18 min
Is Claiming God’s Promises OK in Business? [Ep 46] Live - Build - Change the Christian faith and business show
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There is a phrase that we hear in the church fairly that is something I fear we say without knowing what it really means - or how to apply it rightly: claiming God's promises.
Okay so someone says, “I'm claiming the promises of God” for this, or this or this…
In this episode of the podcast I ask the questions, “What does that really MEAN - and is it OK to do when it comes to business endeavors?
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Here’s a rough outline of TOPIC OR GUEST… [0:49] The right way and the wrong way to claim the promises of God [3:20] Applying God’s promises depends on your relationship with God [7:32] What about business endeavors? Is it appropriate to claim the promises of God? [10:34] A recent story of how claiming the promises of God could apply [15:03] Believing in what God is doing in your business How we are often the means of God’s promises coming true It’s important that we have our thinking straight when it comes to “claiming the promises of God.” Anyone - you or I - can go off in all kinds of directions, claiming that we are taking one of the many promises of God in scripture and actually be on the wrong track - both in our thinking and in our behavior.
It’s easy to do. So how do we avoid that mistake?
I've seen this practice done a couple of different ways throughout the twenty years I was a pastor and just in my life as a believer. I’ve seen it happen in the lives of people I rub shoulders with and in my own life at times. And what I’ve learned is that there is a right way and a wrong way to do this.
From what I've learned of scripture and through what I have seen people put into practice, let me give you a couple of scenarios.
Say you have somebody who is struggling to put food on the table. They don't have a job. They are not actively looking for a job. But they are praying and hoping that something is going to come through for them and they say things like, “I am claiming the promises of God... that He will never let the righteous be forsaken.” (Psalm 37:25)
I think it's probably pretty obvious - at least I hope it is - that it's not really a very wise or proper way to “claim the promises of God.”
God's promises are not isolated.
When God makes a promise to the righteous, He's making a promise to a person who has certain characteristics, certain things true about them. That's what He means when He uses the word “righteous” to refer to them.
And to be clear - all of the righteousness any of us have is righteousness that comes to us through Christ - and it includes having Christ Himself in us to strengthen us and fill us with wisdom. He motivates us to go and do what we need to do in order to be a part of God's promises coming true.
We are often the means God uses to fulfill His promises to us.
So we can't just “claim promises of God” if we are unwilling to step into the situation by faith, trusting God is going to help us, and actually put our faith into action.
I think that's a wrong way to apply this idea of claiming God's promises.
What would the right way to claim God’s promises, look like? That’s what the rest of this episode is about.
Psalm 37:4 is and example of rightly claiming the promises of God In scripture there are some keystone kind of verses - verses that lots of other theology or lots of other beliefs rest upon. They are foundational because they communicate foundational concepts or truths that support everything else.
One of those statements I believe is often overlooked in this regard and is easily misapplied in this kind of thing is Psalm chapter 37, verse number 4.
It says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
As we stop and think about that, it could be taken one of two ways. It could mean: If you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you everything you want. And so the desire
There is a phrase that we hear in the church fairly that is something I fear we say without knowing what it really means - or how to apply it rightly: claiming God's promises.
Okay so someone says, “I'm claiming the promises of God” for this, or this or this…
In this episode of the podcast I ask the questions, “What does that really MEAN - and is it OK to do when it comes to business endeavors?
Subscribe to Live Build Change
On Android | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Podbean | Spreaker | Email
Here’s a rough outline of TOPIC OR GUEST… [0:49] The right way and the wrong way to claim the promises of God [3:20] Applying God’s promises depends on your relationship with God [7:32] What about business endeavors? Is it appropriate to claim the promises of God? [10:34] A recent story of how claiming the promises of God could apply [15:03] Believing in what God is doing in your business How we are often the means of God’s promises coming true It’s important that we have our thinking straight when it comes to “claiming the promises of God.” Anyone - you or I - can go off in all kinds of directions, claiming that we are taking one of the many promises of God in scripture and actually be on the wrong track - both in our thinking and in our behavior.
It’s easy to do. So how do we avoid that mistake?
I've seen this practice done a couple of different ways throughout the twenty years I was a pastor and just in my life as a believer. I’ve seen it happen in the lives of people I rub shoulders with and in my own life at times. And what I’ve learned is that there is a right way and a wrong way to do this.
From what I've learned of scripture and through what I have seen people put into practice, let me give you a couple of scenarios.
Say you have somebody who is struggling to put food on the table. They don't have a job. They are not actively looking for a job. But they are praying and hoping that something is going to come through for them and they say things like, “I am claiming the promises of God... that He will never let the righteous be forsaken.” (Psalm 37:25)
I think it's probably pretty obvious - at least I hope it is - that it's not really a very wise or proper way to “claim the promises of God.”
God's promises are not isolated.
When God makes a promise to the righteous, He's making a promise to a person who has certain characteristics, certain things true about them. That's what He means when He uses the word “righteous” to refer to them.
And to be clear - all of the righteousness any of us have is righteousness that comes to us through Christ - and it includes having Christ Himself in us to strengthen us and fill us with wisdom. He motivates us to go and do what we need to do in order to be a part of God's promises coming true.
We are often the means God uses to fulfill His promises to us.
So we can't just “claim promises of God” if we are unwilling to step into the situation by faith, trusting God is going to help us, and actually put our faith into action.
I think that's a wrong way to apply this idea of claiming God's promises.
What would the right way to claim God’s promises, look like? That’s what the rest of this episode is about.
Psalm 37:4 is and example of rightly claiming the promises of God In scripture there are some keystone kind of verses - verses that lots of other theology or lots of other beliefs rest upon. They are foundational because they communicate foundational concepts or truths that support everything else.
One of those statements I believe is often overlooked in this regard and is easily misapplied in this kind of thing is Psalm chapter 37, verse number 4.
It says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
As we stop and think about that, it could be taken one of two ways. It could mean: If you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you everything you want. And so the desire
18 min