Day 7 | Economic Issues
Sister Teri and I covet your prayers, not only during this season of FASTING AND PRAYER, but continually throughout the year as we endeavor to lead and guide, not only spiritually, but financially as well. As we honor God with our tithe and offerings, God will in turn honor us with blessings, “pressed down, shaken together, and running over”.
- Pray for wise financial stewardship (2 Corinthians 9:8, Deuteronomy 8:18).
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
- Pray for Kingdom business to be established (Deuteronomy 28:8, Daniel 6:2-3).
Deuteronomy 28:8 The 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.
Daniel 6:2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. 3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
- Pray for sufficient resources for the church, our families, and businesses (Philippians 4:19).
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
- Pray for economic empowerment.
Empowerment is defined as the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties. If you are empowered to do something, it means you are given the agency and resources to accomplish the given task. Without empowerment, we are powerless.
Unfortunately, millions of people are living powerless in the area of their finances. Due to a number of factors, they do not have (or do not think they have) the agency or resources to climb out of poverty. The solution is not to throw money at the problem. It’s economic empowerment. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines economic empowerment as “the capacity of women and men to participate in, contribute to and benefit from growth processes in ways that recognize the value of their contributions, respect their dignity and make it possible to negotiate a fairer distribution of the benefits of growth.” Economic empowerment is by no means easy. It takes time and patience. So, this blog aims to provide a brief overview of what economic empowerment is and how you can engage in it.
The Origin of Economic Empowerment
We can trace economic empowerment all the way back to Genesis 1:27-28: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” God empowered humans to go and make a world. He provided the resources and entrusted us to be wise stewards with the charge to “be fruitful and multiply.” A pastor and close friend of mine, Dave Metcalfe, often says that “be fruitful and multiply” can also be interpreted as “profit and growth” in our modern context. Because they are God-given blessings, we are called to profit and grow in a way that benefits others. (That’s why we need more Christians in the marketplace. Too many people use profit and growth for their own advantage in a way that afflicts others.) So, we have been economically empowered by the creator of the universe. But it doesn’t stop there. We have been empowered so that we can empower others. Remember, we are made in the image of God. That means that empowering others is in our DNA, and it’s a critical part of our purpose. There’s no question about it. The next step, then, is figuring out the best way to empower others.
www.wealthbuilders.org/what-is-economic-empowerment/
www.wealthbuilders.org/what-is-economic-empowerment/
Posted in 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting