. People abhorred their evil deeds and did not want them to lead the nation

in worship any more. God was very angry with them, for their sin was great.

Selfish Prosperity and Early Death

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I Samuel 4:11, And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,

were slain.

I Samuel 4:18, And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from

off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old

man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

Here is an illustration of how a person can become selfishly wealthy and die early. He does not

get to enjoy his wealth because God takes it away from him.

2. THE RICH FOOL OR THE SELFISH GLUTTON

Luke 16:19-25, There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and

fared sumptuously every day:

v. 20, And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

v. 21, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover

the dogs came and licked his sores.

v. 22, And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s

bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

v. 23, And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and

Lazarus in his bosom.

v. 24, And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he

may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

v. 25, But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things,

and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou are tormented.

Jesus told of a selfish glutton who was a rich man, wearing gaudy clothes and eating special

food every day. At his door was the poor Lazarus for whom he had no compassion. He refused

to see his poverty. When wealth has no compassion it is bad. We have an obligation to help

people survive and lift them out of poverty. The selfish rich man died and was buried. He did

not know how to use his wealth and died prematurely. How you handle prosperity has a lot to

do with your destiny.

3. UNRIGHTEOUS PROSPERITY

A. Sometimes it is hard to understand situations where evil prospers. People go the wrong

way to gain wealth and die early and lose it all. Alexander the Great was a powerful

historical example of this.

Job 12:6, The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into

whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

B. Though we see this happen, it does not stay that way long. We need to have the right

perspective of it.


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Psalm 37:35, I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green

bay tree.

C. Do not get envious of other people, but work out your own prosperity, leaving others to

God’s judgment. Unlike us, He is longsuffering and merciful in His judgments. That is

His prerogative.

Psalm 73:3, For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

D. The prosperity of the wicked is temporary.

Psalm 73:12, Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in

riches.

E. Unrighteous prosperity is not new. We see it all the way from the time of Job to the

present.

Jeremiah 5:28, They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the

wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the

right of the needy do they not judge.

F. Jeremiah wanted to question and correct God. The wicked laugh for a season, but are not

happy, especially as they get ready to go to the other side.

Jeremiah 12:1, Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with

thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all

they happy that deal very treacherously?

G. A man who does not know God does not understand the true source of prosperity or what

life is all about.

Proverbs 1:32, For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of

fools shall destroy them.

4. SELFISH PROSPERITY IS BOASTFULL

Daniel 4:30-32, The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the

house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

v. 31, While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king

Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

v. 32, And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field:

they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know

that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.


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32

This is the story of the king who created the great Babylonian Empire and boasted of his

achievements and abilities. Soon all he had gained was lost. God rules today in the kingdoms of

men; and puts over them rulers with the common nature of the people. The boastful die like

Hitler and Mussolini.

5. SELFISH PROSPERITY IS SINFUL

Every man’s Day of Judgment will come.

Ecclesiastes 8:12, Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet

surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.

6. SELFISH PROSPERITY IS FOOLISH

Jesus describes the end of selfish prosperity.

Luke 12:16-21, And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man

brought forth plentifully:

v. 17, And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to

bestow my fruits?

v. 18, And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I

bestow all my fruits and my goods.

v. 19, And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years; take thine

ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

v. 20, But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then

whose shall those things be, which thou has provided?

v. 21, So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

He gathered up treasure for himself, to be spent on himself, and he lost it all.

7. SELFISH PROSPERITY FORGETS GOD

Deuteronomy 6:10-12, And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into

the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great

and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,

v. 11, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou

diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten

and be full;

v. 12, Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of

Egypt, from the house of bondage.

It is so easy to get prosperous and forget how poor you were and how God made you rich. It is

easy to forget God and give credit to yourself. That kind of wealth is suddenly all gone.


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8. SELFISH PROSPERITY FORSAKES GOD

Deuteronomy 32:15, But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown

thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed

the Rock of his salvation.

Having plenty can make you live an abnormal, silly, stupid, and luxurious life. Your time can

culminate in an early end with sickness and disease.

9. SELFISH PROSPERITY DENIES GOD

Proverbs 30:9, Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? Or lest I be poor, and

steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Every prosperous man must know the source of his prosperity. If he does not believe this now,

he will find out too late, in hell, that he did not appreciate what God gave him.

10. SELFISH PROSPERITY IS UNGRATEFUL

I Samuel 25:5-11, 38-39, And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young

men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:

v. 6, And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be

to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

v. 7, And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we

hurt them not, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.

v. 8, Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in

thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto

thy servants, and to thy son David.

v. 9, And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in

the name of David, and ceased.

v. 10, And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? And who is the son of

Jesse? There be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

v. 11, Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have dilled for my

shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

v. 38, And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.

v. 39, And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD. That hath

pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil:

for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and

communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.


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Here is the story of an ungrateful rich man who was evil and churlish. God took his life ten days

later. David got all his wealth and his wife, too. God wants you to handle riches spiritually, to

love the poor, give to the poor, and remember the poor.

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 8

SEVEN STEPS TO PROSPERITY

35

INTRODUCTION:

God alone knows about prosperity.

God is the creator of prosperity.

God is the giver of prosperity.

God has laws and regulations regarding prosperity. If they are broken, prosperity is lost.

READING:

Genesis 1:26-28, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have

dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the

earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

v. 27, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female

created he them.

v. 28, And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the

earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and

over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

1. PROSPERITY BY CREATION

Prosperity started in the Garden of Eden. Adam, the first man, was created prosperous. God

gave him great wealth, dominion, ownership, and rulership.

Adam, the man God created, lost all this prosperity through transgression. He willfully and

soulically decided he would do as he pleased and lost all his prosperity. He ended up with

nothing. We can have prosperity by inheritance.

2. PROSPERITY BY COVENANT

Abraham had a covenant relationship for prosperity.

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Genesis 12:1-3, Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy

kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

v. 2, And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great;

and thou shalt be a blessing.

v. 3, And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all

families of the earth be blessed.

This prosperity was extended to his son in finding him a bride.

Genesis 24:21, And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had

made his journey prosperous or not.

3. PROSPERITY BY KEEPING AGREEMENTS

Israel was given the formula for prosperity, which is an agreement between the children of

Israel and Jehovah God.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14, And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice

of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this

day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

v. 2, And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto

the voice of the LORD thy God.

v. 3, Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

v. 4, Blessed shalt be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy

cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

v. 5, Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

v. 6, Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

v. 7, The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy

face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

v. 8, Thy LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou

settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

v. 9, The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if

thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

v. 10, And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and

they shall be afraid of thee.

v. 11, And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the

fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy

fathers to give thee.

v. 12, The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy

land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many

nations, and thou shalt not borrow.


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v. 13, And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only,

and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy

God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

v. 14, And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee his day, to the

right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Prosperity is not just money. We are the seen of Abraham by faith and are heirs to his

prosperity. Israel went after other gods and lost her prosperity.

4. PROSPERITY BY REQUEST

David requested prosperity.

Psalm 118:25, Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now

prosperity.

Prosperity can be asked for of God and received.

5. PROSPERITY BY REACHING INTO GOD’S ABUNDANCE

You can enter with God into unlimited prosperity. You can have what you want. God taught me

to live out of His barrel. My barrel is shallow; His barrel has no bottom. Therefore, live from

God’s barrel and have unlimited prosperity.

Oral Roberts has a motto on his desk which reads, “Don’t plan small in here!”

I always say, “Feed your faith and starve your doubts to death!”

6. PROSPERITY BY PLANTING SEED

Luke 6:38, Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken

together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye

mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Plant a truck full, not a handful.

Plant in a fertile field, not on concrete.

Prosperity has much to do with you.

7. PROSPERITY BY REMAINING WITH YOUR SOURCE

In the story of Lot, God warns us to stay with our source of prosperity.

Genesis 13:5-11, And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.


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v. 6, And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their

substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

v. 7, And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s

cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

v. 8, And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and

between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

v. 9, Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take

the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the

left.

v. 10, And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered

every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the

LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

v. 11, Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated

themselves the one from the other.

Lot did not pray about his decision. He did not know the source of his prosperity. He could have

sold a few head of cattle to solve the problem. Instead he sold his cattle in exchange for a high

position in a world of business. Lot lost his total prosperity when he misused the source of his

prosperity.

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 9

SEVEN DON’TS OF PROSPERITY

39

INTRODUCTION:

The average person in the United States makes over three-quarters of a million dollars in a lifetime.

What do we do with it?

What is the secret of multiplying what you receive? If you consume it all, or spend it all, or lose it all,

will you get more?

Prosperity is not luck. If the devil gets you to attribute your prosperity to luck, then you have placed

your prosperity in the area of the unknown, which is bankruptcy.

Prosperity comes through diligence, decisions, venture, and challenge.

READING:

III John 2, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy

soul prospereth.

God is speaking to the believers, the beloved, and lets them know how much He desires their

prosperity and good health. However, it is the prospering of the soul that is the beginning of

prosperity.

1. DO NOT OVERSPEND

A. This is addressed especially to young people. The devil would like to mess up your life

with debt. Simple arithmetic can tell you there is trouble ahead if you take your credit card

and buy and buy. Your prosperity will be limited. I learned from my mother who was an

astute, thrifty woman, and by living with and observing Howard Carter. He said, “Never

touch a thing you can’t pay for, owe no man anything. Save your money and buy what

you want.”

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B. Always have a reserve, a collateral. Then you are ready for advantages, investments, a

good buy, a sickness, or a rainy day.

C. You will become poor if you eat your seed corn. This is what the Third World countries

do. African nations and India, among other nations, have received all kinds of help, but

instead of taking those millions to produce multiplied millions, they eat the seed corn.

Latin America owes billions of dollars to the banks in the United States.

Invest what little you have, build up your assets, owe nothing, and then when you want to

buy something you can.

2. DO NOT SLEEP TOO MUCH

If you are addicted to sleep, fight it. Poverty comes from real conditions. God says if we sleep

too much, it results in poverty.

Proverbs 6:9-11, How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

v. 10, Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

v. 11, So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

We need to work. None of us needs as much sleep as we are now getting.

Proverbs 20:13, Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be

satisfied with bread.

3. DO NOT EAT TOO MUCH

God wants us to be blessed. There are certain laws we must follow to stay blessed. We must be

careful with our lives. Do not live to eat; eat to live.

Proverbs 23:21, For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall

clothe a man with rags.

4. DO NOT LOAN OR BE A SURETY

A. Thousands of men and even banks have gone bankrupt by loaning without security. God

clearly says not to be a surety for anyone. So do not be carried away by your emotion.

Proverbs 6:1-2, My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with

a stranger,

v. 2, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy

mouth.

B. This law of prosperity applies to a friend and a stranger. A friend is a friend but you

cannot cover for his absence of goods. Third World countries cannot cover for their loans


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or even pay the interest on them. My system is to give the money rather than loan it. God

showed me that my friends then stay as my friends and everyone is happy.

Proverbs 11:15, He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth

suretyship is sure.

C. Lack of understanding can cause a man to be a surety.

Proverbs 17:18, A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the

presence of his friend.

5. DO NOT WASTE

America is known for wasting in military, business, unions, and family practices. God

specifically says not to be a waster.

Proverbs 18:9, He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

6. DO NOT BE LAZY

God wants us to rise up even in adversity, and do what we should do. God does not want us to

be habitually lazy.

Proverbs 20:4, The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold: therefore shall he beg in

harvest, and have nothing.

7. DO NOT SIN

A. Proverbs 28:13, He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and

forsaketh them shall have mercy.

We should not sin and break God’s Law.

B. Isaiah 55:11, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return

unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing

whereto I sent it.

God’s Word goes out of His mouth and changes lives and causes prosperity.

C. Psalm 1:3, And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth

his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall

prosper.

David knew that with God as his source, the righteous man will be prosperous.


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CONCLUSION:

If we walk with God as we should, we shall walk in prosperity for the total years of our lives.

Prosperity is to last to the end and not be a memory only, for the Word of God says, “The path of the

righteous grows brighter and brighter.”

A. Job 36:11, If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years

in pleasures.

If you are prosperous now, do not lose it. Obey and perform God’s Word.

B. Joshua 1:8, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate

therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:

for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

C. I Kings 10:7, Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and,

behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

STUDY GUIDE



Lesson 10

SEVEN WAYS TO CONTINUE

IN PROSPERITY

43

INTRODUCTION:

There are two principles of truth in obtaining and keeping prosperity. To obtain it, work on it every

day. To keep it, be careful not to lose it. Poverty comes from bad decisions and bad living. If you can

avoid these two things and keep your mind alert, good will things begin to happen. If you build with

them, and invest with them, your prosperity will grow in them. Obey and serve God and you will

have prosperity.

READING:

Job 36:11, If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in

pleasures.

1. THINK BEFORE YOU INVEST

Being successful does not guarantee your future. Believing you are impregnable to failure is the

first step to failure. Think before you invest. If you are buying real estate, make sure you see it

before you purchase it. You could be buying a lot covered with water.

2. DO NOT CHANGE DIRECTIONS SUDDENLY

Go slowly. Implement your ideas cautiously. Change needs understanding. Millions of

businessmen have lost their investments because they made a sharp turn into something they did

not understand or know anything about. Pastors have lost half their congregations when they

changed directions too quickly. Seek qualified counsel. You do not know it all. Be a good

listener and keep learning.

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3. KEEP UP YOUR PACE

Do not let down. That is the main reason the American automobile industry got so far behind

the foreign competition. They let down. American cars were the best cars in the world and

everybody knew it, but this is no longer true. Whether you are an automobile manufacturer, a

trailer manufacturer, or a farmer, at the point you let down, you become weak and prone to

failure. Do not lose the prosperity you have already gained. If you want a good family, you

work for it, you pay for it, and you get the rewards. If you do not, you just will not have a good

family.

4. DO NOT FORGET YOUR SOURCE

Our spiritual source is God. He gives us good living and health. Forgetting Him results in

problems, heartache, defeat, and even disgrace. Our natural sources are people, family, and

friends. No matter the benefit you may have received (such as an idea or a surety), do not forget

that ungratefulness leads to poverty.

5. KEEP UP WITH THE INDUSTRY

You have to keep up with your competition and with your industry – both mentally and

physically. You cannot farm today the same way as they did two generations ago. Everyday

there are companies going into bankruptcy, mainly because they did not keep up with the

industry. The packaging for perfume and cereal sometimes costs more than the contents. Why?

They are determined to sell it. So let us package whatever we have beautifully. This is

especially true for the gospel. Let us show people how beautiful the Church and Jesus are.

6. TRAIN YOUR PERSONNEL WELL

A. All must know which direction the business is going. Transfer your abilities,

appreciations, and adroitness to them. Your people make your business.

B. Require loyalty. One businessman told me that when an employee ceases to brag on what

you produce, or esteem the business highly, he should be fired. Expect a good day’s work.

C. Do not make foolish decisions. Do not purchase things you do not need. Do not take out a

large loan and buy insurance against it in case something happens to you. Do not pay high

interest rates. Do not make poor and losing investments.

7. AVOID SIN

You will not retain prosperity if you live a wicked and sinful life. History proves that there have

been oil magnates and manufacturing executives who have lost everything because of a life of

sin, associating with harlots, and being addicted to alcohol. Live by the Ten Commandments

and even your children will prosper.

Documents

STUDY GUIDEanswer to prosperity, but the Bible does. However, prosperity is different things to different people. What Is Prosperity? – Part I Lesson 1 8 A. Prosperity is different