I am about to say something unheard of in most financial circles. Don’t focus on the money. Financial gain should never be the primary dictator of your decisions. Money is simply a measure of value. If you’re chasing money as a means to an end, you’ll be left empty and unsure of your values. So, one of the key biblical finance principles I live by is that money is attracted, not pursued.

When you surrender your pursuit of money, it frees up time and energy to pursue the things that matter. Your devotion can switch from storing up wealth and security to seeking God’s will and direction. It’s as Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

All these things shall be added. This is where financial favor comes into play. Favor is defined in the Bible as “acceptance, goodwill, or preferential treatment.” So, financial favor is God’s grace on your resources. It follows when you focus on the things of the Kingdom.

Does financial favor mean that you abandon financial wisdom? Quite the opposite! This blog post provides three ways to attract financial favor to your life, in no particular order:

1. Apply Yourself to Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom

2. Give Generously

3. Maximize Current Opportunities 

Financial Favor Comes When You Apply Yourself to Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom

 King Solomon is renowned for being the wisest and wealthiest man to ever live. Early into his rule, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” (1 Kings 3:5, NLT). Solomon responds humbly. He asks, 

Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours? (1 Kings 3:7-9, NLT) 

God was pleased with this request. So, He gave Solomon what He asked for–and exceedingly more! God said, “And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.” (1 Kings 3:13-14, NLT)

This is a perfect example of how money is attracted, not pursued. Instead of asking for wealth and riches, Solomon asked for an understanding heart. Consequently, wealth and riches were attracted to him. When we seek money as a means to an end, it is difficult to serve God and our neighbors wholeheartedly. However, when your primary goal is to serve God in your current season, financial favor will be attracted to you.

 However, like Solomon, we must prepare ourselves with knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Just a couple of verses later in 1 Kings 4:33, the Bible says that Solomon described plant life from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the walls. He learned about birds, reptiles, mammals, and fish. Then, Solomon became the most successful exporter of his time. He made strong shields and raised powerful war horses. He was a brilliant businessman, and the Queen of Sheba came to survey all his wealth. 

Do you think that wisdom and wealth came without effort? I don’t think God plugged a USB into his head with everything Solomon needed to know. Instead, I think Solomon applied himself to knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, and God gave him the grace to learn and succeed. So, don’t pursue wealth. Pursue knowledge, ask God for wisdom, and invite the Holy Spirit into your learning process and financial dealings.

Related: The Cycle of Success: Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom

Financial Favor Occurs When You Give Generously

“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

The Bible makes it clear– financial favor is attracted to your life when you give your tithes and offerings. Our money is like a seed. We can use it to grow resources for the Kingdom, and watch as God multiplies our impact and ROI. Or, we can eat our seed by spending it on things that lose their value. When we do this, we miss out on the miraculous multiplication God intended. 

2 Corinthians 9:8 continues, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” 

Givers attract more resources because generosity creates a character that can carry more. Giving your tithes and offerings is a way to say, “God, everything I have is yours. I want to partner with you in my finances to share your love and build your Kingdom!”

Then, God will give you resources to meet your needs and empower you to share with others. Here’s where prosperity preachers often get it wrong– money rarely falls into our laps like ripe cherries off a tree. There is a ‘natural’ component to financial favor as well, and it comes from being a good steward of your resources.

Related: 22 Bible Verses on Giving

Financial Favor Occurs When You Maximize Current Opportunities 

When we give, we often receive transactionally. God gives back to us through the work of our hands. So, we often experience financial favor in the form of our jobs, businesses, and investments—but we may not view it as ‘favor’ because it’s tied to what we’re doing. In her book, Liturgy of the Ordinary, Tish Harrison Warren describes this phenomenon as competitive agency. It’s the idea that “if human responsibility and work are involved, God’s responsibility and work are not, and vice versa.”

Everything we have belongs to God, and so does its potential. We may see a seed, but God sees generations of an orchard that can feed thousands. Deuteronomy 8:18 encourages us to “Remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” This verse is humbling, as it grounds us in the reality that we can’t do anything without God. It’s also empowering, as it causes us to look up and see that all things are possible with God.

Consider the resources and opportunities you have now. How can you multiply them? Perhaps there are new ways you can multiply your impact at work. Maybe you have idle money in a savings account that’s depreciating due to inflation that you can invest. Or, there could be a business idea that you can take steps toward starting today. 

We must learn to hold our future dreams in tension with what we already have. Current opportunities are the bridge to your destiny. Do you want to learn more about how to maximize the moment? If so, we’d love to invite you to the 2023 WealthBuilders Conference, February 17-19, in Denver, Colorado. This 3-day event will feature some of the industry’s best and brightest Christian entrepreneurs and investors. We are eager to show you how to attract financial favor to your life so you can resource God’s plans and purposes. Click here to learn more and register.

Read Next: Good and Faithful Servants: What Does It Mean to Be a Good Steward?