Faith and Prosperity Consciousness

My teachings are not based on religion. They address the spiritual nature of life and the laws that encompass all people, all faiths, and all belief systems. It doesn’t matter whether your beliefs are religious based or if you have no religious affiliation at all. The laws are impersonal and will work for you because they are aligned with your spiritual nature.

I believe that spiritual laws are included in all great religions, but are often misinterpreted or distorted.

For example, I have noticed how easily some people can quote phrases and scriptures from the Bible that relate to money and wealth, usually with a negative connotation. And yet they somehow seem to overlook other scriptures of equal importance that can balance the perspective in the positive. The following will present my views and address the difference between faith, spiritual faith and religious faith. The topic then evolves into the subject of money and faith…and religious based distortion.

If you are religious, this topic will have special significance for you. I hope you find the information enlightening or at the least, provocative enough to contemplate. My desire is that this will give you a sense of security in reaching for spiritual knowledge outside of your own religion, as well as the understanding that the universal nature of these teachings will not conflict with your beliefs, and will more likely create a greater understanding of them.

Faith, Spiritual Faith and Religious Faith

Faith

Faith is to believe what you do not see and the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

— St. Augustine

Definition of Faith:

• Firm belief in something for which there is no proof
• Complete trust and expectation
• Something that is believed, especially with strong conviction

We give of our time, talents and services and have faith that reward will be returned to us. We have unwavering faith in the “absolutes” of existence — we are certain that the sun will rise or that gravity is completely reliable. But we also have faith, or strong convictions in circumstances, conditions and appearances that are later proven to be wrong. We may also be living below our potential because of faith that is based on deep-seated beliefs that were instilled in our mind from a very young age.

Spiritual Faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

— Hebrews 11:1

Definition of Spiritual Faith:

• Belief and trust in mental and spiritual laws
• Belief in a higher power: God, the Universe, Infinite Intelligence, Divine Presence, Spiritual Substance

We base our expectations on the mental and spiritual laws of the Universe, such as the law of cause and effect (karmic law), the universal law of circulation, the law of giving and receiving, the law of reciprocity, the law of increase. As you sow, you reap.

We can take this a step further and base our faith on our perception of a Higher Power: God, the Universe, Infinite Intelligence, Divine Presence, or Spiritual Substance as the source of our constant and never-ending supply. We place our complete reliance and trust in the Source of all good and know that we are connected to that source as the child of a rich Universe.

..for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

— Luke 12:32

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

— Matthew 6:25-34

Consider the lilies is the only commandment I ever obeyed.

— Emily Dickinson

Religious Faith

I come that ye may have life, and that more abundantly. — John 10:10

Definition of Religious Faith:

• Belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
• Strong belief and conviction in a system of religious beliefs

Now, the definition of faith that we embrace in our prosperity work and in our study of Universal laws is that of the second category above — Spiritual Faith. The elements are not based on organized religion. However, the elements of Spiritual Faith may be and often are included in a particular religion or its doctrines.

For example, Feel Free to Prosper teachings might be described to a Christian with the following scripture:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

— Romans 12:2

The scripture clearly lets us know that we have something to do with the creation process — and that “something” relates to our thoughts and feelings.

Feel Free to Prosper teachings are about renewing our minds and overcoming faulty beliefs in the subconscious that keep us from being aligned with our spiritual source. That source — however you conceive it — is the source of everything we desire and awaits our recognition.

I often use the term “Universe” to allow a majority of people to relate. Everyone on this planet has a right to understand the prosperity laws and to receive the gifts of their spiritual heritage. There are many different paths to the One Source that has many names.

Religious Faith and Prosperity Consciousness

It is important for the growth of our prosperity consciousness for us to be discerning and become aware of religious dogma that may have conditioned our minds, even unconsciously, to interfere with our acceptance of true prosperity in life.

A businessman student of mine was raised as a Catholic and wrote to me of the “utterance” that precedes the verse of the liturgy that was a part of the Roman Catholic Mass.

“Lord, I am not worthy…” begins the verse, which was changed from Latin to less formal English a generation ago. He stated that he probably uttered the original version several hundred times decades ago. Considering that the subconscious mind does not reason but accepts our words literally, how do you suppose such a repeated utterance affects one’s ability to prosper in life?

“Money is the root of all evil.”

This is one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible. The actual verse is… For the love of money is the root of all evil. This means we are not to “worship” money as our God and that we are to remember and acknowledge the true source of our wealth. And indeed, we must “love” money if we want to attract it into our lives. We recognize it as another form of spiritual substance that emanates from our Universal source of supply.

“Filthy lucre . . .”

The Latin root of lucre or lucrum also means “avarice” and meant “shameful or illicit gain.” Now think about it. Money can be no more “filthy” or “evil” than the sheep or other livestock or grains or metals used as a value of exchange for trade in ancient times before “money” appeared.

You can see how centuries of misinterpretation can tar the meaning of words and phrases which can result in a profound impact on the prosperity consciousness of millions of people.

Acknowledge instead the spiritual literature, such as these biblical references, that offer the proper perspective and assure you of your birthright to prosper:

A Step Beyond…

…for it is he who giveth thee power to get wealth.

— Deuteronomy 8:18

…for then thou shalt make thy ways prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

— Joshua 1:8

I come that ye may have life, and that more abundantly.

— John 10:10

I hope this has given you something to ponder carefully with regard to your personal faith.