The next key principle on how we receive from God is: 6) Sowing and Reaping. We will only be looking at how to sow and reap for a financial harvest. However, sowing and reaping applies to all areas of our lives i.e. time, talents, healing, etc. as well as finances. If you sow to the flesh or carnal desires i.e. sexual immorality, gossip, slander, backbiting, strife, hatred, anger, pride, jealousy greed, selfishness, etc., you will reap their negative consequences. If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap everlasting life (Galatians 6:8). To be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6).
Sowing and reaping is not judgment. It is not that God is judging people by punishing them for their sins. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. His forgiveness breaks the negative cycle of sowing and reaping in our lives that actually keeps us from getting what we deserve. Jesus steps in between the law of sowing and reaping, as we repent and follow Him.
However, there is still God’s law of sowing and reaping where we reap the consequences of our actions based on our decisions or someone else’s decision that affects us. We are looking at this law with regards to our finances.
God has set up laws concerning sowing and reaping. Sowing and reaping (seedtime and harvest) is perpetual as long as the earth remains (Genesis 8:22). Sowing involves seed and the Word of God has a lot to say about the nature of a seed, seedtime and harvest. A seed yields after its kind (Genesis 1:11). A seed must die to produce a harvest ((John 12:24, 25). We must sow our seed in faith since everything in the Kingdom of God operates by faith (Hebrews 11:1, 6; Mark 11:22-24). God supplies us with seed to sow i.e. our job, money, etc. then multiplies it back to us in the form of a thirty, sixty, or hundredfold harvest (Matthew 13:23).
Richard and Lindsay Roberts discuss how to plant your seed in faith in their pamphlet entitled “Seed-Faith in a Nutshell” on pages 8 & 9: 1) Identify the purpose (Why are you sowing your seed); 2) Make sure when you ask God it is in accordance with His Word; 3) Say it out loud; confessing our faith is important (2 Corinthians 4:13); 4) Direct your faith by applying the Word of God to your situation (Romans 10:17); 5) Establish or give it a value that will cover what you have believed for; 6) Then expect a miracle!
The Bible also talks about how we are to give. Giving is over and above the tithe which belongs to the Lord. In the Old Testament, there were 5 types of sacrifices or offerings but only three were voluntary that were given as worship and to please God. Jesus’ voluntary sacrifice for us, was a fragrant offering that pleased His Father and delighted His heart (Ephesians 5:1, 2). When we give gifts and offerings to the Lord, that is honoring and worshiping Him (Matthew 2:11; Philippians 4:18)!
There are Blessings when we give. It is a key to our prosperity. Sometimes a new level of giving is needed to release a new level of prosperity! We are to give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7), liberally, willingly, sacrificially, with pure motives, not to get or buy favor from the Lord (Proverbs 21:2; Matthew 6:1-4), in faith, with a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:19), and according to our ability (2 Corinthians 8:2-5).
So how do you know when to give, where to give, and how much to give? Jesus says that He will tell you if you ask Him and are listening (John 10:27)! It is important to give yourself to Him first then follow His lead in giving.
“Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 (NKJV)
But this, I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So, let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “he has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 – 9 (NKJV)
So that neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God gives the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:7 (NKJV)
Let him who is taught the Word share in all good things with him who teaches. Galatians 6:6 (NKJV)
For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “ The laborer is worthy of his wages.” 1 Timothy 5:18 (NKJV)
When you give, God returns it to you (the law of increase; Luke 6:38) and multiplies the seed you sow (law of multiplication) so, you can then expect a harvest but you must sow to reap! Each seed is capable of reproduction. Just as the seed in the natural world has the ability to reproduce i.e. apple seed, etc. so each seed you sow has the ability to reproduce (Genesis 1:11, 29; Matthew 14:14 – 21). We see in the story of the loaves and fishes in Matthew’s account that Jesus began the multiplication process with prayer to the Father and as He gave the food to the disciples, and as they gave it to the multitudes who passed it amongst the crowd, the food was multiplied and they had an abundance left over. There are many other instances in the Bible that tell us of how God multiplies both in the Old and New Testaments i.e. 2 Kings 4; Ruth 2; Matthew 25:20 – 23; Acts 5:14.
In his daily devotional “From Faith to Faith,” Kenneth Copeland states “If you have a desire to give, yet financial failures keep holding you back, you may be surprised to learn that what you need is not more money. What you need is a spiritual breakthrough. You need to take the Word of God and shatter the images of poverty and lack within you. You need to replace them with a vision of the sufficiency of God. Then more things, including money, will come.
How? By spending time thinking on the prosperity promises He’s provided for you in His Word and by meditating on them. By believing you receive those promises actually being fulfilled in your life.
Begin to see yourself, for example, being a generous giver to people in need. In your mind, see yourself as a giver instead of the one who is always in need. Each time you do, the promise of God will become more real to you and your faith will grow.
Give Jesus something to multiply, the tithe first then sow your seed as He leads you. Jesus can then bless it and multiply it. It is God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:7). It is not the result of man’s efforts but of God’s supernatural multiplication by His Spirit as we give and obey Him. Satan always tries to get us focused on our circumstances and our own meager resources. But we need to keep our eyes on God’s supernatural provision and give as He directs standing on His promises.
Many people think that they can’t tithe or give when they are in crisis or their resources are low. However, when you don’t give as He leads, it isn’t because you don’t have enough but it has to do with trusting Him that He will get it back to you when you need it! You need to trust that when you follow God’s leading and sow in obedience to what He is telling you to give, you will reap a harvest in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:2) and that you can receive a hundred-fold blessing (Genesis 26:1-14; Mark 4:20; Mark 10:29 – 30)!
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:19 (NKJV)
Therefore, you can’t afford not to give. It’s the key to God’s cycle of supernatural provision. God will meet your need according to his unlimited, immeasurable supply!
Now, may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 2 Corinthians 9:10 – 11 (NKJV)
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)
There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself. The people will curse him who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. Proverbs 11:24-26 (NKJV)
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given. Proverbs 19:17 (NKJV)
“I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the Words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 (NKJV)
The moment you sow something, it can never decrease, be taken away from you or lose it because it is fruit that has been deposited into your heavenly account (Philippians 4:14-19) and you make withdrawals through reaping. You will reap according to what you sow in faith (Luke 6:38). See below for reference “21 ways God Supplies” for other ways to give and sow to reap a harvest blessing.
You must cultivate the seed by staying in faith while waiting to reap your harvest and giving thanksgiving to the Lord. Remember that you don’t reap in the same season that you sow just like in the natural world. Patience is needed in the season between sowing and reaping. You must sow in seedtime and wait patiently during the time of growth and development (Mark 4:27-29) while cultivating your seed.
We were created for a harvest (Genesis 1:28). Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when it is harvest time and act on what He leads you to do. We have a part in reaping the harvest and faith is involved here as well (See Keith Moore’s “Rules for Reaping”). Don’t eat the harvest by spending it on yourself. Sow it as another seed! That way, you will have a continual harvest. If you missed the harvest time, the good news is that unlike the natural harvest, a spiritual harvest doesn’t spoil and you can still have a harvest if you call it in.
He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. Proverbs 10:5 (NKJV)
The Lord can restore what the enemy has stolen if we call that harvest in as well. Restoration is God’s will for us and we must have faith that it will happen.
The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.” Joel 2:24, 25 (NKJV)
Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; he may have to give up all the substance of his house. Proverbs 6:31 (NKJV)
There can also be things that block your harvest! Some of these are unconfessed sin (It is important to ask the Lord if there is any unconfessed sin in your life and to repent and ask forgiveness for it), fear, doubt and unbelief (which is the opposite of faith!), trying to work things out yourself by your own ability, missing God’s timing by not following the promptings or leading of the Holy Spirit and demonic activity through a door you have opened to the enemy. Bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Repent then bind and rebuke the work of the devil in your situation and close the door (2 Corinthians 10:5; Luke 10:19).
He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Proverbs 28:13 (NKJV)
For what if some do not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true, but every man a liar. Romans 3:3, 4 (NKJV)
Guard your thoughts and don’t allow thoughts of fear of the unknown, of failure or that you won’t receive what you need take root in your heart. Don’t give up hope! You will reap if you wait on the Lord and don’t give up. Reaping requires patience and then action when the Lord directs you it is time to bring in the harvest.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
In conclusion, remember that provision and prosperity are part of our covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is important to both sow and reap in faith and rest in the promises of God’s Word for your provision. Meditate on His promises of provision to build up your faith in this area (Romans 10:17). Don’t be anxious (Philippians 4:6, 7) but cast your cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). His grace and provision come daily for all of our needs i.e. like the manna for the children of Israel that was provided daily in the wilderness as we see in Exodus 16; and in the Lord’s Prayer.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 (NKJV)
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)
Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls – yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. Habakkuk 3:17 – 19 (NKJV)
References
Copeland, Kenneth and Gloria. (1992). From Faith to Faith: A Daily Guide to Victory. August 7. Put Your Imagination to Work. Fort Worth, Texas: Kenneth Copeland Publications.
KCM/Believer’s Voice of Victory Broadcast Notes; 082216-082616. Done with Debt Part One – Day 4. 21 Ways God Supplies. Fort Worth, Texas.
Moore, Keith. (1994). Rules of Reaping. Moorelife.org
Prince, Joseph. (2013). Provision Promises. Lake Mary, Florida: Charisma House.
Living the Abundant Life 