Why God Doesn’t Always Answer Prayers About Money
For Christians, prayer is a rather amazing concept. Many discount our faith, but we know that God will listen to us and our concerns, and do what’s best for us. Jesus even tells us in the book of Mark that “Have faith in God, Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it will be yours.” If you ask God for something that will help you, He will give it to you. Solomon asked God for wisdom to handle his wealth, and God gave it to him. What are you asking God for?
Let’s ask a hypothetical question. Let’s assume God has some very big plans for you, Perhaps, God has decided you are the person who will save the life of a very important person, or cure a deadly disease. Let us then suppose that you are really depressed and hate life so much that you ask God to strike you down from earth? Do you think he would do it? Only God understands the mind of God, but it’s reasonable to assume that He will do what’s best for you, which is not always what you want.
A lot of people’s worry and concern resolves around money. Money is a frequent issue of prayer for a very great number of people. A lot of people ask God to help them out financially by winning the lottery or by blessing them with a great amount of money. In a recent movie, “Bruce Almighty” a regular man became God and gave everyone everything they wanted, and over a million people won the lottery when he gave everyone what they wanted. Is winning the lottery or just being given a great amount of money with no work the best thing for you? Often times, it is not. God will provide for us, but he will give us what we need, not what we want.
When it comes to money, the Bible says quite a number of things on the subject. In the bible we are told many times not to cosign on loans. We also know that there are no positive mentions to debt in the bible, and he even tells us that the borrower is slave to the lender. The Bible tells us to save money, and to work very hard to get out of debt if you are in debt. God tells us to give ten percent of our income to the local church. God lays out a number of things we should do to use the idea of money in a way that He would find pleasing.
Money makes you more of what you are. The Bible tells us that if God cannot trust us with little tasks, there is surely no way He will trust us with big tasks. If we are not following God’s ways with the money we do have, and most people are not, why would He give us even more of His money to work with? Would he not rather give it to someone who handles money in the way He finds to be pleasing and He knows will do good things with it?
God does not plan for all of us to be filthy rich, and that’s okay. He will provide enough for us to get by, and that’s all we need. Prayers for large sums of money very rarely go answered, because God knows that’s not what’s best for you. If you follow His ways when it comes to money, God will give you more of His money to manage. It’s as simple as that.
- What God Has To Say About Money Part 3: Investing For the last few days, we’ve been taking a look at what the Bible has to say about money. So far the bible has been very straight forward about the topics of debt and being generous, however investing is a bit more of a peculiar topic. In the last 2000......
- Why God Doesn't Answer Your Prayers About Money For Christians, prayer is a rather amazing concept. Many discount our faith, but we know that God will listen to us and our concerns, and do what's best for us. Jesus even tells us in the book of Mark that "Have faith in God, Therefore I tell you, whatever you......
- Money and your prayer life: Do you pray about your finances? The past few weeks I've been reminded in a bunch of ways of just how woefully inadequate I've been when it comes to praying to God in all things. As Christians I feel we constantly need to be in relationship with Christ, seeking guidance, asking for things we need and......
- Why do we as Christians need to be concerned about Money? One question I've been asking myself recently is this, "Why do we as Christians need to be concerned about Money, and what the Bible says about it?". When we think about our finances, it often feels like our faith and our money should be mutually exclusive. They have really nothing......
Belief in a God - especially one that gives a damn about whether you have money or not - is illogical and sociopathically self-centered.
Get a clue, folks. Religion is for suckers.
Hi:
Prayer is ALWAYS answered. But the answer is not always the one we want. Sometimes it is a simple, “No.”
Thanks for participating in this week’s Carnival of Family Life, hosted by Jen at Diary of 1. Be sure to drop by tomorrow, April 28, 2008, and check out some of the many wonderful articles submitted this week!
I’ve prayed for God to help me or bless me to get out debt. I ask that he show me or give me the knoeledge to find a way to get out of debt. I have that faith that he will give me that knowledge in his own time. Without I would have nothing.
I am confused by this verse, which leaves me to believe that Bible warns use not to save money for it is not neccessary and that we should not wear clothes. It sounds as if it is telling you to live for the moment, with no planning, paycheck to paycheck:
“Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or
drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more important than food, and the
body more important than clothes? Look at
the birds of the field they do not sow or reap
or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much more
valuable than they? “And why do you worry
about clothes? See how the lilies of the field
grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you
that not even Solomon in all his splendor was
dressed like one of these.
( Matthew 6:25-26; & 28-29 )
Hi Stephanie, the message of that verse is that we should keep our eyes focused on Christ eyes and not on this world. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t practice good judgement and plan for the future. Specifically, Proverbs 21:20 is a pretty clear commandment that we need to be saving money.
Giving 10% of your income to the church is not always possible for some.What I see with 10% is preachers driving luxury cars, big homes. living large. So that means to me with 10% that God wants these people, to live big and the rest not. I believe in God but often when you work people that rule are indifferent, not just and do their own thing to others.Verses in the bible say God will turn things around and bless you . But it seems change does not happen. I feel like it will be a billion more times if then before change will come. I believe in God but where is the comfort of him helping,or where is the help.I am not feeling really good about the bible and all its teaching. claire
If there is no evidence for God, then there is no God. All things on this earth are accomplished through human action, no matter the belief system. Pray all you want, if it makes you feel better.