When she told me she was picking up another stream of income, I was almost stopping her. I was like; “what’s your stress?” But I noticed she has given herself to productive labour. This explains why she’s always afloat financially. She has learnt to unlock divine provisions.

Friend, divine provision is released on the platform of work. Any gospel that promotes laziness is not the gospel of the Kingdom (Ephesians 4:28, 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 2 Thessalonians 3:10). It is a grave scam to preach a prosperity message that undermines the dignity of labour (Proverbs 13:11, 14:23). This is a Kingdom of work; the patriarchs laboured, the apostles laboured, Jesus worked and God is still working (Genesis 26:12-14, John 5:17).

“Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt…” (2 Kings 4:7). Any faith that pushes all responsibility to God is an irresponsible faith. The prophetic can multiply the oil but you would need to do the selling. If you are not ready to sell, then be prepared to drink the oil and end up poorer than you started (Proverbs 21:20). Work is what gives expression to the blessing (Genesis 1:28, 2:15).

I have never considered myself as not working for the past six years of full time ministry so I know that I qualify for divine provisions by His mercies (John 9:4). What some people call full time ministry is full time laziness. Listen, it does not matter what area of life you are functioning in; career, business, ministry etc., you must work. Don’t see work as a burden; see it as a blessing, a necessity.

You are either selling goods, offering services or contributing your quota to an ongoing productive work somewhere. To ever say that you are unemployed is to frustrate the economy of Grace in your life. Even if you don’t have a paid job, hire yourself, volunteer somewhere (Matthew 20:1-7). Pastor, do more than preaching on Sunday and Wednesday, explore other dimensions of your ministerial calling. Make the work of the ministry attractive by the way you handle it (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).

Grace is never an excuse from labour, it is an empowerment to labour (1 Corinthians 15:10). What you call LUCK is simply an acronym for “Labouring Under Correct Knowledge”. Favour is not for the lazy. The purpose of favour is to flavour your labour. Without labour, favour will elude you. God can only prosper your work, not your wish (Psalms 1:3).

© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria