San Diego, CA – With a new teaching series on “True Prosperity” underway, Pastor Creflo Dollar delivered a poignant and foundational message this past Sunday, inviting believers to examine the very nature of their relationship with God. His topic: Transactional Relationship vs Relational Relationship.
Before addressing prosperity directly, Dollar urged the congregation to assess the lens through which they view the Divine. “We’ve often been trained to relate to God transactionally,” he explained, “as if He’s a divine vending machine—insert prayer, offering, or obedience, and expect a blessing in return.”
He referenced Deuteronomy 30:15–20 (NLT) as a clear portrayal of the Old Covenant paradigm, where prosperity and protection were tied to strict obedience: “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.” In this framework, human action determines divine response. The relationship is conditional, and God’s favor seems earned rather than freely given.
But Dollar contrasted this with the heart of the New Covenant. Through Christ, he explained, God’s blessings are no longer transactional—they’re relational. Our obedience flows not to obtain love, but because we are already loved. Dollar framed this shift as a move from “Let’s make a deal” faith to “I trust You because I know You” intimacy.
Using relatable metaphors—like viewing God as a “spiritual genie” or even a “sugar daddy”—he cautioned believers against reducing their faith to a list of performance-driven exchanges. In such a mindset, a missed tithe, an unanswered prayer, or an unfulfilled expectation can lead to spiritual burnout, guilt, and disillusionment. “What happens when the transaction doesn’t work?” he asked. “Does your faith collapse, or is it rooted in trust?”
The message challenged believers to shift their posture from striving to surrender, from bargaining to believing. “In a transactional mindset, you’re trying to control God. In a relational mindset, you’re walking with Him,” Dollar said.
He emphasized that true prosperity begins with right relationship, not material results. Generosity, obedience, worship—all of these are meant to flow from a heart rooted in God’s goodness, not a contract of exchange.
This teaching follows his earlier messages on grace-based giving, drawing from 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, where Paul commends the Macedonian churches for giving out of joy and deep devotion despite their hardships. It is all part of a broader vision: helping believers unlearn religious performance and embrace New Covenant living.
As Pastor Dollar’s U.S. tour continues, he remains focused on one central message: God’s grace is not earned—it’s received. And from that place of love and trust, true prosperity emerges.