Prayer Tip: Keys to Financial Health and Joy
Daily Scripture
Proverbs 21:5a, 21:20; Proverbs 22:7; Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:15
Proverbs 21:5a, 21:20
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.
…
Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise,
but the fool devours it.
Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Matthew 6:21
[Then Jesus taught them saying,] Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:15
[And Jesus said,] “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
Prayer Tip
from Jennifer Creager, Resurrection Prayer Ministry
The holiday onslaught has definitely begun. Before we had carved a pumpkin or raked the leaves, the messages started bombarding us. “Wishbooks,” and catalogs are clogging up the mailbox earlier than ever before. News stories tell us daily that there will be shortages and, as one reporter said, “If you see it, you’d better buy it, because there may not be another one.” Another noted, “you’d best be ready to spend more this holiday season.”
What a great time to be joining together to look at what the Bible says about money and our relationship with all kinds of wealth! The “Investing in Life” sermon series may be just the blessing we need to navigate the constant messages that tell us we “are what we spend,” and what we own.
How can prayer help us find God’s will for our finances, material things, and how that part of our life impacts our relationships and the larger world? When we come regularly to God in prayer, we open up our eyes and hearts to seeing and feeling the way God designed us to see and feel. When we offer thanks and gratitude, we begin to see all the good things we already have. When we offer praise for who God is, we remember that we are not in charge of the universe and do not need to direct every move of our own, or others. When we come to God with our needs – spiritual, emotional, material, or anything else, we will see how God has provided in the past and find assurance that God will provide for us now and in the future. Regular time in prayer helps keep us focused on the truth of God’s love for us and pushes away the constant messages from the world that tell us to find our worth in other things.
Let’s pray together:
O God who loves us and provides for our needs,
Help me to focus on knowing you and following Jesus in all areas of my life.
Thank you for all I have; all you have provided.
Thank you for the world around me,
and help me care for this gift of life and the place where I live it.
Guard me from the messages that tell me I do not have enough,
that I must use the resources you have provided
to gain more stuff for myself and even for those I love.
Help me to see the places I can use what you’ve provided to bless others,
and remind me of the gift of your Holy Spirit,
who provides me with unlimited love and capacity to share my blessings.
Amen
