The prosperity gospel has come under a lot of criticism since the ‘80s, when television evangelists grew in popularity, and eventually underwent some very public moral failings.

I would argue, however, that what most critics think is the “prosperity gospel,” and what the “prosperity gospel” ACTUALLY is, are quite different.

I won’t spend a ton of time here outlining the biblical precedent for financial prosperity (for which there is mountains of support), but I want to discuss why “Name it and claim it,” teachings, (as they’re commonly called) taught by Charismatic preachers, don’t always work.

To understand true biblical prosperity, it’s important to understand faith, and why most people get the teaching on faith wrong, too.

The Bible teaches that we’ve each been given the “same measure of faith” (Romans 12:3; 2 Peter 1:1). So “lack of faith,” can never be the reason why believers don’t see the promises of God come to pass in their lives.

Jesus taught this tough lesson to his disciples, when they struggled delivering a young boy from demonic oppression in Matthew 17. After witnessing Jesus cast the demon out with ease, they asked their teacher, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” (v.19)

Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Because I’m the Son of God, and you’re mere humans,” or “Because I’m God in the flesh, and you don’t have the same power as I do.”

No. Instead Jesus responded,

“Because of your unbelief: for truly I tell you, that if you have the faith of a grain of mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move, and it would move.” (v. 20, KJV).

Jesus clearly articulated that although the power of God was available to his disciples for such mighty works as even casting out devils, that wonder-working power can be nullified through doubt and unbelief.

In fact, in verse 17 when Jesus first happened upon the crowd that had assembled, the son’s father, rife with frustration, asked Jesus to help him. Since his under-performing followers couldn’t make it happen, Jesus showed his own frustration with his pupils, and rebuked them publicly, because they had not yet learned the lesson of faith he had recently demonstrated with the fish and the loaves. (v. 17)

The reality is, doubt (or unbelief), can affect whether or not our faith is free to work. And this doubt and unbelief can affect every area of our lives – including our finances.

God most certainly wants his children to prosper. And he’s even given you the faith to do it. The question is, what outlying circumstances are manifesting in front of you, which are producing doubt, or unbelief that you possess the power to put the Devil in his place?

If you can overcome the temptation to give into unbelief, especially when all “hell” seems to be breaking loose, you can speak to any mountain, command it to move, and expect for it to obey what you have spoken. This is true for every obstacle that tries to set itself up against us, even financial obstacles.

God wants all grace to abound to you in your finances, so that you can abound unto every good work! (2 Corinthians 9:8). And you can take that to the bank!