Answer
Miracle money is money that miraculously appears in someone’s purse, wallet, pocket, or bank account to demonstrate the power of God. Preachers who allegedly dispense miracle money claim the power to declare “miracle finances” over those at their miracle money crusades, with the result that some congregants find or receive money instantaneously.
The aberrant practice of proclaiming miracle money into people’s pockets is done mainly in various places in Africa by self-proclaimed “prophets” such as Uebert Angel and Shepherd Bushiri. These men and others teach what is generally known as prosperity theology, the idea that poverty is of the devil (or actually is a demon) and that God wants Christians to be rich and happy and healthy. Related to the concept of miracle money is the deceptive and manipulative appeal for “seed faith” offerings, which promise a miraculous financial return on a person’s money, given in faith to the preacher.
Promoters of miracle money point to one of Jesus’ miracles as “proof” that what they are doing is of God. On one occasion, when the temple tax was due, Jesus commanded Peter to go fishing and to expect a miracle: “Go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours” (Matthew 17:27). The problem is that Jesus’ miracle of the coin in the fish’s mouth bears little similarity to the modern practice of receiving miracle money. Why didn’t Jesus just make the money appear in Peter’s pocket? Why didn’t angels slip the coin into Peter’s hand? Why did Jesus make Peter actually work for the money? Also, the money did not go to either Peter or Jesus but to the authorities for taxes.
Of course, the hucksters claiming the power to produce miracle money for people expect those who are “blessed” in such a way to donate some of the windfall to their ministries. One wonders why the supposed creators of miracle money even need contributions from others. Could they not simply make miracle money enough for themselves? We are warned against those who would take advantage of us in a church setting: “In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories” (2 Peter 2:3). We yearn for our Lord to once again “drive out those who [are] selling” and turn the “den of robbers” back into a “house of prayer” (Luke 19:45–46). God has already given us the greatest gift possible, His only Son, Jesus (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). God cares about our daily needs and certainly can and will provide for us (Matthew 6:19–34). But we are not immune to trying times (John 16:33; 15:18–25). The apostles and believers in the New Testament church were no strangers to hardship (2 Corinthians 11:21–33; 1 Peter 3:8–17; 4:12–16).
God can use challenging times in our lives to help us grow spiritually (James 1:2–5; Romans 5:3–5). God is more interested in our spiritual prosperity than in our worldly wealth. We cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:19–24). Rather, worldly wealth is a resource God entrusts to us so that we might steward it for His good purposes. Those who claim to produce “miracle money” seem far more interested in showmanship, emotional outbursts, and the accumulation of wealth than they do the advancement of God’s kingdom. Believers would be wise to stay away from any person or ministry that claims to produce miracle money.
