“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

This is my fundamental belief about finances: we put God first and what is on His heart, and He will supply all that is needed. It’s always what I go back to in time of need. I’ve preached on this verse more times than I can remember. It is a key message in my life.

This doesn’t mean that we have no part in making sure our finances are covered. It does mean a matter of priorities.

The first time I experienced this most directly is the time I left on a short-term mission stint to the Philippines. To the best of my knowledge I had not been able to raise the necessary funds before I left on my first mission trip and I did not look forward to the idea of raising funds to cover the remainder of the trip after the fact. When I returned I was informed that everything I needed had come in.

The second time it happened, it was even more amazing than the first. My wife and I were at a fork in the road: we had to make a decision about our future. Arbitrarily I set the deadline to make a decision at the end of the calendar year to give ourselves a deadline. Three months before I made a decision, a third of our support to go as missionaries to the Dominican Republic had already been promised by a supporting church. After we made the decision to go, the rest came in easily.

When God moves us in a certain direction, He will make sure that we have what we need. Sometimes what we need doesn’t come in the way we want or from the people we think should provide it. God has many resources at his disposal.

What does this have to do with the prophetic, you might ask. God may give you a word that stands in stark contrast to your financial situation. He might ask you to do something which seems financially unfeasible, even ridiculous. Sometimes the provision does not come until the eleventh hour, when we think it’s already too late. But God is never late. His sense of time has less to do with our comfort than our ability to trust Him.

Where do you need to trust God in this new year for your financial provision? I see many people making decisions on a regular basis due to a prophetic word God has given them. It is better to make a decision based on a prophetic word for your life than to try to figure out the financial part of it first. It’s all a matter of priorities.

Where will that take us in the new year?

By Ralph Veenstra