How God Gifted Me a Beautiful Minivan

Biblical and Experiential Insights Into Manifestation

Not long ago, the Lord quite literally brought to my doorstep the opportunity to purchase a working, fully equipped, 2007 Chrysler Town and Country minivan for only $150. I hadn’t imagined that God would bless me with a beautiful, reliable minivan, but this miraculously extraordinary opportunity landed at my doorstep.
This vehicle is the ideal replacement for my 1998 Ford Ranger. I can haul nearly anything in it that I was able to with the truck, and now I can also transport up to five passengers instead of just one. Not only did I save over $2,000 compared to the van’s actual market value, I also now have the opportunity to earn some extra cash by selling the Ranger. The minivan is in good condition both inside and out. Here’s a picture of it…

While I don’t think I “deserved” to receive this minivan, I do see it as having been a gift from God. In this essay, I will present some biblical principles for how to receive divine blessings, and will relate the story of how I came into possession of this particular minivan.

Biblical Manifestation Principles

We’ve all heard about New Age teachings on the law of attraction and manifestation. This article, however, is about how Christians can manifest what God desires for us. While I’m borrowing the term "manifest" for the sake of this discussion, I’m not using it in same way that the world typically does. For Christians, manifestation is not about manipulating the Universe into giving us money, possessions, or relationships. Instead, it’s about trusting in God to meet our needs as we follow and serve Him.

The Bible promises us that God will answer our prayers as we bring our requests to him in faith. This is not about individuals attempting to change their reality through journaling, meditation, affirmations, visualizations, or other such practices, though some of them can be useful when grounded in Scripture. The problem with worldly manifestation techniques is that they typically are centered on the self. As Christians, we should be living for the glory of God, not for ourselves. We should never try to manifest or bring into our reality anything that might be contrary to the will of God.

I didn’t manifest this minivan on my own. I was working in partnership with Christ in me, who, in turn, was working with God the Father through the Holy Spirit. Below, I’ve listed what I believe are some key principles of biblical manifestation, each of which I’ve already touched on:

1. Let Christ Dwell in You.

   Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (Jn. 14:13). God answers prayer so that the Lord Jesus may be glorified in us. This tells me that Christ should be dwelling in our hearts. We can cultivate his presence by spending time in prayer and in God’s Word, and by abstaining from sin—especially willful sin. Paul wrote:

   But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Rom. 8:10)

   I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)

   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col. 3:16)

2. Seek First the Kingdom of God.

   Jesus said, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Mt. 6:33). Sometimes God doesn’t answer the prayers of Christians we’re seeking our own interests, and the very things we’re seeking might lead us astray from his grace. James wrote, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (4:3).

   When Christ is living in our hearts, we are supernaturally drawn to prioritize God's kingdom above all else. For this purpose, I’ve found it helpful to pray the Lord’s Prayer daily. In particular, the words, “Your kingdom come, your will be done,” help reorient my heart to live for God's glory rather than my own.

   Part of seeking to advance God’s kingdom involves sharing our faith with others. As an introvert, I’ve always found this to be one of the most challenging parts of my Christian walk. Lately, however, it’s become more natural for me, not just through my writing, but also in everyday conversations. I even bought a couple of Christian T-shirts because I’ve felt more ready to share the gospel than ever as God opens doors.

   Of course, items like Christian T-shirts or bumper stickers can either serve as divine conversation starters, or can end up being “Jesus junk.” If we aren't living with compassion and love, these things can actually do more harm than good for the cause of the gospel. Devotion to God and intercessory prayer are of greater importance. These practices will lead to opportunities to share the gospel, and we need to be obedient when God opens those doors for us. May it be said of us what was said of Peter and John: “They recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

   An easy way to advance the kingdom of God is by promoting the work of ministers who are effectively spreading the gospel message. In that context, if my writings are helping you spiritually, I would greatly appreciate it if you would share this post with others or, at the least, to subscribe and hit the “like” button. I’m trusting in God for attracting more subscribers and readers, but he works through people such as yourself as you read this now.

3. Ask God to Provide for Your Needs.

   God’s Word encourages us to bring our specific needs before Him in prayer:

   do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Phil. 4:6)

   Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Mt. 7:7)

   And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. (1 Jn. 5:14)

   In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to ask for our daily bread. The word “bread” is inclusive of both physical and spiritual needs (Jn. 6:35). We’re also instructed to pray that God will forgive us as we forgive others, and that he will deliver us from temptation and evil.

   This, again, highlights the most important distinction between typical law of attraction practices and how Christians are to pray and receive results. Non-Christians often attempt to manifest things like wealth, beauty, fame, or a romantic partner for personal gain. In contrast, Christian prayer is meant to be centered on God’s will, the well-being of not just ourselves but also other people, and the advancement of His kingdom.

   When I pray, “Your kingdom come,” I generally understand it in light of Revelation 21-22. When God’s kingdom fully arrives, the earth will be renewed; evil will be banished; and God will dwell with mankind. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (21:4). Although I may only spend a few seconds on this thought each day, this perspective instills faith and hope in my mind and spirit. As I’ve said before, I see it as part of my mission to help others see the world through new eyes—eyes of light.

   Many non-Christians boldly ask the “Universe” for riches and success. A person can easily find affirmations, visualizations, and subliminals to allegedly help them become a billionaire if that’s what they want. However, God calls His people to set their sights higher. Yes, he knows we need material things (such as, perhaps, a minivan), but the author of Hebrews reminds us that the great men and women of faith, understanding that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth, sought a better, heavenly country (11:13–16).

   The spiritual blessings we receive now are only a foretaste of what’s to come, which will far exceed anything this world can offer. As Paul wrote:

   Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever (Eph. 3:20-21).

4. Have Faith That God Will Provide. Jesus taught, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk. 11:24); and “whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Mt. 21:22). This is the part where people might decide to practice some of the techniques mentioned previously, such as affirming God’s promises and giving thanks.

How God Provided for Me

Often, when people talk about having manifested something, they don’t share many details about how it actually came to be. God will always arrange for his children to receive blessings in an ethical way. I believe it's important that I share how this blessing unfolded, especially since there were a couple of key moments when I had to surrender the outcome to Him. Also, my experience shows that God can provide for his children even if we waver between faith and doubt, as long as we don’t succumb to unbelief. In my case, God understood why I had doubts about the people I was dealing with.

Looking back, I probably should have realized that God had been preparing to bless me materially after a dream I had on the morning of May 30. (If you’d like to read more about that dream, I wrote about it here). To very briefly summarize, in the dream, the Lord blessed me financially.

Before that dream, I had felt called to rest in God’s presence, and I obeyed that call. I believe that rest is a powerful biblical manifestation principle that’s deeply connected to faith.

In Genesis 2:21–22, God created Eve while Adam was sleeping. Scripture contrasts anxious toil with resting in the Lord or taking refuge in Him:

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:2)
But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet... “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:20–21)

Divine peace and provision come not from striving, but from trusting in Jesus, our Prince of Peace, and in God our Creator.

One thing I didn’t mention in that previous post is that May 29^th was my birthday. Since the dream that I had the following morning seems to have led directly to the opportunity that came my way to buy the minivan, I see my new transportation as having been a birthday gift from God.

On June 4th, I got a knock on the door. A friend had stopped by to offer me a deal: a Chrysler minivan for $150. He proposed that we go in on it together, with me covering the cost, and him performing the mechanical repairs needed to pass inspection. The plan was to fix it up, sell it, and split the profit.

After thinking it over, I told him I wasn’t interested. Without going into too much detail, this person has a history of being less than honest. I explained that, while this sounded like a good opportunity, I didn’t feel led by the Lord to enter into a business partnership with him. As I told him, “I don’t want to have to be constantly looking over my shoulder.” I made it clear that I would only be willing to buy the minivan if I could keep it for myself. Honestly, I didn’t expect him to agree to that.

To my surprise, he was happy to let me have it. He acknowledged that he owed me a lot of favors from the past and said he wanted to make things right. From a spiritual perspective, I now see that substantial reconciliation in our relationship as an even greater blessing than the minivan itself. In hindsight, it’s clear that God had granted him that opportunity on my behalf, not just to bless me with a vehicle, but to bring healing and bring him one step closer to salvation.

By the way, I would really appreciate your prayers—for his salvation, and for me to continue to be both cautious and wise in our interactions. He does have some faith in God, but he’s working through some personal issues that I need not go into here.

As it turns out, my friend wasn’t acting purely out of generosity. He had already arranged to receive $50 from the seller, meaning the actual sale price was only $100! Out of gratitude, I gave him $40 myself, so technically, I paid $190.

Before finalizing the deal, we inspected the minivan thoroughly inside and out, and I was able to take it for a short test drive. With 178,000 miles, this 2007 model is in excellent condition. We estimate that it will cost me less than $250 to get it through the state inspection. Beyond that, I'll primarily need to change the oil and transmission fluids and give it a good cleaning.

When we met with the seller, I double-checked that the title was clean and signed, and that the VIN matched. As we were leaving, the seller cheerfully mentioned, “It has a nice DVD player!” I was thinking, “For this price, I’m just happy that it runs!”

This minivan is fully equipped, with the aforementioned DVD player, a video monitor, stereo receiver, A/C, cruise control, rear speakers, fold-down rear seats, and safety features like forward/rear collision warning and anti-lock brakes. That's a significant upgrade from my Ford Ranger, which lacks these amenities. I must admit, I had missed having a radio.

It took me several days to register the title with the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). In the meantime, I began overthinking the situation and creating unnecessary drama in my mind. I found myself alternating between gratitude and worry. I questioned whether I should feel guilty for paying so little, and I prayed that the seller would be financially and spiritually blessed. I also wondered if God had truly led me into this deal. Since the minivan had no tags, I worried: “What if there are expired registration or parking fines tied to it, for which I’m held responsible?” Or “What if there’s a lien that I’ll be required to pay off?”

I went to the MVA in person, hoping they would tell me everything they knew. I showed them the signed title and asked if they could check for any outstanding fines or liens. While they couldn’t disclose that information directly, they assured me that any prior fines would remain the responsibility of the previous owners.

I turned all my concerns over to God. At my request, my friend went back to the seller and got a written bill of sale, just to ensure everything was clearly documented. Then I returned to the MVA and successfully registered the title in my name.

Everything went smoothly. And thankfully, there were no liens.

Shifting to a Divine Abundance Mindset

With the minivan now fully in my possession, I’m gaining a fresh perspective on material wealth as an area in which God is not only able, but also willing to provide as I serve Him. I’m reminded of Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

This also put a greater fear and reverence of God in me because I don’t feel that I’ve done anything to deserve this blessing. I might see myself as deserving in comparison to some other people, but certainly not in comparison to our holy God. I feel a healthy, godly fear of what could happen if I were ever to neglect my calling to serve Him. I’m also humbled by the awareness that the Lord didn’t do this for my sake only, but also for the encouragement and instruction of other believers, including perhaps you who are reading this now.

Honestly, this experience also left me feeling a little foolish. This experience impacted me greatly, and yet I should have already known that the spiritual blessings I’ve freely received from God are far more valuable than anything of material value that might come my way. I’m also realizing that, while the minivan is clearly a gift from God, that’s no less true of everything else that I own. Maybe it’s more accurate to say that I had thought of myself as the owner of these things. Now, however, I have a better understanding of the fact that I’m merely in a stewardship position.

As someone who grew up with a scarcity mindset, making the shift to a mindset of divine abundance isn’t an easy or natural transition. I’m learning, however, and thankfully God is patient.

Here are some more pictures of the minivan, of my truck, and of the T-shirts that I bought on Etsy. If you’d like to let others know about how God has provided for you, or about your personal favorite Christian T-shirt decals, please let us know through a comment!