--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Prosperity cannot be a proof of God's…" description: "\"Prosperity cannot be a proof of God's favor, since it is what the devil promises to those who worship him. (Matt. 4:9)\" — John Piper" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/john-piper-255_devil_prosperity-cannot-be-a-proof-of-god-s-fa_3062665.jpg" --- # Prosperity cannot be a proof of God's favor, since it is… ![“Prosperity cannot be a proof of God's favor, since it is what the devil promises to those who worship him. (Matt. 4:9)” quote by John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/john-piper-255_devil_prosperity-cannot-be-a-proof-of-god-s-fa_3062665.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/john-piper-255_devil_prosperity-cannot-be-a-proof-of-god-s-fa_3062665.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/054/john-piper-255_devil_prosperity-cannot-be-a-proof-of-god-s-fa_3062665.jpg) > “Prosperity cannot be a proof of God's favor, since it is what the devil promises to those who worship him. (Matt. 4:9)” [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealth is not divine approval; it mirrors the devil’s false promises. **In simple terms:** Prosperity isn’t God’s sign; it can be deceptive. Key Takeaway Seek spiritual truth over material gain. Themes wealth faith deception Mood cautionary spiritual Type theological ethical When to use this quote - financial planning - spiritual counseling - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts Theodicy materialism Questions to Reflect On - How do you discern genuine blessings? - What role does wealth play in your faith? A Different Perspective Prosperity can also be a blessing when used responsibly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [God's Favor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods-favor/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Proof of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proof-of-god/) [Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [To mend our own relationship with God, regaining God's favor after having once lost it, is beyond the power of any one of us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/to-mend-our-own-relationship-with-god-regaining-god-s-favor-after/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [“God's favor floats as it were over all this and finds joy in turning all those miseries to the greater profit of those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-francis-de-sales/god-s-favor-floats-as-it-were-over-all-this-and-finds-joy-in-turning/) [St. Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-francis-de-sales/) > [“People will notice that there is something different about you when you are marked with God's favor because you were persistent to stay with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-kunneman/people-will-notice-that-there-is-something-different-about-you-when/) Hank Kunneman > [It is not really necessary to destroy nature in order to gain God's favor or even his undivided attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcharg/it-is-not-really-necessary-to-destroy-nature-in-order-to-gain-god-s/) [Ian McHarg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcharg/) > [They wont understand God's favor on your life,but they arent supposed to.Don't shrink!Step into your season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikkie/they-wont-understand-god-s-favor-on-your-life-but-they-arent-supposed/) [Nikkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikkie/) > [Power tends to confuse itself with virtue, and a great nation is peculiarly susceptible to the idea that its power is a sign of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/power-tends-to-confuse-itself-with-virtue-and-a-great-nation-is/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [“Christian ethics is not a matter of discovering what's going on in the world and getting in tune with it. It isn't a matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/christian-ethics-is-not-a-matter-of-discovering-what-s-going-on-in/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [Walking with God doesn't lead to God's favor; God's favor leads to walking with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/walking-with-god-doesn-t-lead-to-god-s-favor-god-s-favor-leads-to/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [“..:God's favor could bring controversy among His people when they lack understanding. His grace over you, could be someone elses burden due to envy;..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-garcia/god-s-favor-could-bring-controversy-among-his-people-when-they-lack/) [Rafael Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-garcia/) > [“We do good works, not in order to be saved, but because we are saved; not in order to earn God's favor, but with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-brett-harris/we-do-good-works-not-in-order-to-be-saved-but-because-we-are-saved/) Alex Brett Harris > [God's favorites, especially God's favorites, are not immune from the bewildering times when God seems silent. Where there is no longer any opportunity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tournier/god-s-favorites-especially-god-s-favorites-are-not-immune-from-the/) [Paul Tournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tournier/) > [No matter how many good deeds we preform, they aren’t the ticket to earning God’s favor. God graces us in spite of what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-courtney/no-matter-how-many-good-deeds-we-preform-they-aren-t-the-ticket-to/) [Bill Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-courtney/) > [“Learn to speak God’s favor over every area of your life. Remember, the more favor-minded you are, the more of God’s favor you’re going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/learn-to-speak-god-s-favor-over-every-area-of-your-life-remember-the/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [To a well deserving person God will show favor. To an ill deserving person He will simply be just.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/to-a-well-deserving-person-god-will-show-favor-to-an-ill-deserving/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [“One touch of His (God’s) favor can put you fifty years ahead of where you thought you’d be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/one-touch-of-his-god-s-favor-can-put-you-fifty-years-ahead-of-where/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## More by John Piper > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“The Spirit inspired the Word and therefore He goes where the Word goes. 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Or do you love it because it enables you to enjoy and eternity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/do-you-love-the-cross-because-it-makes-much-of-you-or-do-you-love-it/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“job 14:1 man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of troubles "If that isn't your experience now it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/job-14-1-man-who-is-born-of-a-woman-is-few-of-days-and-full-of/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“Not to aim to show God is not to love, bc God is what we need the most deeply. And to have all else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/not-to-aim-to-show-god-is-not-to-love-bc-god-is-what-we-need-the-most/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/god-has-given-us-prayer-as-a-wartime-walkie-talkie-so-that-we-can/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Ignatius, when he heard the clock strike, would say, "Now I have another hour to answer for." (Eph. 5:16)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/ignatius-when-he-heard-the-clock-strike-would-say-now-i-have-another/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) [Explore all 803 John Piper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. 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