Is Workplace Prayer Part of the “Prosperity Gospel”?

A friend asked, “Do you pray for increase? Because I don’t think I want to be part of the prosperity gospel.”

I would define the prosperity gospel as, “Sow a seed, and get perfect answers to your wishes.”

By that definition: no. We are not part of the prosperity gospel.

When we look at the life of the Apostle Paul, clearly he didn’t jet around the world. Whipped, beaten with rods, shipwrecked … so intense.

Or the life of Jesus! Crucifixion!

Their lives are the opposite of the prosperity gospel, as defined above.

On the other hand, when we look at the full scriptures, we find some surprising perspectives.

Throughout the book of Proverbs, we trace the benefits that come to the wise person. 

Favor follows the righteous. Wisdom walks with those who welcome her. 

Three months after hiring Bob, my mom said to me: “Amy, we have been in business for 30 years. We have prayed for our clients, prayed for our products, prayed for our staff, prayed for the delivery drivers. Every possible thing we could think of, we've prayed for.

“But we never thought to pray for increase. We are actually doing good in the world! We're seeking to bring God's kingdom! Why would I not want my brand and my products to spread to the places where they're needed?”

The challenge, then, is to hold in tension both the record of history (Jesus, Stephen, Paul, martyrs, etc.), but also hold fast to the promise of the scripture. To actually believe what the Bible says about favor for the righteous. 

John, who rested his head on Jesus’ breast, wrote in 3 John 2: “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers” (LSB).

One client came to us. He said, “I'm in my 50s. I've pretty much hated God my whole life, because of a lot of really hard things in my childhood. But I'm willing to give God a second chance now.”

He came expecting the prosperity train. 

But instead, he first got right with God. 

The scriptures started to speak to him: “I just read Proverbs 3:5-6, and I think this applies to me! ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’”

His home, that had been a place of conflict, became a place of peace. 

He started to do the inner work needed, so that he would be able to handle financial increase. 

We wish prayer coverage would allow us all to avoid any kind of pain or difficulty. 

It doesn’t.

Pain is part of life.

But even with pain, we ask for increase. 

Lord, we want your hand to be on us, in ever-increasing measure.

This is what we hope for: that, as your faith increases, we will be given a much larger space for work,

Amy Joy

Does God actually care about our work? Yes! Far more than most of us were ever taught! Get a short, free reflection on why work—the place we spend the most waking hours most weeks—matters to him.

This booklet comes from Workplace Prayer, where we cover businesses in prayer, by name. If you're already longing to be prayed for, you can begin a week of coverage, our treat, at prayercoverage.co.