Twelve Steps to Debt Freedom By Faith

God wants Believers to live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, and Galatians 3:11). As the Holy Spirit leads us to actually live by faith, the time will come to face the fact that the use of credit represents a form of self-provision instead of living by faith. Living by faith means you are willing to wait for God to manifest His provision according to His plan for your life. Living by faith means you are trusting that God will always provide, out of the context of His absolute goodness, what is best for your life. Living by faith means you are depending on God for His provision and are reluctant to interfere by adding to His provision with credit or by any other means. Living by faith can never really incorporate being in debt because God considers indebtedness to be a curse (Deuteronomy 28:44).

And so, over the years in this Ministry, as we have encouraged thousands of people to become debt free, we have observed a series of steps that many people have to go through to make the breakthrough. In this article we have summarized these observations, which coincidentally turned out to be twelve steps like some other habit breaking programs most people are familiar with. If you are truly determined to get out of debt, we hope the following suggestions will be helpful.

Decide irrevocably to get out of debt.

Anytime we are about to start a new program, the hardest part is often making the final decision to take action. In order to get out of debt once and for all, the first step is to make an irrevocable decision to rely on God for your provision instead of creditors. Once you have made the decision, set aside (or destroy) your credit cards so you can put your faith in the Lord to deliver you from indebtedness. Without credit cards you will be forced to wait on God for His provision in His time and in His way. Without access to credit cards you have made your decision irrevocable.

Repent and ask God for help.

The second step is to get before God and ask Him to forgive you for using credit to circumvent His plan of provision for your life. Declare to Him your intention to take an opposite direction in your life away from credit and toward faith in the sufficiency of God’s provision. Then ask Him to help you because you will never be able to accomplish your objectives without His assistance. Getting and staying out of debt is not easy in this society but God will see you through the course.

Study the Word to find understanding.

Anyone who is trying to leave indebtedness behind needs to become an expert on what the written Word of God says about finances. The enemy does not want you to get out of debt so you are in for a fight. Be encouraged in the Word because God has a lot to tell you about how finances are supposed to work in His Kingdom. Be comforted by the Word as you review the promises God has made to His people. Learn from the Word so that by faith you can claim your inheritance boldly before the throne of Almighty God.

Pay your tithes and pray over your seed that God will make it grow.

Those who hope for deliverance from indebtedness and for the establishment of Abraham’s prosperity in their lives should do as he did and tithe according to God’s leading. When you tithe you can hold the Lord accountable for His provision and for the manifestation of prosperity in your life (Malachi 3:10-11). Pray that your tithe will work to establish the Kingdom, that it will be used to bless others and that it will be multiplied back to you according to God’s plan for your life. Then release your faith for God’s protection and provision.

One of the main reasons people have financial problems is that they fail to bring order to their affairs and in doing so they fail to consider basic financial principles that the Lord has provided in His Word. God is a god of order in all things. To correct financial disorder, the logical starting point is to develop and live by a family budget. Not only will a budget bring order, it will also provide financial vision and direction for the family and will serve as a basis for faith as family members believe together for God’s provision in accordance with the budget He has approved. Remember, Habakkuk 2:2 tells to “write the vision, and make it plain…that (we) may run (with it)…”

Many people ask God to deliver them from indebtedness but they don’t add up all the various amounts to know exactly how much to ask Him for. Also, if you want God to move in the supernatural, you have to show Him your willingness to take action in the natural. In setting up a specific repayment plan, we suggest that you review the article on Accelerated Debt Repayment in the Archives Section of this website. Follow the suggested model and begin to pay down your debts all the while asking God to move on your behalf in the supernatural so you can be debt free in the shortest possible time.
If you are past due with your creditors and unable to catch up, you should consider Debt Consolidation, which is a low cost service offered by this Ministry. In certain cases you can also consider Negotiated Debt Settlements, which is another low cost service offered by this Ministry. Return to the Home Page of this website to find out more about these services. In any event, once you have done your part, the rest is up to Him in His time and in His way. Stand in faith that He will respond affirmatively to your determination to become debt free.

One of the things we tend to overlook in debt reduction is the power of giving. It is natural to be suspicious of “spiritual people” who tell us in church or in the media that we should “give into our need,” that we should plant seeds if we expect future harvests. The response of the flesh is that they are just trying to get our money. But the truth is clear; the Word of God confirms this principle and we have to overcome the reluctance of our flesh to line up with the Word. We have to give in order to receive and we will receive according to our willingness to give (Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6). It is interesting that God did not become known as Jehovah-jireh (the Provider) until after Abraham made an offering (Genesis 22:13-14). If you want to see God begin to move, sow something into a worthy Ministry where God is moving and the people are accomplishing something positive for the Kingdom of God. And, when you sow into good ground, release your faith for a hundred-fold return in “the same year” (Genesis 26:13). You can also sow a seed into the life of some individual you know that is trying to get out of debt. If you help someone get out of debt, God will help you and multiply it back to you.

If you want God to forgive you of something, you must be willing to forgive others. In money matters we have seen that if you forgive someone who owes you money, you have a stronger scriptural basis to ask God for forgiveness and the resumption of prosperity for yourself. Therefore, if someone, in particular a Believer, owes you money, even a small amount, you should consider calling or writing him/her to advise your forgiveness of the debt. Then God is released to move on your behalf.

A child of faith must begin to confess verbally what the Word of God says and not what circumstances look like. A child of faith is moved by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Therefore, since Galatians 3:29 says that Believers are heirs to the blessings of Abraham, we begin to confess that we are prosperous because Abraham was prosperous. We have a scriptural claim against his prosperity as our inheritance even if our bank accounts are presently zero and our credit card statements are piling up. I declare with my confession that the Word of God is true and I disregard my circumstances until God moves to bring my circumstances into line with His Word, which He will eventually do in His timing. This is not a “name it and claim it” faith game; this is simply confessing that the Word of God is true and my circumstances are not. You will become what you confess!

God requires that we take our faith to the level of trust. The principle is to trust in the lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). When Abram went to Egypt at God’s command, he was a man of faith but he didn’t trust the Lord to protect his wife from Pharaoh (Genesis 12:1-4, 11-13). Also, Abram believed God in Genesis 15:4 that he would have a son (heir) but he did not trust God to bring the heir through his wife and took matters into his own hands (the flesh) by conceiving Ishmael with the Egyptian servant girl Hagar (Genesis 16:4). Faith means we believe; trust means we are confident that what we believe will actually happen. If you believe today that God’s Word is the Truth, stand on it and trust Him to do what He has said He will do.

Any problem of indebtedness usually starts with covetousness and related discontent with God’s rate of provision. Accordingly, it is imperative that we learn to be content with where God has us financially. We have to trust that He has us at any point in time in the place we are supposed to be according to His plans and purposes. The flesh may not like it but God is busy ordering your steps and He knows better than your flesh what is best for you. Therefore, “let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have…” (Hebrews 13:5) By learning to be content you will eventually totally eradicate indebtedness from your life.

Finally, we must actually come to the point in our lives where we are so confident in what the Lord is doing, no matter what it is and over the objections of our flesh, that we are able to enter into His rest (please read Hebrews, Chapter 4). Resting in the Lord comes when we are totally confident, not wavering, that God will take care of us. Rest comes when our faith is so strong we are willing to get out of the way and let Him carry out His plans for our lives. And when you are able to rest in the Lord and the attitude of your heart is to wait for Him until He is ready to move, then God Almighty will do a great work on your behalf to demolish your indebtedness and restore you to the prosperity of Abraham. And because you waited and trusted and rested, God will get all the glory in your deliverance.

Copyright © 2002 by Make A Way Ministries