Biblically speaking, poverty is a curse but the scripture reiterates that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13-14). Yet many believers are still poor. They have missed it somewhere. Poverty is not the will of God for your life.

 “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand; but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” Proverbs 10:4.

From the above scripture, we can deduce that wealth and poverty are processes. The scripture says ‘He becometh’. Wealth or poverty do not jump on anyone, both follow a process to become visible in a man’s life. Therefore following a process that leads to wealth makes a man wealthy while following a process that leads to poverty makes the same man poor.

Wealth and Poverty are Choices
In Deuteronomy 30:19-20, the Scriptures says and I quote in part, “… I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live…” wealth and poverty are matters of choice. If you choose to be wealthy, you must begin to consciously take your journey towards wealth. In the same vein, if you choose to be poor, you can also start journeying towards poverty. It is quiet unfortunate that most believers think, act and speak as though they are expecting to be poor. You need to learn to choose wealth under all circumstances. There is no magic about money.

 Foundation for Wealth
Wealth and poverty are functions. They are both functions of who you are, your habits, your attitudes and what you do daily. On a daily basis, you are either building up wealth or you are building up poverty. Both are processes of time. A process stretches over a period of time. Time is therefore the foundation for wealth as well as poverty. None of these happen overnight. That you will end up wealthy or end up poor will show in your mentality, attitude, thought and personality. Poverty and wealth are never automatic. Wealth is a reward for a particular lifestyle. The same truth applies to poverty.

It is expedient that you examine your life now to see where you are. The same things that brought you to where you are now can never take you out of there. If you are still doing things the way you used to do things, are you sure in five or ten years to this time you will be richer or poorer than you are now? Your sincere answer to this question can help you reorganize yourself for a change of position.   Wealth is not just money, it is more than money.

The journey begins with you: to be poor there are instructions and attitudes that you will reject.

From Proverbs 13:8, we are able to learn that poverty is a proof of disobedience. Certain principles were disregarded. The poor is poor because ‘he heareth not instruction’. The poor is always arrogant, they are not teachable and are very pompous. Once wealth creating principles are disregarded, poverty automatically becomes a man’s next door neighbour.

 Poverty Is Destructive
“The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.”                                                                                                                     Proverbs 10:15

You must rise up to the challenge. You must sincerely hate poverty. Never allow poverty to destroy you. Work on your mind and position yourself for wealth. Be ready to give it what it takes. It is possible to be rich legitimately without cutting corners; you only need to put scriptural principles into practical use.

The Seven Steps
Step 1: Until you change your thought in a particular area, you can never change your life in that area. The major difference between the rich and the poor is in the way they think (Proverbs 23:7). Wealth is principally a product of your thought. Poverty mentality must be eliminated. There are five thought patterns that determine where a man falls categorically. Your thought pattern will group you among any of the following five groups:

 1.Very Poor People: Very poor people think day to day, looking for labour jobs they might do and earn daily wages.

 2. Poor People: Poor people think week to week. They are job seekers who earn between hundred and three hundred thousand naira yearly.

 3. Middle Class People: Middle class people think month to month being concerned about bills, salaries, car loans, credit card payments, etc.

 4. Rich People: Rich people think year to year and start learning about fiscal responsibility, financial literacy and investing.

 5. Very Rich People: Very rich people think decade to decades making business plans that reach far into the future. Very rich people learn to pass assets to the future generation.

 Never ever think day to day or week to week thoughts. Neither should you think month to month nor year to year. Rather, think decade to decade, making business plans that stretch far into the distant future. Develop wealth generating ideas that will run its course over many generations. Generational thoughts birth generational wealth. Wealth is not money, it is mind. Until there is a change in your mentality, there can never be a change in your destiny. Until you change your thought in a particular area, you cannot change your life in that area. If you have the mind you will have the might.

Step 2: To be wealthy, you must focus on increasing your networth. Networth implies assets minus liabilities. An asset is not anything you have that has value but something you have that has value and is still generating income for you. You must develop ability to acquire assets. Asset acquisition does not mean working hard for money but rather making money work hard for you. You must have investments.

 Increasing Your Net worth

a.     a. Start a small business.

 b.   Buy Assets. An asset is anything that has value, increases in value and generates continuous flow of income.

 c.    Invest in Land. Buy land and leave it over a period of time, you will be surprised to see what it will produce for you when it appreciates. Land does not depreciate in value. Read every material on Real Estate. God’s covenant with Abraham was based on land. Learn and discover how Real Estate works.

 d.   Learn and acquire new financial skills everyday.

You must be a problem solver!  Be creative.

 Step 3: If you must be free financially, learn to ask yourself empowering questions not disempowering questions. If you must take charge of your external life, you have to take charge of your internal dialogue. Ask yourself questions that will stretch you beyond your current levels of experience and expertise. Ask questions that will expand your mind. Expand your life and take mediocrity out of your life. Be creative, not reactive. Many people are reactive, not creative. Reactivity is a negative emotion. On the other hand, creativity is a positive emotion.

 Examples of Empowering Questions
1. How do I double my income this year? To be wealthy, you must determine financial volume.

2. How can I make the first 1 million in my life doing what I love?

If you are an employee, ask yourself “what can I do to earn accelerated promotions and get my boss to make me a partner?”

3. How can I develop a deeper and healthier relationship with my spouse?

4. Why am I poor?

5. Who can teach me steps to take to be financially free?

Poor people are always looking for who will give them; rich people look for who will teach them.

Until you control your internal dialogue, you cannot control your external life. You must pay attention to your thought life. Think deeply and ask yourself destiny moulding questions. Until you take charge of your inwards, you cannot take charge of your outward life.

Step 4: To be rich, you must work for profit and not for wages. A wage is the reward you get for the work you do. Profit is the reward you get for buying something and selling the same thing at a higher price. Nobody has ever made it legitimately on wages. You must either be a Micropreneur, an Entrepreneur, a Problem Solver, a Service Provider, or a Manufacturer.

You must activate multiple streams of income. Engage yourself in various business ventures. Never be dependent on only one source of income per time. Every legitimate millionaire has multiple business ventures that pour in cash to them on a daily basis. Do the same.

Step 5: During a millionaires meeting I attended last year in London, I met a millionaire who told me that every legitimate millionaire reads a book monthly on finance. Therefore you need to invest heavily on financial education. Every penny spent on buying books, visiting financial consultants, attending financial seminars is worth the value. You must continually learn and grow. A percentage of your income must go into financial education monthly; otherwise you will be grouped among the poor. Poor people don’t pay for advice. Anyone who builds a whole house without making any provision for a library is signing up for a lifetime of poverty. The knowledge you don’t pay for will not manufacture anything for you. Embark on serious financial education. Upgrade yourself, organize audio videos, receive professional advice on money and generate business ideas.

Step 6: Take calculated risks. Making investments, going into business partnerships etc. requires risk. Get lawyers, go for counselling and also pray.  Life minus risk is life minus opportunity. Calculated risk implies gaining knowledge about a particular course of action and being aware of the consequences if it fails. Never be afraid of failing, people who are remembered (pacesetters) took risks. You must calculate, strategize and take steps. A discovery was made in America on people of age 90years and above. During interviews, they were observed to have one common regret, – that they did not take more risks at the earlier stages of their life. When you are at the close of your life, you will regret more for the things you did not do than for the things you did.

Conquer these fears:         

1. fear of failure        

2. fear of rejection and     

3. fear of losses. 

Every opportunity is wrapped in difficulty. That is why you need to take courageous and daring steps.

Step 7:  In Revelation 3:7, we are made to know that there is a key called the key of David. We also see that there is He that openeth and no one can shut. He is God. You need to have a financial walk with Him to enjoy open heavens. For your heavens to stay open continually, you must embrace the covenant (Deuteronomy 8:18).

The covenant of God is built on giving and receiving. Lack of generosity and liberality is a major sign of poverty. Serve God with your means. Serve God with your time. Understand the dynamics of giving. Cultivate a right attitude towards money. Understand that wealth is meant to be used to glorify God. You do not need to be told before you give tithes, offerings, help orphans and widows or give to the work of God and to His servants.