A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors-empty vessels; do not gather just a few.”And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.” (2 Kings 4:1-7)
Introduction: Money does not respect Christians specially; everyone has to master money matters. However, Christians should be conscious of their advantage of experiencing miracles from God. It is possible to fear the Lord and yet be poor to the level of being in debt. Just like any other aspect of life, a Christian has to learn how finances work and part of the lessons is that God still performs financial miracles. The man in the passage above was a servant of God but did not know how to handle his finances. Why did he need to borrow? Why didn’t he do the same thing that the wife later did? Why didn’t he cry to God or his man of God to bail him out instead of borrowing to eat? Why did he think that going to a creditor was his solution to his finances? He simply did not know that he was a candidate for a financial miracle. He probably thought that being a servant of God was synonymous to being poor and the devil capitalized on that mentality to throw him to the worst scenario.
The prophet’s wife sought for a financial miracle
The prophet in training was not an old man because his children were young. He suffered untimely death and it might have been related to the financial stress. Christians have to be knowledgeable about finances and learn to manage their finances well, otherwise its mismanagement can destroy their goals, visions and destiny.
Thank God the wife woke up from the lethargy and knew that begging the creditor or approaching another creditor was not a solution to her finances. Can you imagine that the creditor, a fellow Israelite did not even consider that the husband was a man of God and that the woman was a widow in Israel? That is how bad life can be. However, this woman did not lament over the situation or appealed to the king or prove that the creditor was a bad fellow Israelite (equivalent of born again Christian), she sought for a financial miracle. She did what her husband failed to do, she cried to God through her prophet believing that she was a candidate for a financial miracle and God honoured her faith.
The widow did not know all the financial principles at this time but she had faith in the man of God. Just the same way that faith in God can make you receive healing and other miracles, faith in God can make you receive a financial miracle. A miracle is a supernatural event that the laws of nature cannot explain. It can happen in your finances. The money that comes to you doesn’t have to be always directly proportional to your labour or quality of your business transaction; something supernatural can happen that no human being can explain.
Financial miracle can happen in diverse ways
Financial miracle can happen in diverse ways, therefore don’t try to imagine the method God will use for you. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you will suddenly find one million dollars in your account that you cannot trace to anybody. If you do, you better quickly report the event to your bank to avoid embarrassment. Debt cancellation miracle does not necessarily mean that the person you owe will call you and tell you to forget about paying his money. These things have happened before and they can happen again but God can choose to use other methods.
Most times, God multiplies something that looks insignificant in your life and as you give it to others, it generates funds. Others may have similar gift, talent or ability and it may not necessarily lead to any financial miracle for them. One day, I really needed money to do some things and a woman I have never met called me from Abuja (I live in Lagos) and said that she had listened to me minister somewhere about 5 years earlier and she would like me to counsel her daughter on how to lose weight. She was the one who suggested using email and called to remind me to send my account number to make deposit before the commencement of the weight management counseling. I had never done that business before then or advertised that I could do weight management online, God just chose that method to give me money that day.
Check the gift in your life that you are calling nothing
Another great lesson to learn from the widow is that what you need for your financial breakthrough is already in your life now. You should identify it and allow the anointing of God to come upon it, whether personally from your own intimate relationship with God or through a prophet. The widow initially said she had nothing before remembering the pot of oil. As far as she was concerned, that pot of oil was nothing. She never saw money in it. There is something in your life now that is meant to lead to a financial miracle, identify it, don’t despise it, treasure it and believe that God will use it to turn your finances around.
When you need a miracle, don’t cry, complain or explain why you must remain in debt or at the current level of finances. Just exercise faith!!!. And faith is action. Think of what you already have that can produce what you need, pray and let God show you what you can do to bring what you need.
Don’t borrow to eat
This woman received an instruction from the prophet to borrow vessels to use to multiply her oil. This is a passage that many Christians wrongly base their borrowing actions on. However, you should notice that the things she borrowed were things that could not be used up or warranted payment of interest.
At some stage in your journey to financial freedom, you may need to borrow from relatives, friends or neighbours amounts that they can easily part with and you can easily return as you grow your business. The challenge with many people is that they don’t want to start small. It is better to start with small amounts that would not warrant interest and grow, than to borrow from banks to take care of your family or start a business you have never tested before. You would have behaved like the husband of this woman.
Be humble and ask for help to increase your capacity
In your quest for financial miracle, you will need to put in efforts to reap what God plans to give you. In the process, you might pass through a stage that seems humiliating but your humility to endure it will prove wise at the end of the day. This woman had to go to all her neighbours and borrow containers. She had to express a need and ask them for help. That means there is no harm in expressing a need and asking for help. Don’t feel ashamed to tell people what you need to be able to generate money. The worst thing that can happen is that some of them will say no, and then you move to another person. Just make sure, you are not begging for money to eat or buy dresses or celebrate birthday. You can tell people you need their patronage, a space to sell, a helping hand to do things so that you can have time to market your goods or services. Some neigbours might have turned down the widow’s request but she got many vessesls eventually.
At the initial stage of multiplying your wealth, you don’t have to be broadcasting everything happening to you or jumping around chatting with neighbours, you will be distracted. The same way that this woman had to shut the door on herself and her sons, learn to also go alone with God. Be serious about your quiet time, prayers, studying the word and concentrate on God’s instructions. Moreover, put aside things that have been settled, not relishing the little success; the same way the woman put aside the filled jars; so that you can fill the other empty areas and move on to higher grounds.
When the vessels the woman borrowed were exhausted the oil stopped flowing. Your capacity will determine the level of your prosperity. Many people are in a hurry to multiply wealth and therefore limit their capacity. If this woman had been in a hurry and borrowed fewer vessels and rushed back home to start pouring the oil, the oil would have been less than what she got eventually.
You may need to study or learn about your business more or take the business or career to a higher level before you settle down fully. Be determined to reach the peak and get the maximum benefit from your oil. God will see your denial and enlargement of your capacity as an act of faith and raise you to the desired level. Be patient and trust God to give you your financial miracle as you obey his instructions. Increase your capacity and believe that God will fill it.
The woman returned to the prophet after the multiplication to receive further instructions. Interestingly, after telling her to sell the oil, he did not ask her to bring anything to him. Unfortunately, many Christians start having shoddy quiet time or avoiding church and their prophets immediately they experience a little multiplication. They may claim to be too busy or afraid that they will be asked to give to God’s work. If you have such a mind set, the wealth will not last for a long time.
Conclusion
Believe that God wants you to prosper, you are a joint heir with Christ and therefore God’s riches belong to you. Exercise your faith for a financial miracle; expect God to do something supernatural about your finances.