You’ve heard the testimonies—maybe you’ve even felt stirred by them.
“I honoured my spiritual father with a huge sacrifice, and ever since then, my breakthrough came. Doors opened. I cannot be poor.”
On the surface, it sounds like a powerful faith story, but listen closely. When the narrative shifts from God’s grace to a formula—what I gave, who I gave it to, and what I got back—something critical has been lost. The spotlight turns from the Giver of every good gift to the transaction itself. It becomes a story of money, affluence, and a blessing tied to a specific bank account.
This is more than enthusiastic preaching; it’s a subtle system. No one commands you directly. Instead, curated testimonies and carefully selected scriptures guide your thinking. A ranking system is subtly implanted: giving to the poor is framed as ineffective, while giving to a “great man of God” is presented as the sure key to results.
By the time the offering basket is passed, the environment has shifted. You are no longer giving from a place of joy or worship. You’re giving from a place of fear—fear of missing out, fear of being left behind, fear that your breakthrough will be delayed because you didn’t “sow correctly” into the right soil.
The direction of the seed is no longer upward to God in faith. It’s inward, toward the pulpit. The language may be spiritual, but the destination of the money becomes painfully earthly.
But this is not how God works.
God is not a divine vending machine, and our blessings are not contingent on figuring out the right spiritual leader to impress. He is not moved by manipulation; He is moved by truth, obedience, and a sincere heart.
If breakthrough was controlled solely by sowing into the wealthy, Jesus would not have celebrated the widow who gave her last two coins—a gift that impressed heaven precisely because it was a sacrifice of trust, not a calculated investment. If helping the poor was spiritually secondary, the Bible would not boldly proclaim that “whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord” (Proverbs 19:17).
The problem is not giving. Giving is profoundly biblical. The problem arises when giving becomes the relentless goal of every message—when sermons are designed to lead your wallet, not your soul. When God is mentioned, but the true target is your pocket. When Christ is preached, but the conclusion always points you to the “man of God.”
At that point, you are not in a house of worship. You are in a business center.
Let this be a reminder: your offering is an act of worship, not a transaction. Do not ever give out of pressure or fear. God is not bribed by money from a heart that is far from Him. He looks at the heart. He seeks those who love Him genuinely.
Your faith is worth more than any formula. Protect it. Thanks for reading dear: May this new season afford you the opportunity to increase on every side. Shalom and life to you. I urge you to subscribe and share to your friends and love ones.
E. A. Randolph-Koranteng
A Servant of Christ.
