The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity
Prosperity - To thrive or succeed in any given goal or desired objective.
The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity is a book about uncovering the desires of your heart and giving them over to God in a way that allows for prosperity to flow through you.
When I first started reading the book, I'll admit, I had some doubts about the content. It came off as a "wish upon a star" sort of thing (more on this below).
It's something I struggle with... putting God in a box and thinking "too small." The author, Catherine Ponder, calls this a poverty mindset. You know... lacking hope for a better future, or that things will always be the way they are, or that I don't deserve to be happy and prosperous.
But, our God is so much bigger than that, he created the universe and has authority and dominion over it. And, he's our heavenly Father, we're created in his image, and we are heirs to his kingdom. What good Father doesn't want to give good gifts to his children?
I struggled with this through the first half of the book, but eventually my slow brain and heart started to warm up to this idea. There's nothing wrong with the desires of my heart, and if I'm in tune with God, and seeking his Will for my life, wouldn't it make sense that He created those desires?
The book offers plenty of real life stories of prosperous people and how they have partnered with God to flourish. To be honest, the stories are good, but seemed to distract from the main context of the book. The stories themselves made the book feel like an infomercial. But, taking the stories with a grain of salt, the roots of the book were really helpful and encouraging.
If you've ever struggled with self-worth, confidence, or identity, putting these principles into practice can help. The book was last updated in 1985, but the principles still stand.
Personal Takeaways
- I've started to pray for the desires of my heart. Where I previously felt guilty about wanting certain things, I now bring them to God and ask that His Will be done in them in His own perfect way.
- Journaling: After I read my bible in the morning, I take some time to journal about the upcoming day. I sort of mashed up the 5 minute journal concept and some suggestions from the book:
- What do I hope to accomplish today? (morning)
- Daily Affirmation (morning)
- What made today awesome? (before bed)
- What could I have done better? (before bed)
Audio Book Review
I wasn't a big fan of the narrator of this book. It felt pretty dry. (I'm a big fan of the author narrating books themselves.) I'm actually listening a second time through and almost finished.
I listen on my commute (about 30 minutes total per day) and it's easy to miss some things. I drive an ancient car without those fancy integrations that allow me to play audio from my phone through my cars sound system, so I stick my iPhone in my visor and point the speakers near me. Works pretty well.
While I like maximizing my time in the car, I find it hard to capture thoughts and notes when I'm listening audibly. I use the bookmark feature in the Audible app, but still haven't found a great system for then getting those bookmark's out and somewhere that I can reference them easy. Any tips?
I write a lot about working with what you have, or know is coming (budgeting), but at the heart of the process of being intentional with your money is a desire to make an impact on the world greater than self. It's the reason I do what I do, and I think this book helps in thinking bigger. To receive prosperously and give prosperously.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. It got me into deep thinking, sparked good discussion with Kelsey, and I've implemented some good habits from it as well. Which always feels worth it.
Have you read any good books lately? What's on your reading list?