Praise the LORD! How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever. Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. The wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.
-Psalm 112: 1-10 (NLT)
A voice in my life, Pastor Larry Stockstill, recently encouraged all graduates of Pastors University, his training institute for ministers to believe God for the promised blessings of Psalm 112 to be made manifest in their lives in 2022.
As I took his instruction and prayed through the passage, not only did his counsel ring true but, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I also received some personal insights from the text. What follows is a conglomeration of Pastor Larry’s revelation intermingled with my thoughts – his insight being the better and more prominent portion of this post.
Five blessings to ask and seek God for in 2022!
1) A Blessing Upon Your CHILDREN
Many challenges can arise when raising children. As a result, bringing your kids up in the right way requires some type of blueprint. It won’t happen by accident. For example, when it’s time to build a house, no one brings all the construction materials, throws them down in a pile, and lets people do whatever they want with the two-by-fours, sheetrock, or trusses. Instead, there is always a process and a plan – a blueprint and a vision – for the outcome. This principle is the same for our children because the Bible gives us an incredible promise, raise your child in the way they should go, and in the end, they shall not depart from it!
Do you have a blueprint for your family? It is essential to pray and ask God for dreams, visions, and clarity for how to raise your children. Then, you can be a part of putting that child on the right path, at the right place, at the right time, and with the right people! But this requires the right plan.
If you are not yet a parent and you're reading this, know that it’s never too early to start praying over your future children. If your kids are already grown, it’s never too late to start praying for them or too early to begin praying blessings upon your future grandchildren.
Their children will be successful everywhere… - Psalm 112:2
We are believing for a blessing upon our children in 2022! Our kids will be raised and trained in the way that they shall go. No weapon formed against them will prosper because they will be successful everywhere. Not just because you are a great parent, but because you introduced them to a great God who will place a hedge of protection around them. As parents, we should be praying God’s favor over their lives. I challenge you to lay your hand upon your children and pray the blessing of God over them every day.
Pray that they will be blessed in the city and the field. Pray that they will be blessed coming and going. Pray that they are the head and not the tail. Pray that any enemy that raises his hand against them will be smitten by the Lord our God. Pray blessing upon your children!
2) A Blessing Upon Your FINANCES
They themselves will be wealthy… -Psalm 112:3
You can believe God for a blessing upon your finances. Our God does not know lack, and you are made in His image. God’s vision for you is not that you would always be pressed down and overwhelmed, but instead that you would reach a place in your life where you could be a blessing to others. Many people never get blessed financially because God knows they only want more for themselves; a bigger house, a nicer car, more of this, and more of that. They have no intention of being a blessing to other people.
Contentment does not reside in THINGS. Therefore, there is only one way to experience contentment, and that is knowing your God has all that you need, and all of your needs will be supplied according to His riches and glory.
“The man who had God for his treasure has all things in one.”
- A.W. Tozer
Here are three types of generosity you must make sure you are living out in your life if you want God to bless your finances:
Tithing: The first 10% of your income goes to God and is released to your local church for the work of ministry. (Ref. Malachi 3:8-10)
Offerings: Something you purpose in your heart as you respond cheerfully to God’s direction. This type of gift is to be submitted for the work of public ministry, and God loves it! In fact, he promises the more you give offerings, the more He will provide for you so that He can provide through you. (Ref. Malachi 3:8-10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
Alms: Give to the poor and the needy generously. And, don’t tell anybody what, when, where, or how you gave. When it comes to this form of generosity, according to Jesus, don’t even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing – just help people in need with no desire for public recognition or strings attached. The result is riches in Heaven! (Ref. Matthew 6:3-4)
When you walk out these three types of giving, the enemy will never be able to attack your finances successfully. You will always live a blessed life. It is a three-fold cord that can not easily be broken!
If any of that sounds like too great of a commitment, you are welcome to embrace the practice of Acts 2:42-47, where the early Church Christians went above and beyond, tithes, offerings, and the giving of alms as they literally sold possessions to meet needs.
3) A Blessing Upon Your RELATIONSHIPS
They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. - Psalm 112:4
It’s doubtful the Lord will bless you financially without blessing you relationally, because according to John Maxwell’s evaluation of the Stanford Research Institute’s 1996 assessment, the money made in any endeavor is determined only 12.5% by knowledge, and 87.5% by your ability to deal with people. In other words, you’re only as good financially as you are relationally!
If you see the relationships in your life in turmoil, maybe it’s a good time to do a self-evaluation and see if you are living generously, compassionately, and righteously so God can take your relationships to a new level and bring more people into your network.
4) A Blessing Upon Your EMOTIONS
They are confident and fearless… -Psalm 112:8
There’s a great deal of fear in our world today. But when you confidently place your trust in the Lord to bless your emotions, you become fearless and confident – to the point you don’t even fear bad news.
The toxic emotions of the world are not the emotions God intended you to have or live by. He wants to put a blessing upon your emotions so that you can stand next to the gates of Hell and decree Hell shall not prevail against me. I am confident, and I am fearless, not because of my might but because of the Spirit of God available in the name of Jesus!
5) A Blessing Upon Your INFLUENCE
They will have influence and honor. -Psalm 112:9
You may not feel like you have a lot of influence, but when you start inviting God to bless your influence, you might be surprised how God uses you to bring His purpose to pass. You might have more influence in your community, workplace, or small group than you think, especially if you ask for this blessing and have a desire to bring real change to the world. But, never forget, a drip can start a flood.
Believe God to bless your children. Believe God to bless your finances. Believe God to bless your relationships. Believe God to bless your emotions. And believe God to bless your influence. So let 2022 be the year that you ask & seek God for these blessings in your life because these blessings lead to a life of meaning and purpose!
I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/FcrRhAeDqPY
We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!
Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.
Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.
Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin
Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.