January 1, 2021
God Desires for You to Prosper and Succeed
The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. (Genesis 39:2 NKJV)
Everyone has a dream! What is your vision? Think about that! When you think about the dream in your heart, doesn’t it stir up hope and excitement? The sad thing is that most people never see their dream come to pass. They never fulfill God’s destiny for their life by their own choice. You can decide today to turn your dreams into reality no matter your situation. God gave Joseph a dream, but it happened even though he went through a lot of adversity. He was sold into slavery and then thrown into prison. What is your dream? Don’t lose sight of it! God will make a way where there seems to be no way. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, and an Egyptian purchased him – Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the Guard. The presence of the Lord was with Joseph. (Genesis 39:2) We can learn powerful lessons from Joseph’s life. The first key to success is:
1. God was with Joseph and prospered him
God was with Joseph, and Potiphar saw that the Lord was with him – and the Lord made all Joseph did prosper in his hand. (Genesis 39:3) It doesn’t matter who you are; you must pass the character test to succeed and prosper. God placed the dream inside you. No one else can do what God created you to do; it’s your destiny. Many do not succeed because they don’t have the character. Joseph did not have a problem serving. If you are faithful in the little things, you will be faithful in the bigger things. (Luke 16:10, Colossians 3:22-25) Did you know you can serve your way to success? Joseph served, and he found favor with Potiphar. (Genesis 39:4) Joseph served with the right attitude and a pure motive, and he found favor with Potiphar. Potiphar promoted him to overseer over his house, and all that he had – and the Lord was with him and prospered everything Potiphar had, for Joseph’s sake. (Genesis 39:5-7)
Joseph was falsely accused and framed as an adulterer by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison. (Genesis 39:7-20) But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy; he gave him favor in the sight of the keeper over the prison. The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners—he ended up managing the whole operation. The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him because God was with him; whatever he did, God made sure it worked out for the best. (Genesis 39:22-23) Three times in Genesis 39, it says, ‘God was with Joseph, and he prospered him. Does your employer notice that God is with you? If you own your business, do your employees see that God is with you? Would it be all right with you if the Lord God makes you prosper?
The number one key is the presence of the Lord. Is God with you? Have you created an atmosphere around you for the Lord to be welcome in all you do? You create an atmosphere for the presence of the Lord by inviting Him – welcoming Him in your home. When people walk into your home, do they feel the presence of peace? You will always find God in the path of peace. Frequently, I say, ‘Holy Spirit, you are welcome to live here – this is Holy Ground!’
2. Welcome Holy Spirit
God desires to prosper you so you can bless others. God pushed Joseph forward even in the middle of adversity. Why was the Lord with Joseph, because he obeyed God? Trouble may come, but He will turn it around for good and His glory if you walk with Him. (Genesis 50:20) Obedience is better than sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22) David made mistakes, but he was quick to repent and quick to obey God. He was a man after God’s heart. (1 Samuel 13:14)
3. Be quick to obey God
The secret to obedience is faith. How do you get faith? By hearing! Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
4. Faith
Listen to the Bible out loud. Get a Bible app like Bible.is and listen to it in the mornings while you are getting ready; it will build your faith. Hearing produces faith. The Word of God has the power in it to change your life. God’s Word does not return void, but it does accomplish everything it is sent to do. (Isaiah 55:11) Hearing produces faith, and faith produces obedience. Obedience creates a presence for the Lord to live and dwell. You will prosper in any economy because God is with you, and He will cause you to prosper and succeed. Invite Holy Spirit to be the CEO and president of your house this year!
Declare this with me:
Father God, I invite you to live and dwell in me and my house this year. Go with me everywhere I go. I repent for every time I have missed the mark. My deepest desire is for You to be my constant companion, the same as You were with Joseph. I ask for the favor of God in all I do, and I understand to walk in favor, I must be truthful, loyal, kind, and wear the Word of God around my neck like a necklace and hide the Word of God in my heart. Only then will I find favor with God and man. I dedicate this year to you, Father, in the all-powerful name of Jesus.
