I have encountered many things in over thirty years of ministry, and one that seems to surface often is the dilemma of how ministers are to get their needs met. Any of us who have been in the ministry for very long know all too well the financial challenges we face as we attempt to fulfill the vision of God in the church or ministry God has assigned to us. As with most things, there is a right way to do things and there is a wrong way to do them. In this brief instruction I want to guide us into the right way of getting our needs met. First of all, we know from Luke 6:38 that God uses people as the conduits through which He blesses His servants. Knowledge of this fact often leads pastors and church leaders to wrongly pursue men for the funds they need to advance the work of God. This is not the proper way to make our needs known. Let us look to the Word to know what the correct way actually is. Read this verse: Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. It is clear from this word from the apostle Paul that God wants us to go directly to Him when we have a need. We as covenant people have the confidence that when we ask God for anything according to His will He will answer our prayer. (I John 5:14-15) The proper method of going straight to God and not to people to get our needs met is further reinforced in Hebrews 4:16. We must understand that it is displeasing to Jesus for us to look to anyone other than Him as the source for supplying our needs. That is why we dare not ask others for money. God is our Source and He has more than enough for us. (Philippians 4:19) When we make our requests known to Him in faith and declare what He promises to us in Luke 6:38 and II Corinthians 9:6-15, it will be done. It is that simple. It is that definite. Asking others for money is begging - let us call it what it really is. Men and women who are called and anointed as overseers in the Church of Jesus Christ are not beggars. David declared truth when he writes in this: Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. Begging is a sure sign of either ignorance of the Word of God or failure to receive and believe the promises of God by faith. These problems are unacceptable for anyone in the family of God but certainly are not acceptable for those who are called to lead the covenant people of God. Those in positions of spiritual authority are required by God to receive tithes and offerings from His people. Included in this leadership function is the necessity to teach them the principles of God like giving and receiving; it is also necessary to clearly encourage them to be obedient in their giving. The man or woman of God doing these things pleasing God, they are not begging for money. Furthermore, their motives are pure. They desire to move the saints into the realm of obedience in giving to the Lord. These servants of God do not solicit money for their personal needs. It is acceptable to voice one’s needs to one another, the things for which we are believing God to provide. For example, one of my spiritual sons wrote to me recently declaring he is believing God for an automobile because the car is a necessity in his Kingdom work. He did not ask me for the money. He asked me to stand in faith with him in the power of agreement, which I did. We stood on the truth of Matthew 18:19 and declared it done. He now is driving his car. He made his need known to God (who is his Supplier) and then he asked for the prayer of agreement in faith from someone who lives by faith. This is God’s way. We will all do well if we follow this simple formula. Be blessed. |
| Making Our Needs Known |
| By Bishop Randy Barnett |