How To Pray For Money And Wealth

If there is one common phrase among Christians regarding money, it is that “money is the root of all evil.”. We automatically summon ideas of greed and sin when we think about money. We think of those greedy people who can’t get enough of their riches, people who gamble to make their money multiply, or even those who resort to doing illegal things to gain wealth quickly. However, the root problem of those things is not money at all, but greed. Regardless of the amount, we all have money in our possession, but that does not necessarily mean we are evil just because we have money. It is about being content and satisfied with the money that we have. 

Money is not inherently evil. If that were the case, God wouldn’t have allowed or blessed certain Bible characters with wealth. One of those examples is God’s promise to Isaac in line with what He promised to his father Abraham, where He blessed Isaac and made him into a nation. Because of God’s promise, Isaac prospered. After being tested by God, God gave Job riches and wealth greater than what he had before he lost them. King David also had great wealth, and his son King Solomon had even more, all because of God. Now, those examples do not necessarily mean that God’s promise for us is to have millions in our bank accounts. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, King David, and other Bible characters are specific to them. The point here is that if money was evil, God wouldn’t have blessed them with wealth. God still provides us with the money or finances to buy what we need and sometimes even buy what we want, if He permits us to do so according to His wisdom.

Genesis 26:2-5

2 And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Genesis 26:12-13

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

Job 42:10-11

10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

1 Chronicles 29:28

And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.

2 Chronicles 9:13-28

13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;

14 Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target.

16 And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18 And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:

19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

22 And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.

24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.

28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

When praying for money, the question is not whether money is evil or not. Instead, it should be what is the intention or state of our heart when praying for money? Are we praying for more money because we have more bills to pay at home, or do you want to buy the latest phone, despite having an excellent working phone? There is nothing wrong with praying and asking God for improved finances. He wants us to always come to Him and ask Him for the things we need because He is our heavenly Father. However, we should evaluate our hearts if we are praying for money for the right reasons. 

What does the Bible say about money problems?

A person encounters money problems from time to time. One common money problem that people encounter in their lives is the need for financial provision. It may be that a father suddenly lost his job and is still looking for work. In that sense, the father or the family has a money problem, and because of that, they should pray to God for a new job for the father and financial provision, since they can’t live off the father’s savings forever. It could also be that a student wants to join a Christian conference, but because of the financial situation of their family, they can’t ask them for an allowance.

When we are in dire financial circumstances, our response should be to come to God in prayer and ask Him for financial provision. Prayer should be our first resort, not our last one. Remember that we are dependent on God for everything, as He is the One who sustains us. Though that does not mean we shouldn’t be diligent and work hard, it does mean that we should always come before Him in humility and prayer, knowing that in the end, all things come from Him and everything that we have and get to receive comes from Him alone.

Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Praying or asking God for more money or wealth becomes a problem if we ask it out of greed or idolatry. If our situation is stable, meaning that we have enough to get by, but still we desire more money, we are not content in Christ. It also means that we have made an idol of money, so we desire more of it. For example, an excellent simple house where a person can live comfortably is suddenly not enough. They desire to have millions so that they can live a much more luxurious lifestyle. If money, wealth, and properties are taken out of a person’s life, and a person can’t live without them, it has become an idol.

Does that mean praying for more money or wealth is evil? Not necessarily. Again, what we look for here is the intention of the heart. If going to work is hard because of commuting, by all means, pray and ask God for the money to be able to buy a car. But also, be content with the car that God gives you that serves the purpose of your need. Also, if you desire to help out many people, by all means, pray for more money and wealth. You are praying for more riches, not so that you can hoard them, but because you want to bless other people; this comes from a heart of generosity and gratitude towards God, which is a byproduct of one’s joy in Christ. One example is praying to make more money and grow your business even more, to bless and partner with missionaries and ministries with an even more significant amount of financial support.

Proverbs 11:24

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

What does God say about your finances?

What God says about money is that it is not inherently evil. What is evil is the love of money. 1 Timothy 6:10 teaches us that it is the root of all kinds of evil. That means many evil things are done because of one’s love for money. People deceive others only to get ahead and earn more money. Some gamble in the hopes of doubling or tripling their fortunes. Others even resort to illegal means, all for the sake of money. Jesus told us that we couldn’t serve two masters simultaneously. If we are to follow Christ, we must serve and submit ourselves to Him, and not to the god of money.

Matthew 6:24

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Another common saying among Christians is that “money is a great tool, but a terrible master.” If a person loves money, then money shall drive that person’s life towards the pit in their pursuit of it. However, money is a great tool that we can use to advance the kingdom and be a blessing to others. One example is the one we mentioned above. One may desire to grow their business and earn more money, not to hoard wealth and indulge in a luxurious lifestyle, but rather to give even more significant amounts to missionaries and ministries that will do a lot of good.

Another example is desiring to have more wealth so that you can find diligent young ones who want to study, but can’t. Therefore, you may want to use your wealth to finance studies at excellent universities. Christians use our money to become the salt and light to the world, and that is still our motivation in the desire for more wealth.

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Everything in this universe belongs to the LORD. Whatever we have, the talents, skills, and resources that we have are all entrusted to us by God. That includes the money or wealth that we have. Therefore, we should be good stewards of the money that God has given us, similar to the faithful servant in Jesus’ parable of the talents. We are to glorify God with what we do with our wealth.

Deuteronomy 8:17-18

17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Psalm 24:1

The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Matthew 25:23

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

How can I pray for finances?

Always check your heart when you pray and ask God for money or wealth. If you are really in need of financial provision, by all means, pray and ask God for more finances because we should depend on Him as His children. If we want to ask for more money or wealth from God, the motivation should not be to amass wealth, but the desire to bless other people. Glorifying God and advancing His kingdom should be in our hearts and minds as we pray for more wealth. Lastly, whether big or small, God entrusts us with the finances we have, which means that we are to pray to God for wisdom and grace to be good stewards of whatever God entrusts to us and be faithful over it. 

Here is an example of how you can pray and ask God for money or wealth:

Heavenly Father, everything in this universe belongs to You, and the things that we have are just things that you entrusted to us. I pray for financial provision in this time of need. I pray that I will have the money to be able to pay my family’s living expenses. I also pray for a salary increase at work so that budgeting is less stressful. I also pray that my salary increase shall be large so that I can bless others in need even more and contribute to missionaries with even larger amounts. Give me the wisdom I need and the grace to be faithful and diligent with the finances that You have blessed and entrusted me with. I will spend and budget them wisely and make them grow and multiply. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The Bible does not say that we shouldn’t pray for a car, house, or something that we desire. If you have a dream car or house or something you want to buy, pray to God. We should be careful of being uncontent in Christ, greedy, or fall into idolatry of money. Whether in times of abundance or lack, we should always be content in Christ, who is our greatest treasure.