Why I Stopped Praying for Money When I Learned These Biblical TruthsΔείγμα

Praying for Provision, Not Just Money

As discussed in Day 1, this approach can restrict God’s ability to provide. God is never limited by human constraints like money. By praying specifically for funds, we limit the infinite, unforeseen ways He may choose to bless us.

And when we look to the Bible for our context, we find that the Bible contains many examples of miraculous provision that never involved money:

In Exodus 16, God rains down manna and quail to feed the complaining Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. Despite their grumbling, God shows His faithful provision.

In 1 Kings 17, God sends ravens to deliver bread and meat to Elijah hiding by the brook. The birds bring food twice a day, allowing the prophet to survive.

When a poor widow approaches Elisha in 2 Kings 4, begging for help paying off debtors threatening to take her sons, Elisha miraculously multiplies her olive oil. She sells the oil to pay off all debt and live off the leftovers.

In Matthew 14, Jesus takes five loaves of bread and two fish and miraculously feeds over 5,000 people. After everyone eats their fill, the disciples collect 12 full baskets left over.

These stories share common threads - desperate people crying out, non-monetary miracles abundantly provided, leftovers remaining. God expresses His tender care and power by meeting needs in unexpected ways.

When we specifically pray for money, we risk becoming blinded, unable to recognize God’s handiwork through unconventional mediums. We approach God with demands rather than trusting Him with our vulnerabilities.

Rather than pleading for money alone, we can come before God to make our needs known while surrendering preferred outcomes:

“Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11)

“Cast all your anxiety on him, for he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7)

Bringing our hardships honestly before God while relinquishing control opens the door for miracles beyond our imaginations.

It makes space for the holy breaking through in stark contrast to mundane monetary provision.

And in addition to being open and honest with Him, we should try to get to the root of what we are seeking with our prayers.

Oftentimes, praying for money is a general prayer and, of course, isn’t actually the thing we need.

But it is the thing that will give us the illusion of control that with it, WE can solve our problems.

For example, if you are feeling pressure to pay your mortgage, rather than asking for money, why not pray for the mortgage to be paid? God’s got many ways to do that without dropping a check in our mailbox.

Or better yet, pray that you always have a roof over your head. After all, isn’t that the root of the thing we are seeking?

What if we get hands-off with how God answers our prayers and just let go, watching in wonder at how God may answer?

If we do, we’ll be set up to witness some mind-blowing miracles that go beyond the limits of this world.

The choice is ours.