From Homeless to Prosperity—After One Special Step

Web designer Shannon Pizano has a thriving business with clients around the country. His life, including his beautiful home, is something he only dreamed about as a child, living in trailer parks and homeless shelters.

“Growing up in poverty I missed out on a lot as a child. I missed out on experiences that we just couldn't afford,” says Shannon.
As a teenager, Shannon gave his life to Christ. Yet he didn’t know how to trust Him with his money. In his late twenties he lost his job at the post office after failing a safety inspection. The loss of income caused significant stress.

“It was so, so depressing and I was panicking. I was stressing,” he says.

No longer able to pay his rent, Shannon slept on a Christian friend’s couch. In desperation, he cried out to God for help.

“As a Christian, I was just wondering like, ‘What's going on God?’ 

Like, ‘I want to prosper.’ I just couldn't figure it out. So one day I got out of my car and I got on my knees. I looked up to the sky and I cry out to the Lord, like, ‘Lord, please help me. Give me a business idea,’” he says.

He then searched YouTube for a way to prosper God’s way. The results were almost all from one place.

“God directed me to the 700 Club and he directed me to watch the tithing testimonies. And they just planted seeds of hope inside of me that I should be tithing. I should be giving but I wasn't,” says Shannon.

After a year of watching and studying, he finally put those principles into practice.

Shannon says, “I remember going to the website and giving my first $20. I can just put my trust in the Lord and just test him in this and see what happens.”

Within a week, Shannon says the Holy Spirit gave him an idea to start a website building business.

“And sure enough, I got my first client right away and I sold it for $500. And I thought, I was like, ‘Holy moly, this is cool! Like, you know, God's like showing up!’”

His first year in business, Shannon made $70,000, far more than he had ever earned in his life.

“As the years went on, I just kept increasing,” he says. “God's been increasing me and the more he prospered me the more I gave to God above my tithe. And then over the course of five years I've increased over 500%, and it's just been absolutely amazing. And this year is going to be probably the biggest year I've ever had in business and I'm just so thankful. I just keep going. I just keep increasing and everything has to do with tithing and giving.”

As God increased his income, Shannon increased his generosity. Today he gives well above his tithe.  One of his favorite places to give is CBN, a ministry he’s supported since 2015.

“Eventually I just stepped into the CBN founder role into giving every month,” he says.  I physically cannot be everywhere around the world to preach and reach the lost but the money that we send into CBN, you guys use that money to reach the lost, to preach the gospel, to have the Operation Blessing being in place.  I'm able to see lives changed and I'm a partner of that and that's so amazing!”

From trailer parks and homeless shelters to a brand-new home and a thriving business, Shannon says God didn’t just save his soul, God changed his life, by changing his view of money.

“When you honor the Lord with your first fruits, with your 10%, God says, and he promises that he will open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on your finances,” he says. “It's just literally he's telling us just to trust him with money and to put him first and to not let money be your God let him be your God and he's going to prosper you.”

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and we invite you to join in blessing others with your giving to CBN! Your faithful giving brings hope to the hopeless and the truth of God’s Word to millions of homes through The 700 Club! Help bring the love of Christ to the world when you become a CBN partner today!