The term “heavenly trading” was new to me in 2014. The first time I saw it in action, I was sitting in my seat during a large conference thinking “why are all these people going forward and throwing money in a bucket while people are speaking?” At first, it was a bit distracting but after I learned what it was all about, I understood the reason and then joined in.
In 2017, I attended a four-day conference with one featured speaker. The hosts had set up “trading buckets” in each aisle as well as a couple buckets directly in front of the speaker. They explained that when the speaker says something that resonates within us, we can “trade into” that revelation by putting money in one of the buckets. Basically, by putting money in the bucket, we “own” a part of the revelation being spoken out. In a way, it’s saying “I’ll have some of that!”
The conference started out like many others where I’ve seen trading. Coins clanked in the buckets as people either leaned over a neighbor to throw money in the closest bucket or some others quietly walked up to the front and threw bills and coins into the bucket by the speaker. Then, by the second day, a strange thing started to happen. There was one lady very excited about her trading. You could hear her all over the room whistling and saying, “Yeah!!!” or “Uh huh!!” She’d then get up and throw bills into a variety of the buckets throughout the room.
Sitting in the back of the room, I watched as people either sneered or giggled at this display. To some, her behavior was very distracting. In my mind, I’m thinking, “Wow! She’s sure free in this!” At several points in the conference, she’d come back down the aisle towards her seat, handing dollar bills to those sitting in the aisle seats. During the breaks, I heard people making comments like “She sure is distracting and being disrespectful!” They were offended by her behavior. However, the speaker didn’t appear to notice or be bothered by what she was doing.
In my own little world, I watched as religious spirits reared their ugly heads. It was quite amusing, if I might say. Why? Because it was going against the grain of the typical religious establishment and people’s belief systems were being challenged. As this continued on throughout the conference, I noticed people begin to free up a bit. By the last day, there was literally a carpet of money from the back of the room all the way up the middle aisle ending in a pile of money before the speaker. Those still offended, remained offended, many sitting as far away as possible. But, it was their choice to remain offended.
How did this affect me? Although I feel fairly free in the principle of trading, I was still a bit shy (can you believe it?) when it came to getting up out of my seat to put money in the buckets. But, as I watched others free up, it did something in me, too. The speaker said something and I thought “I’ll trade into that!” By getting up and putting money in the bucket, it was easier to remember and then retain the spoken word. I actually internalized, in a deeper way, what the speaker said!
Additionally, I realized that trading in this manner opened up things within me. It’s similar to tithing but yet it’s very different. I gave to the person “feeding” me spiritually during this conference. At the same time, it released the angelic to work on my behalf. How do I know this? It wasn’t long after this conference when I began to notice some changes in my finances – changes for the better. I’ll touch upon that here in a bit.
Trading fits nicely within one of the spiritual laws – the law of sowing and reaping. I’m sure there are others but that’s not my focus here. When we tithe, it’s generally a “religious action” out of obligation. When we trade, it’s about receiving revelation. There’s no obligation because the focus is on taking in and then owning what God is saying through a speaker/minister. Trading is an act of worship. No, it’s not worshiping the speaker. It’s worshiping Yahweh who is releasing revelation through the speaker. In a sense, it’s similar to taking up an offering for a speaker but yet it’s so much more. It’s an action; an action that’s active where at the moment something witnesses in your spirit, you immediately say “I receive that!” Those words (or thoughts ) are backed up with the act of getting money out for the trade. Now, we don’t have to be religious about this. At this conference, when I wasn’t sitting near a trading bucket, I simply threw money on the floor and put it in the buckets at the end of each session.
Trading can also be “casting your crowns at His feet.” (Gal. 2:20) For example, I’m learning to take compliments, cool things that have happened, and answers to prayer as a trade, too. I envision myself going before the throne and setting the compliment or answered prayer at the feet of Jesus. I then ask for more of Him in my life. It takes practice (by remembering to do it) but I find the more I trade in this manner, the more of His love I feel in my life. It also affects everything else in my life, but especially in my finances.
What did I learn from this conference? I loved watching how people were set free, which in turn helped me get set free in some areas concerning money. I no longer look at “only the 10%” when giving. My attitude is no longer “Do I have enough to do this?” I don’t over extend but I find that when giving out of love, desire, and revelation, it’s a turbo boost in all that Yahweh has for me. I’ve gone to some of these conferences with very little money and traded pennies or nickles while others traded big bills. There’s no condemnation. You give what you can. It’s the act of faith in trading something for what you desire.
There are many forms of trading. When I go get a haircut, I’m actually trading into the expertise of the person cutting my hair. The hairdresser has something I need and want. I give her money and she gives me my haircut. When I buy groceries, I’m trading my money for food so I can eat. A trade is one thing for another. I own a camper trailer. That’s a trade, too. The Jayco company gave me a very nice 23-foot travel trailer with an awesome slide-out and each month, I give a credit union money for the privilege of keeping that travel trailer. I’m trading money for something I want. So, when we decide to purchase things, it’s a good idea to look at the company we’re trading into. Political interest groups trade all the time. We know it well – If you give a politician money, you’re trading into their political belief system. This is how votes are “purchased.” Uh, yeah… enough said about that.
This is where we talk about good and bad trades. Remember the sowing and reaping principle? If we put forth a bad trade, we’ll reap something we probably don’t want. Do you want an example? Let’s say that my neighbor comes over after she finds out I purchased a teaching set from a conference. She really wants to hear the teachings but doesn’t have the funds to purchase the set. So, I go ahead and e-mail the files to her or put them on a thumb drive so she can listen on her own time. Well, that’s a bad trade. Why? Because it’s taking money away from the organization that paid to put on the conference. In that case, both me and my neighbor have made a bad trade and, we’ll reap the benefit of that trade. Even if her intentions are pure to actually purchase the conference set when she does have the funds, I’m still in the wrong by giving her a copy of the teachings. Now, if she wants to sit in my living room and listen with me, that’s OK. I’m not actually giving her something that could take away income from someone else.
I’m probably hitting another sacred cow but here goes… Going in with a group of people to purchase a conference set is no different than the example I gave with my neighbor. If you plan to take that one purchase, make copies and distribute those copies to everyone who contributed, you’ve just taken money out of the pockets of the organization who is selling the conference set. If you all sit and listen, taking notes together, you’re accessing the one copy that was purchased. There’s nothing wrong with that unless the speaker/organization asks you not to. The moment you make a copy and hand it to someone else, a bad trade has been made. We need to learn how to go before Yahweh and ask for the needed finances for what we desire rather than expect things for free because we can’t afford them. When you purchase music, a teaching or any other digital item, you pay for ONE item (or set of items if several items are included in the set). The moment you make additional copies and distribute those, you’ve broken copyright laws. Flat out – that’s a bad trade.
I have found that people actually value something more when they have to pay for it. When things are free, it’s taken for granted because there’s no ownership. Yeah, I’m not going to turn down something for free if it’s legit. I love it when speakers give away their books at conferences. What we should do in the event we get one of those free books is to take that gift before Yahweh and trade for more of Him and then ask for more blessings to flow towards the author.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been “practicing” more of the trading principle. When I go to conferences, sign up for live streamed events, or work with mentoring groups, I ask Papa how much to trade. The more I do it, the more free and joyful I become during the process. The cool part? I’m starting to see more funds come in through unexpected ways! Financial miracles are beginning to happen in my life. At this time, I’m still learning to be “ruler over little so I can be ruler over much” (Matt 25:23). It’s like anything else; as we become trustworthy in the small things, we can then be trusted with more as we mature. When I see little victories, I rejoice and trade those for bigger victories.
Let me give you an example of starting with small things. Recently, I went to rent a chainsaw to finish cutting my wood pile. Yes, I’m a woman with a chainsaw! Power tools – yeah!!! The nice young man at the counter asked me for a credit card. Well, I don’t have credit cards anymore because I don’t use them. He apologized and said the law (in the USA) now requires a credit card (not a debit card) to rent a vehicle, book a hotel, or rent items (such as chainsaws). Since it’s a recent law, he agreed to override the system so I could take the chainsaw. For that, I was thankful. We had a little discussion about the law and how I could still have a credit card but not be required to use it for the actual rental. The credit card allows you to reserve the item but you can still pay with a debit card.
Armed with this new information, I went to my bank the next morning (on a Saturday) and asked about getting a credit card. For me, it’s a matter of necessity at this point because I often need to rent power tools. The teller helped me fill out the application and then told me the approval process could take a couple of days. We chit chatted for a bit. Then, with an odd look on her face, she said, “This is strange. You’ve already been approved!” Puzzled, she added “This rarely happens.”
Why is this a big deal? Even though this is a small thing, it’s a forward moving step for me. In other blog posts, I talk about some of the financial struggles I’ve had. It’s taken me about 18 years to get out of a financial mess due to issues that I’ll not go into here. So, when I get an instant approval for a credit card at a low interest rate with a decent line of credit, this is a big deal! Now, I have the opportunity to learn how to wisely use this card. I discussed it with the bank teller and she gave me some good advice. When I got home, I traded this victory for more intimacy with Yahweh and more strategy in how to handle my finances. If I handle this situation properly, it will propel me into the next level of authority, maturity, and financial freedom. And, I can be trusted with more money. As we learn, we’re trusted with more of everything.
My declaration over you today: May you walk in the light, love and glory of Yahweh. As you trade for more of Him in your life, may you see profound differences in all your circumstances. I release joy and peace over you as you walk with Him in His presence. Be infused with all He is so you can walk in health, wholeness and victory in your life!
Blessings!
Del
© 2018 by Del Hungerford