Money

Money is talked about in the bible more than any other subject. Why? Because God knew that money was the sticking point for most people. When it comes to money, most people would prefer God to be hands off.

But listen to what God says in Psalm 50 verses 9-15

I will not take a bull from your house. Nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine. And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains. And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you. For the world is Mine, and all its fullness Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving. And pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of troubles, and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

This is the scripture that I held onto during my financial drought – during my ten year wilderness experience. I especially liked the sentence “And the cattle on a thousands hills.” Although I was in a personal season of lack, there was no lack in God’s economy.

We, as a nation, are facing very tough economic situations. Were these caused by God? No, they were directly caused by people acting against God’s laws and decrees. Mortgage brokers encouraged people to lie on mortgage applications and get into a house payment they could not afford so that the brokers could make huge commissions. Many men committed fraud to swindle people out of their life savings. CEOs of major corporations made financial decisions that lined their own pockets at the expense of American families who have lost of their jobs. Many politicians have worried more about taking care of their rich political buddies than taking care of the people who elected them into office.

You may argue that your money is your money. Well, I want you to see that in a different way today. All the money in the world is God’s, because everything in the world is His. If you make your money singing, God gave you that talent. If you make your money being a lawyer, God gave you the ability to learn that profession. If you make your money being a carpenter, the hands to do that work came from God. We get out of bed and go to work every day by the grace of God.

The money you have is God’s money that He has entrusted to your care. You will answer to Him someday as to how well you managed His Money. That really changes things, doesn’t it? There is nothing wrong with being rich – with having money and the things that money buys. But money is not eternal. It does not come with you to heaven – it is all left behind.

If God looked through your checkbook, would He see your love for Him and His Kingdom on any of the pages or would it be all about you and your needs and your desires and your “have to haves.”

Do you pray for wisdom in making financial decisions? Do you ask for the Holy Spirit to guide your monetary spending? When God audits your financial records, would you get a thumbs up or a thumbs down?

If every person in this country on every financial level, would make their financial decisions ones based on the fact that their spread sheets are known to God, our economy would change. If every employer sought God’s wisdom in the running of their company and the wages paid to their employees. If every politician sought God’s wisdom in passing the right legislation to help all our country’s citizens. If every leader of every major corporation sought God’s wisdom in the big decisions they make every day and considered the consequences to those in the world around them. If every household balanced their books following the tithing principal set forth in both the Old and New Testament – the first 10% belongs to God and then the other 90% is yours, our economy would change very quickly.

Many people feel that praying for money is just not right. I am here to tell you that that is simply not true. God wants us to pray for every need and concern. Every hope and desire. Every plan and goal. There is nothing too big to pray for and nothing too small to pray about.

He is here to help us make our financial decisions. He wants us to seek His guidance in this important area of our lives. He wants us to ask for His favor. He wants His people to have bank accounts overflowing so that we can help others in His kingdom meet their everyday needs.

There is more than enough money in the world so that no one in the world needs to live in poverty. The proper distribution of the world’s wealth is something we all need to pray about.

“Heavenly Father, we pray that every man and woman who is looking for employment, will have your divine favor in finding the right job that will provide for the needs of their family. We pray that every politician in our country, CEO of every corporation and every employer and household will make their decisions based on the fact that in the end they will answer to You for every financial decision. We pray that their will be a spirit of gratefulness in each heart. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”