Debt Free Life

Proverbs 22:7 – The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

What Debt Does to a Person
Like all problems that people tend to ignore, debt will continue to grow larger and larger, becoming more and more unmanageable in the process, until it crushes a person.

Debt Brings Enslavement
Incurring debt gets us two things:
1. The item or service desired
2. An obligation to a person, party, or an institution that helped us get that item or service

That obligation is similar to a contract in which you, as the debtor, are willingly placing yourself under the control of the lender

Indeed, Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” The borrower effectively binds or ties himself to the lender.

WHAT DEBT DOES TO OUR LIFE

1. It keeps us in slavery
2 Kings 4:1-7
Here’s an indebted widow seeks out the prophet Elisha for help. In those days, it was customary for a lender to seize people, not just property, if a debt could not be paid. This widow was one such debtor. Her husband had taken out a loan, but he died before he could pay it back. As was custom, the debt fell to his widow, who had no money with which to pay the debt. In desperation, she wailed, “The creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves” (v. 1). Her family was literally about to be the “servant to the lender.”

2. It affects our priorities
When we owe debt it becomes a driving force to our lives.
Debt will affect our family relationship relationships, business, and our priorities.

3. It leads to fear and worries
When we owe debt it brings worries and fear of the wrath of the owner

WHAT  ARE THE CAUSES OF DEBT
1. Laziness and lack of job 2Thessalonians 3:10
2. Wasteful living 1Timothy 6:6-12
3. Selfish Living Galatians 6:2 Hebrews 13:6
4. Wrong investment Ephesians 5:16
5. Greediness to acquire everything that can be acquired. Proverbs 28:20-22

HOW CAN WE BE DEBT FREE

1.  Repent.
Turn away from the things that got you into debt in the first place. Realize how the desire for mammon affects your relationship with God.
Then give God permission to change our lives, to even work miracles to rescue us from bondage. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We need to realize that we need help, that we need saving. And God promises that He will not only save us, but that He will transform our lives too.

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Debt brings fear. But here is the beautiful thing: Love is the victor over fear, for “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). The Bible also says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). That means that God is the victor. He is the answer to defeating your fear and your worry over debt—over anything, for that matter. If you have a spending habit or a gambling addiction, God is the One who can help you overcome it. The passage says that God is the One who gives us “a sound mind”—that is, a mind that is disciplined, a mind that has self-control. If lack of self-control is what gets us into debt, then God is the answer not only to keeping us out of debt, but also getting us out of debt. Repent, and see how God will bless you.

2. Prayers  Psalm 34:4
We are called to be a blessing to others. Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Romans 13:8 says, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” And Ephesians 4:28 says, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”

If we as Christians work and save as much as we can, we will also be able to give as much as we can. And when we give, a beautiful thing happens: The very act of altruistic giving, of selflessness, becomes a blessing to us. “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).

This does not mean that you should give because something will be given back to you. Give expecting nothing in return. Jesus says several verses before, “Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil” (v. 35). This is not some monetary, earthly prize. It is the privilege of being counted as one in the family of God—not because you have the same blood but because your character resembles His! That is the gift given back to you: A new heart. “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself” (Proverbs 11:25)—watered by the Holy Spirit, sowing Christ’s character in you.

Give to those less fortunate than you, both material and spiritual wealth. Give to those who do not know Christ because you were once just as lost as they are. If we had the heart of Christ, how many more lost souls could be reached by the gospel? How many more missionaries, Bible workers, and evangelists could be sent to dark parts of this earth? How much of our money has been spent on a lifeless abundance of things instead of on the opportunity for someone to have an abundant life with Jesus Christ? Do we even realize that the cost of debt may be influencing much more than just our own lives? Do we consider that it is choking out the very gospel?

3. Obedience to the word of God. Isaiah 1:19. Isaiah 48:18
If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? (Luke 16:10–12).

If you have been reckless with material wealth, how would you manage spiritual wealth? How we handle our money in this life is an indication of our management of weightier affairs. And it’s not only our future eternity in heaven at stake; our spending habits can also make a difference for others on this earth. Instead of thinking about all the things we would be giving up by not spending money on ourselves, maybe we should be thinking of all the things we could be giving to others. We already know that deciding to have debt means that you worry about the ability to pay it back. This creates a poor witness for Christ because you are no longer seeking to reach out to others but are focused on yourself and your needs.

4. Working with honesty -James 5:4; Proverbs 13:11
Remember that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). The widow was unable to pay her husband’s debt, but she did not throw up her hands in defeat. Instead, she went to a prophet for God’s guidance. When Elisha discovered that the widow had a single jar of oil, he instructed her to ask all of her neighbors for their empty jars and containers, as many as she could get, and then to pour her single jar of oil into each empty container until each container was full. The widow did as she was told, and God miraculously multiplied her one jar of oil to fill all of those other jars. She then took that oil to the market to pay off her husband’s debt.

The widow made an effort to do what she could with what she had. Though that single jar of oil was not very much, though it could not possibly have paid off her husband’s debt by itself, she did not balk at the prophet’s instructions. She remained faithful; she remained obedient, and she was blessed for her faithfulness. “You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18). God did not perform a miracle while the widow just sat there and did nothing. Our efforts count; our conduct matters—but not in a way where we earn our salvation. Instead, the widow’s actions were an extension of her belief in God. He desires us to work with Him. He was glorified at the same time that the widow’s faith was strengthened. As a result, her character was more finely tuned for life with Him.

5. Living with the capacity you have
Keep Your Promises. What if you already have significant debt? Is it over for you? Are you lost forever? No. It is what you do with the debt you already have that matters now.

A Christian’s conduct matters. If a Christian makes a promise, he or she should make good on that promise. If you buy something, you should pay for it. The Bible states, “The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives” (Psalm 37:21). And it is “better not to vow than to vow and not pay” (Ecclesiastes 5:5).

Even if a Christian has conducted business foolishly and has incurred an overwhelming amount of debt, that person ought to do their best to pay back that debt and not renege from an I.O.U. He should not change what he has promised to do, even if it is to his continued disadvantage. If you do not pay your debt, that means someone else has to; someone else has to take the hit. Isn’t that a type of stealing?

Some may throw up their hands and say, “So what is the point of paying any of it?” People become crushed under the weight of overwhelming debt; they want to give up. But God desires us to come to Him when we fall. We need to repent of our sin—our addiction, our covetousness.

6. Be diligent and hard working
Worrying about having debt, the ability to pay back a debt, and what will happen if you cannot pay off the debt affects your health. Worry brings with it stress, fear, and even depression. Debt can also affect your temperament. It makes you impatient with others.

Worst of all, worrying does not solve the problem of paying off your debt. All it does is bring your entire life into submission to the power of debt. Thus, while debt gets you something you desire, with it also comes anxiety and servitude. In fact, it has the potential to change the entire trajectory of your life for the worse. This does not seem in the least appealing, and certainly not something that people would willingly bestow upon themselves.

7. Be patient
The Bible counsels us to wait patiently for that better life that God has promised: “You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8). Christ tells us, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). And of those followers of God, it is said, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. … [N]ow they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13, 16).

We are not to spend this life collecting valuables; we are to spend it in preparing our hearts, our minds, our characters for our future life with God. To have prosperity in the future, we need to experience self-denial today.

1. Forgiveness of debt
The Two Debtors Luke 7:41–43
The Talents or Minas Matthew 25:14–30 Luke 19:12–27

Prayer:
Lord, Please forgive me for my past mistakes, provide me wealth and make me debt-free. Let me live my rest of the life under your blessing. I place my heart and my whole life in your hand; grant me peace and abundance instantly. Amen.”

2.The thought that drives our pursuit of wealth
The Rich Fool Luke 12:16–21
The Master and Servant Luke 17:7–10

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, The only enemy I am afraid of, is debt and property; provide me the strength to keep this enemy away from my family and me. I pray that you guide me to flow a river of wealth around me that keeps poverty away. Amen.

3. Asking with assurance to receive
The Friend at Night Luke 11:5–8
The Lost Coin Luke 15:8–9

Prayer:
Dear God, I pray you to break all the financial curse my family or my encounter in our life and keep us protected financially. I asked for forgiveness for the sin, knowingly or unknowingly, I did in the past. Let the ocean of money flow around the corner of my home and keep debt away from us. Amen

4. Our Priority should be on the things that matters mostPlace value to what we have, our time, knowledge and money
Parable of the Pearl Matthew 13:45–46
The Unjust Steward Luke 16:1–13

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am grateful to you for guiding and being with me in every hard time. I made many financial decisions I am ashamed of. Please forgive me for my wrong decision Father  I am humbly asking for your guidance and divine intervention on helping me clear out all my debts. I know these are all my fault, all i just want to do is to give my daughter and mother a good life. Im really sorry for being irresponsible, I am asking for Your forgiveness and for Your help and guidance to show me the way on how to clear all my debts. Please once again, shower me with Your Precious Blood and Your endless miracles. In Jesus Name, I pray. Amen.

5. Offering quality time for God
The Hidden Treasure Matthew 13:44–44
The Faithful Servant Matthew 24:42–51 Mark 13:34–37 Luke 12:35–48

Dear God, Please help us to get rid of from the huge debts we accumulated. We want to live a peaceful life .kindly help us from all the problems..U r the only hope for us. None of them can help us without u.pls lord save us from all the problems.  I am aware of your all the law and try to follow each one with devotion and complete faith. However, my debt has been haunting and stealing my peace and happiness. If any generational curse is blocking my finance, I pray you, Lord, please cut all my ties with them and help me move on with my life. Amen

6. Living our live based on our ability and not beyond ourselves
Counting the Cost Luke 14:28–33
The Workers in the Vineyard Matthew 20:1–16

Dear heavenly Father,
 I come to u as humble as I know how thanking you for your Grace Mercy & Favor.Lord I need you today like never before. I am in debt & feel like I’m sinking & can’t see my way clear.Lord I’m asking you to step in & direct my path & order my footsteps. Lord I want to pay off all my debt & live a comfortable stress free life & be self sufficient. Lord I would like to be a blessing to those who have been a blessing to me & always have my back.All these things I ask in your son Jesus precious & holy name.Amen

7. Forgiveness of our fellow human can restore our relationship with God.
The Unforgiving Servant Matthew 18:23–35
The Wicked Husbandmen Matthew 21:33–41 Mark 12:1–9 Luke 20:9–16

My heavenly Father,
 I repent of my sins those of the past and those yet to be. I know your forgive us of our trespasses even those who trespass against us. You forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from all which is evil. Lord Jesus I call upon you and ask you to release me and my family from the burden of debt. You are merciful and I thank you for showing your mercies and tender loving kindness towards us and to all generations to come after us. This is my prayer and petition oh God… I thank you and I pray the blood of your son Christ Jesus over this prayer.. And so be it!