Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
-Hebrews 13:5
Should we be praying for more money? Isn’t it unspiritual to ask God for the very thing that lies behind so many of the evils of the world? Money, money, money! It seems like the whole world goes after it every day, all day long. The mad pursuit of more and more money never ends.
How often have you heard people say that money is evil? I like what Dr. Snyder says about money:
“The real problem with money is not the possession of it but the love of it, the place it occupies in our heart…”
Why would you need money? Paying the farmer for the food he makes for your table; paying your landlord for the right to stay on his property; paying your teacher for the lessons he or she teaches you.
The evil would come not from you but from the farmer who manipulates the food supply to drive up prices; the landlord who charges more rent and delivers no services. The teacher who charges thousands for access to simple knowledge. All of them craving money when they are not starved for it, unlike the many people who would come for the services they offer.
Many are wracked with financial insecurity and turn to other means in order to make ends meet. Second jobs, “side hustles”, playing games that pay real money, or selling old possessions. Often giving away their precious time and effort in order to earn. Is their want of money an act of evil?
Nothing touches us so deeply as a crisis of finances. It puts us on our knees in a big hurry, reminding us that God really is in charge. God knows how much money we need and often gives us more than that so we can give it back in the form of charity.
BUT if we pray for more and don’t get it right away, do not scorn the hand that does not feed. We should trust that we will be provided for in some other way, or that God is training us for some good end. Perhaps God will act through the hearts of others and relieve the burden through non-monetary means.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Feel completely free to ask God for money or for anything you truly need. Thank him for what he chooses to bring (or not bring), knowing that every move he makes is based on his best plan for you.
Photo via Flickr
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