The “Name It and Claim It” teaching, also known as the prosperity gospel or health and wealth gospel, is a controversial doctrine within Christianity. It essentially teaches that believers can claim or declare health, wealth, and other blessings by speaking them into existence through positive confessions of faith. But is this teaching biblical?
There are several key aspects of the “Name It and Claim It” doctrine that run counter to Scripture:
1. Overemphasis on Material Blessings
The prosperity gospel puts a heavy emphasis on obtaining material blessings like financial prosperity, physical health and wellness, and other tangible rewards in this life. While the Bible does contain some promises of material blessings, these are not the primary focus. Jesus Christ himself encouraged people not to store up treasures on earth but rather to store up eternal treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). The apostle Paul wrote that godliness with contentment is great gain and that we should be content whether we have much or little (1 Timothy 6:6-8). An overemphasis on material wealth is dangerous, as Scripture warns that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).
2. “Claiming” Blessings as a Formula
The idea that believers can obtain blessings by “naming” or “claiming” them treats God like a cosmic vending machine or genie who is obligated to grant our wishes if we just voice them in a positive way. But this is not how prayer and faith work according to the Bible. Jesus taught us to pray “your will be done” (Matthew 6:10), not demanding our own will. And Hebrews 11 demonstrates that faith is trusting in God even when we do not receive the things we hope for. Nowhere does Scripture present a formula like “name it and claim it.” Our focus should be drawing near to God in humility and seeking to align our will with His.
3. Guaranteed Health/Wealth for All Believers
Prosperity preachers often teach that financial abundance and perfect physical health are guaranteed benefits of the atonement of Christ, available here and now to all believers. But Jesus never taught that all who follow Him will definitely experience material prosperity or perfect health in this age. In fact, He stated that “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). The apostles suffered great hardship, poverty, persecution, and martyrdom. At the end of his life, even Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” God would not remove (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). God is sovereign and does not guarantee any particular level of material blessings to believers in this age.
4. Blaming Lack of Faith for Problems
When believers inevitably do experience suffering, lack, or illness, prosperity preachers shame them by saying it is their own fault for lacking faith. But the Bible contains many examples of righteous sufferers like Job, a man whom God called “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1), yet who endured great trials. Paul wrote that the trial he faced was allowed so that God’s power could be made perfect in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Difficulties happen in this fallen world, and a lack of healing or financial abundance does not necessarily indicate weak faith. In fact, persecuted Christians through history have demonstrated tremendous faith in the midst of poverty and suffering.
5. Twisting Bible Verses out of Context
In order to “prove” their theology of guaranteed prosperity through faith, prosperity gospel preachers pull verses out of context and misinterpret them. For example, 3 John 1:2 is taken to mean that all believers should expect perfect health and finances. But John was simply wishing spiritual blessing for his friend Gaius, not making a categorical promise to all believers. Or Mark 10:29-30 is warped to mean that faith will be tangibly rewarded in the present age, when in context, it refers to eternal rewards in the kingdom of God.
In many cases, the doctrines come first and Bible verses are twisted to fit the doctrines, rather than proper exegesis of Scripture. This is a grave error which the Bible warns against in 2 Peter 3:16, stating that untaught people twist the Scriptures to their own destruction.
6. Ungodly Methods of Fundraising
The methods that some prosperity preachers use to solicit donations from their followers raise ethical concerns. Tactics like the “seed faith” teaching, telling people to donate above their means in order to get a greater return, or promising miraculous rewards for giving money, have no biblical basis. Jesus did not solicit donations by promising people material rewards. In fact, He warned His followers against greed and taught them to give generously out of sincere love, not compulsion or for personal gain (2 Corinthians 9:7).
7. Lack of Focus on Eternity
Perhaps most concerning, the prosperity gospel puts an unbalanced focus on the temporary over the eternal. Even if material blessings could be guaranteed in this life, Scripture reminds us repeatedly that this age is fleeting compared to eternity. Prosperity preachers promise the good life now but fail to warn people about the realities of hell and judgment. Jesus said not to fear those who can only kill the body but rather to fear God who can condemn the soul to hell (Matthew 10:28). The urgent priority is repentance, holiness, and eternal salvation, not material comforts during our brief stay on this earth.
8. Pride and Greed Rather Than Humility and Generosity
Instead of cultivating characteristics like humility, kindness, selflessness, and generosity, the prosperity gospel feeds some of the worst human vices: pride, greed, vanity, and narcissism. The focus is on self, elevating one’s own will above God’s will, and using faith as a tool of personal ambition. This contradicts many Scriptures that warn against pride and teach that the first shall be last while the last shall be first (Matthew 20:16). The gospel is turned into worldly success theology, while Christ’s teachings on servanthood and sacrifice are downplayed or ignored.
In summary, the “Name It and Claim It” doctrine emphasizes materialism, pride, greed, and formulas over humility, generosity, eternal priorities, and sincere faith. It relies more on worldly concepts of success than biblical truth. For these reasons, the prosperity gospel must be treated with great discernment and caution by Bible-believing Christians.
There are certainly many genuine believers who have been influenced by prosperity teachings to some degree. As with any false doctrine, there can be elements of truth mixed in with unbiblical ideas. So we must be careful, gracious, and humble in our response, while still boldly standing on the authority of Scripture. Where the Bible is silent, we should be silent too.
Through prayerful study and right handling of God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15), we can gain wisdom to discern truth from falsehood. We can also come to a more biblical understanding of wealth, poverty, generosity, contentment, suffering, and God’s sovereign will. His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), so we must resist imposing our culture’s materialistic values onto Scripture. Instead of claiming riches and miracles from God, we are called simply to seek His kingdom and trust that He will provide what we need (Matthew 6:33).
Rather than naming and claiming, we are called to humility and surrender to Christ our Lord, who alone is able to save us and satisfy the needs of our souls, both now and for eternity. Our words should be used not to demand things from God, but to worship Him, spread the gospel, and edify others. May God grant us wisdom through His word to live faithful and fruitful lives for His glory.