NOTE: Make sure you listen to/view the video message for this installment.

Audio (Click Here): “Breaking Financial Curses”

Lesson Scripture: Proverbs 10:22 “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”

“Stop Spending”

Each believer gets to a “sick-and-tired” point in his life at different times. But t’is the season for all to be sick and tired of wasting money. “Stop Spending!” Holy Spirit said those two words to me so loudly that it scared me. Have you heard this same message from Holy Spirit or have you too suppressed His voice speaking about your spending habits? This season seek God first about your money, your budget, and the organization of your finances until seeking Him becomes the standard in your life. He will direct our spending and give us a blue print for our finances if we allow Him. We just have to die to our flesh every time the urge to splurge comes.

1) What helps me to control my spending now is knowing what my goals are. What are your goals that are aligned with God’s will for your life? Do you want to buy a house? Start a savings? Start a business? Increase your retirement? What has God called you to do? When you write the vision that God has given you in this season and begin to work toward it, you won’t be able to spend frivolously.

2) Knowing that bad stewardship is a sin has also helped me to make up my mind about improving my finances. I would wonder why I was struggling in certain areas and God showed me how this area was continuing to be an area of disobedience for me.

3) Having a budget helps tremendously. I just started using a Microsoft Excel Budget Template to help me organize my funds. I place how much I allot for each month, including my bills at the top of the spreadsheet in a cell. I add every bill and other expenses in a left column and deduct the amount for each expense in another column. The spreadsheet subtracts from the total monthly allocation. The remaining monthly allowance is then divided up in the following categories: For example, Gas – $30 a week for gas ($120 each month); Groceries – $100 a week for groceries ($400 each month); Hair/Hair Cut – $25 a week for hair ($100 each month); Tithes – $50 for tithes ($200 each month); and Savings – $100 ($100 each month) for savings. Put each of those amounts in an envelope and do not exceed the amounts in the envelopes. Fast from shopping outside of this budget for three months – no shopping for three months. At the end of three months, you should have $300 saved. Take $100 and shop but leave remaining $200 in savings. Continue this process.

4) Knowing I want to be blessed with increase this season helps me to improve in my finances. Holy Spirit said, “How will you manage a corporation’s budget if you can’t manage your own household budget?” There are levels to this. Take care of your business. List all your debt. Pay off lowest debt. Organize your bills. Make a budget. If we want increase, we have to be faithful over a few things.

Changing our mindset about money is a process. I’m walking it out even now as I type. I don’t want to sin on purpose and that is exactly what emotional spending is – sin. We look at our lives and wonder “why” is this not going right? We’re sinning in our finances. I’m tired of the cycle. I can’t live like that anymore. I want more for me and more for my son and more for the kingdom so I’m done. Are you? Only God can satisfy the void that we try to fill with shoes, clothes, hairdos, makeup, nails and jewelry. Self-control must be exercised in this season. Take one day at a time. But God says I will not increase you if you don’t manage your money better. I’m done with spending frivolously in Yeshua’s name.

Prayer: God someone is in debt so deep that we’re suffocating. There is no earthly way out. We need supernatural relief. We repent. Help us now Jehovah!