Once during ministry in Decatur, Texas, at River of Life Church where
my good friends, Greg and Janice Mohr, pastor, something happened that
I need to share. 
<p>
We had great meetings with many healings, salvations,
and baptisms in the Holy Spirit. On the final night of the three-
service meeting, Pastor Greg really encouraged the people to give
sacrificially toward our new building.
<p>
First of all, I’m amazed that a pastor would be encouraging his people
to give big to a traveling minister. Most pastors would see this as
money leaving their churches. 
<p>
But Pastor Greg is a man of integrity,
and he knows giving is the key to receiving. Praise God for men and
women of God who have pure hearts.
<p>
He was urging this crowd of 300+ people to give $100,000 toward our new
building. He turned to 2 Corinthians 9:10 and emphasized that God
provides seed to sowers. 
<p>
He knew people might not have that kind of
money right then but said if they would make a commitment to become
sowers, God would give them the finances to sow.
<p>
To lead the way, Greg and Janice made a $1,000 commitment of their own
finances toward the building. They didn’t have the money at the time,
but they were willing to give when the Lord gave them the seed. They
made a pledge that when God supplied, they would give.
<p>
The next morning, I stopped by the church to pick up my remaining tapes
and books, and Pastor Greg was all excited. He owned five plots of land
that he had been trying to sell for three years. 
<p>
At 8 a.m. that
morning, he received a call saying that it looked like the lots had
sold. Praise the Lord! How’s that for a fast answer to prayer!
<p>
Greg was telling me that this was not only something for Janice and
him, but he thought there were a lot of my partners in the same
situation. 
<p>
They wanted to be a part of getting this new facility debt
free, but they just didn’t have the money that they would like to give.
He was telling me, <b><i>If they will make a pledge to sow some money into
this project, the Lord will give them the seed to sow.</i></b>
<p>
I’ve done a lot of thinking about this in the weeks since then, and I
feel like the Lord has increased my revelation on sowing finances. I
want to share some of that revelation with you.
<p>
 2 Corinthians 9:10 says,
<br>
<b><i>Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your
food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your
righteousness;</i></b>
<p>
This verse says that God gives seed to sowers and bread to eaters.
These terms are being used metaphorically to talk about how God gives
extra to people who are givers and supplies the basic needs of eaters.
<p>
Eaters are those who are using their finances primarily for their
needs. Sowers are those who use their finances primarily to give to
others. This is about the attitude of the heart toward giving. 
<p>
Those
who desire more money so they can get more <b><i>stuff</i></b> are eaters. Those
who desire more money so they can give more are sowers.
<p>
Of course, sowers have to eat too. So, as the money flows through,
there is always plenty for you. But those who are only seeking to get
their needs met, will only get their needs met. They won’t have the
abundance that comes with being a giver.
<p>
This answers a lot of questions. Eaters are always focused on what they
need, and therefore, God doesn’t give them an over-abundance. They
would just spend it on themselves. Just two verses prior to the verse
we are studying, Paul said,
<p>
<b><i>And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always
having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:</i></b>
<p>
Notice that the reason God makes grace abound toward you is so you may
abound unto every good work. Prosperity is not for you. It’s so you may
bless others. That’s a radical thought.
<p>
Many people believe prosperity is all about greed, and that’s why they
oppose it. But true Bible prosperity is so you can be a blessing to
others. The attitude that says <b><i>I’ve got enough. 
<p>
I would never ask for
more</i></b> is the wrong attitude. That’s selfish. That shows the attitude of
an eater, not a sower.
<p>
If you are a sower, God will bless you with a super abundance of
finances that will more than supply your need and enable you to give as
you desire. 
<p>
 2 Corinthians 9:10 says God gives seed to sowers, so
it’s accurate to say that if you are short of seed (finances), then you
are not sowing like you should. God will see to it that sowers have
money to abound unto every good work.
<p>
 Ephesians 4:28 says,
<br>
<b><i>Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working
with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him
that needeth.</i></b>
<p>
This verse says that the reason we should work is so that we can give
to those that have need. That’s amazing! Most people would say the
reason we should work is so that we can pay our bills and provide for
our needs. 
<p>
But that’s not what this scripture says. The purpose for us
working is so that we can bless others.
<p>
I can just hear someone saying, <b><i>But what about me? Doesn’t God want me
to be blessed too?</i></b> Of course He does. But the way to blessing isn’t in
trying to meet your needs. It’s in meeting the needs of others.
<p>
 Matthew 6:33 says,
<br>
<b><i>But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you.</i></b>
<p>
When we put sowing ahead of eating, God gets involved in our finances
and meets our every need. In fact, God will take better care of you
than you would take of yourself. 
<p>
Just look at what the Lord is
preparing for you in heaven. You will live in a mansion. The streets
are paved with pure gold. The gates are pearls, and the foundations of
the city are precious stones. No one on earth lives in such luxury. God
is El Shaddai, not El Cheapo.
<p>
The thing that is hindering most of our prosperity is the fact that we
tend to be eaters instead of sowers. We’re like a dam that wants to
block the flow instead of a river that lets the water pass through. 
<p>
If
God can get money through us, He will get it to us. This is a powerful
truth.
<p>
If you can look at all your assets and say <b><i>I produced all of this,</i></b>
then you haven’t tapped into God’s abundance yet. When you put God’s
kingdom first, the Lord will prosper you supernaturally. And it will be
abundant.
<p>
Jamie and I have given away a lot of cars. We didn’t do it to get cars
back. We did it because we are sowers, and we like to bless people. It
really is more blessed to give than to receive. 
<p>
But as we put first the
kingdom of God by giving to others, God has supernaturally taken care
of us. We’ve had people buy new cars for us for the last 14 years. And
these are nice cars. They are nicer than we would have bought for
ourselves if we would have been limited to our personal income.
<p>
I’ve had people criticize me for driving nice cars. But what am I
supposed to do, refuse the free nice cars and spend more money on
something not as nice so I could look humble? That’s not humble; that’s
stupid.
<p>
When God gets involved in your finances, it will be embarrassing. If
you aren’t sometimes embarrassed at the way God takes care of you, then
you haven’t moved into God’s abundance yet. Our Father gets pleasure
out of blessing you ( Ps. 35:27 ).
<p>
I’ve made an audio teaching entitled <b><i>Sowers and Eaters.</i></b> This teaching
goes into much more than what I’ve been able to share in this article.
I believe it could change the way you view giving, and it could bring
you into God’s abundance.
<p>
-- Andrew Wommack<br>
Capitalization of keywords by Randy Lucas