Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PERSONAL
NOTES ON
FINANCE
By Joyce Meyer
Beloved, I pray that you may
prosper in every way and
[that your body] may keep well,
even as [I know] your soul keeps
well and prospers.
3 john 2
Copyright © 2013 by Joyce Meyer
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW
Published by:
joycemeyer.org
ISBN 978-0-9754159-1-7
my personal
notes on finance
Chapter 1: You Can Do It!
Matthew 6:33 says, But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you
as well (NIV). When we put God first in our lives, then
we won’t become attached to money and material
possessions. We’ll be willing to give whatever He
puts in our hearts to give.
6
I won’t be able to tell you everything you need to know
about finances, but what I hope to do is encourage and
provoke you enough to do what you need to do. There
are a lot of systems out there, and different things
work for different people, but none of them are going
to work if you don’t have a deep desire to do them and
if you’re not willing to put some time into it.
Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of
your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident)
also in Him and He will bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:5
8
“I pray this book
puts a determination
down in your spirit to
break free from your
financial burdens.
The journey may not be
easy, but I promise it
will be worth it!”
“If we will trust God and refuse to
worry or think about what we don’t
have, then He will give us more as
we show ourselves to be good
stewards over what He’s given us.”
—JoycE
2 The Journey to
Financial Freedom
12
Avoid Waste
In John 6:12, after Jesus fed the multitude He told the
people, Gather up now the fragments (the broken piec-
es that are left over), so that nothing may be lost and
wasted. Now, He could have easily done another mir-
acle, so why clean up all the leftovers off the ground?
Because He knew the importance of making the most
of what God has provided.
14
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have
plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and
every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living
in plenty or in want.
Philippians 4:12 NIV
You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in
charge of many things.
Matthew 25:21 NIV
16
take action
ASK YOURSELF:
What am I doing with the
money God has given me?
Trust God to show you the
places where you need to
use your money and
believe that He will be
faithful to bless you for
your obedience.
“Our pursuit of money can ruin
our relationship with God, but it
doesn’t have to…as long as we keep
things in balance and don’t let
ourselves crave money more than
we crave God.”
—JoycE
3 Money &
Relationships
There are more than 2,000 verses in the Bible that
talk about money and one of them uses the phrase “a
root of all evils.”
20
As I said before, God will test us to see where we are in
our relationship with Him and whether or not we can
handle more. As soon as we start letting things get in
the way of our relationship with God, He will remove
those hindrances to help us grow closer to Him.
22
given us before we can expect Him to give us more.
You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in
charge of many things.
Matthew 25:21 NIV
Every time the rich man went in and out of that gate
he had to see him lying there, but the sad thing is, he
never did anything for him. Please don’t allow your
status or amount of money negatively affect how you
treat others. People all around are hurting and we
need to keep our eyes open and be excited every time
we get the opportunity to meet a need.
24
take action
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO...
but sometimes we need to
be willing to do it. Even if
you have to literally take
out your checkbook, deb-
it card or piggy bank and
talk to it, you need to be
able to say, “You’re nice
and I enjoy you, but I can
live without you if I have
to; however, I cannot live
without God and I am not
going to let you have first
place in my life!”
“The main reason for abundance is
so you can put a smile on
other people’s faces by helping meet
the needs they aren’t able to meet.
There are so many waiting for
a miracle and God could use you to
give it to them.”
—JoycE
4 Principles to Live By
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you
the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant,
which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV
28
things, like pens, paperclips or other office supplies.
God had to convict me of all this because years ago
I was doing it all. Through this experience I learned
how important it is to do what’s right, because we
reap what we sow. And God couldn’t bless me when I
was doing wrong things.
30
closer to God?
For a month, I didn’t give her that dress and God kept
pressing me to give it. Well, I finally gave it to her and
you know, it was such a blessing to her that I think
she used that dress for twenty years. And because it
was such a blessing to her, the sacrifice of giving it
away was more than worth it. I was also blessed by
the happiness it brought her. If you have something
that you cannot part with and you know God is tell-
ing you to do it, then I want to encourage you to trust
God, resist the hold that it has on you, and ask Him
for the grace you need to obey and release it. Don’t let
fear or selfishness keep you from being a blessing!
There are times when God may ask you to give more
than you feel you are capable of giving. In these sit-
uations it’s important to fully trust God, but please
make sure that it is God telling you to do it. We can
easily be moved by a desperate situation or someone
32
else’s need, but it’s not wise to make decisions based
on emotions. For example, you wouldn’t want to give
your car away if it meant you couldn’t get to work to
fulfill your commitment to your job. But sometimes
God might ask you to give away something like that.
The best way for me to know if I’m hearing from God
is if it stays with me. Just like He did with the red
dress, God will keep putting that prompting in your
heart until you fulfill it.
Now, God knows what you have, and if you don’t have
a lot to give, that’s okay. I love the story of the woman
at the temple who gave her last mite, which is less
than a penny today. In the Word of God she is hon-
34
Your storehouse is your savings. It’s where you store
up what God has blessed you with. It might be a piggy
bank, a savings account or an envelope in a drawer.
Whatever you want to call it, that’s your storehouse.
First, ask God to help you and give you wisdom with
how you spend your money. Listen to His still, small
voice in your heart when you buy things. The Holy
Spirit is our Helper and Counselor, and He will tell
you whether or not you should purchase something.
As you get in the habit of doing this, you’ll find that
you have more peace and joy in your spending. If God
doesn’t want you to have something, you’ll never be
able to truly enjoy it. But if He does, even the smallest
things will bring you so much joy.
36
Second, only spend what you are able to afford. You’ll
never make it to financial freedom if you aren’t able
to say “no” when your flesh is screaming, “I’ve gotta
have it! Gotta have it! Gotta have it!” I like to say it
like this, let your emotions subside and then decide.
take action
what are some of the things God is
asking you to give away to be a blessing to
others? This could include finances, posses-
sions or your time and abilities. Write them
down, give them away and trust God to bless
that gift for both you and the recipient.
You can do this! You can pay off your debts and live
with financial peace.
40
a good attitude, which builds our faith in Him and
brings us closer to Him.
42
later. It will help improve your overall health and
your relationships.
Step 1: List all of your debts from smallest to largest and pay
them off in order. Don’t worry about interest, unless you
have two debts that are the same amount. Then you’ll pay
the one with the larger interest first.
Step 3: Once you pay off a debt, add what you were paying to
the next debt, and so on… Pretty soon you’ll only have a
couple debts left and enough money to pay them off quickly.
Step 6: After you’ve done all that, start saving for six months of
living expenses. In the unfortunate circumstance that
someone loses a job, you and your family will be able to
live comfortably while you look for a new position.
Step 7: At this point, you’re ready to pay off those high debts and
Step 5: Invest
In addition to investing in the Kingdom, we also need
to invest in things here, like property, the stock
market, mutual funds, etc.
44
Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may
receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you
do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 NIV
take action
WRITE DOWN ALL OF YOUR DEBTS
from smallest to largest. Mark each one off
as you pay them off.
The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send
rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.
You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord
will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the
commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and careful-
ly follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
Deuteronomy 28:12-13 NIV
The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse
and in all that you undertake. And He will bless you in the land
which the Lord your God gives you.
Deuteronomy 28:8
When the Lord your God blesses you as He promised you, then you
shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall
rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
Deuteronomy 15:6
50
Keeping a Healthy
Relationship with Money
He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust
in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed.
Proverbs 28:25
But immorality (sexual vice) and all impurity [of lustful, rich,
wasteful living] or greediness must not even be named among you,
as is fitting and proper among saints (God’s consecrated people).
Ephesians 5:3
For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving
that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith
and pierced themselves through with many acute [mental] pangs.
1 Timothy 6:10
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have
been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many
things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Matthew 25:21 NIV
scriptures on finance
Obedience & Finances
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your
heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you
peace and prosperity.
Proverbs 3:1-2 NIV
52
Trusting God
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 NIV
Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your
load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him
and He will bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:5
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Proverbs 16:3 NIV
scriptures on finance
The Importance of Work
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the
ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he
swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV
54
Knowing the Condition
of Your Finances
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful atten-
tion to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is
not secure for all generations.
Proverbs 27:23-24 NIV
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down
and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete
it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, ev-
eryone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, “This person began to
build and wasn’t able to finish.”
Luke 14:28-30 NIV
Investing
Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive
a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know
what disaster may come upon the land.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 NIV
scriptures on finance
Giving
A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or
fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.
Leviticus 27:30 NIV
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have
neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy
and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without
neglecting the former.
Matthew 23:23 NIV
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be ar-
rogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but
to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything
for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good
deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they
will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the
coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV
56
Joyce Meyer Ministries
Sharing Christ - Loving People
facebook.com/joycemeyerministries
twitter.com/joycemeyer