READ: Genesis 39:1-23
“But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison… The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.” – Genesis 39:21, 23
You will notice how Joseph prospered as a prisoner because of the presence of God. The reason for Joseph’s prosperity is written clearly in the Bible: “The Lord was with him!” You must believe that prosperity is directly linked to the presence of God.
People have thought that changing the message of the gospel into one of prosperity would lead to wealth. Today, many Christians no longer love God but seek wealth. There can be no greater perversion of the gospel than this unfortunate emphasis on materialism. As a result of this, the church is left in weakness and poverty, unable to build church buildings, unable to have crusades and unable to reach out to the lost.
The presence of God departs from anyone who departs from the commandment of God. Therefore, the prosperity of God also departs from those who shift away from building churches and evangelising the world as Jesus asked us to. Note this important scripture about obeying God: John 14:23.
From this scripture, we see that obeying God causes God’s presence to be with us. This means that obeying God will lead eventually to prosperity. When God is with you, as He was with Joseph, you will experience prosperity. The commandments of God are to love God, to preach the gospel, to go witnessing and to build churches. There is no greater task that God has given to us than to reach the world for Jesus Christ.
Desire the presence of God and experience the presence of God and you will prosper whether you are a slave or a prisoner. If Joseph prospered in prison, you can prosper as a free man. All you need is the presence of God.