SHOULD WE PRAY FOR.....WEALTH?

"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" 1 Timothy 6:10
There is no one in this world who wants to be destitute, flat broke or maxed out with bills and stress. No, not one. In this lifetime, no matter which system of government  under which a person lives around the world, we need money to survive. Money is the currency (so to speak) that fuels an economy based on the multiplier effect created by God. If you have ever studied how economies, communities and even countries grow with a sane and balanced mind, it will established economies and markets to work. 

This is different than the pursuit of wealth for wealth’s sake, for which many have lost their minds, sold their souls, destroyed their families and even worse – damaged their testimony about the Goodness, Greatness and Holiness of God. The Bible tells us that the “LOVE  of money is the root of all evil”. NOT money in itself. It is like the age old debate on guns.  A firearm is a dormant weapon. A car is a machine on four wheels and a fighter jet is just a fast plane until a human being gets behind it and sends it into operation.

There are examples of people in the Bible and over the years who were just plain greedy and short-sighted in their pursuit of temporal and temporary wealth over what matters most – true riches in heaven. Nabal is a good example of a fat, disgusting man of greed, whose wealth was more important to him than sharing even a morsel of food to King David, who was on the run at the time from Saul. (Click this sentence to read full account of Nabal).

Then there was the man who desired to pursue wealth and business outside the will of God, and God replied to him "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'" (Luke 12:20). James warns us to be careful of this sort of conduct, in the pursuit and even our prayers for wealth, outside of the Will of God. James says: "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15)

Neither Jesus nor the Bible says that being financially secure, having money, or even money itself was a bad thing.  God tells us in His scriptures that it is the LOVE of money which is the root of all evil. Jesus created a gold coin in a fish’s mouth so that Peter could pay taxes for both him and Jesus. Jesus Himself proved the importance of Wisdom and Stewardship in personal financial management when He presented the importance of responsibility being fully equipped to start, finance and complete a construction job here in 

So, God’s economy is practical, honorable and sensible. He will provide for us to build that deck to have our children’s friends over so they’re not going off in strange places to be unaccountable. He will provide the mortgage financing for a new couple to buy their first starter home or  good working automobile, for us to get to work. This is how our God rolls. He is Yahweh Jireh – our God Who supplies all our needs- housing, food, transport and clothing.

So should we pray to be wealthy – yes – but only in Godly wisdom. Godly wisdom will then allow us to approach Almighty God in the proper manner to pray for the financial means to live, pay bills and even have enough left over for recreation and to help others.

Heavenly Father You have given us riches whose currency cannot be measured in terms of this present life, but whose value extend way beyond into Eternity. Thank You for the Gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah, Who became poor that we may become rich and this is the wealth we desire. This is the treasure which is more worthy and more lasting than any flim flam jam this dying age could offer. Thank You for not just giving us our daily bread, clothing, transport, homes, cars, vacations, jobs, health care and more but for blessing us, Your ungrateful people, more than we deserve. You even bless those who hate You without a cause. Even though they belong to their father the devil, You provide the same blessings, opportunity, good healthy and food for them as well as for Your eternal children.

So now, oh Lord, instead of praying for more and more possessions in this world, we pray that if it is Thy will to bless us more, in a certain way, may the overflow be used for the furtherance of Thy Kingdom, which is coming soon and whose ruler is Jesus. May the wealth which is provided, be used as a means to an end for provision to bring many to repentance and to the Knowledge of You - the One True God in Heaven, through Jesus Christ the King of all and Ruler and owner of all, amen and amen and amen.

(Photo Credit Here)

MAKING IT RIGHT, PART 3

 

We have all gone to these amazing Classic Car shows each summer or Fall to marvel at these ancient, beat up or rusted out old wrecks restored to seemingly better than original condition. To the aficionados and collectors, this is not just a hobby but a passion...even an obsession which most times exceeds these people's passion for God Himself.

Job was not a modern day Classic car collector but he WAS a man for whom God Himself had a tremendous amount of esteem. We see the growth and maturity of a man who yes, had definitely more faith in God, than those around him, including his wife. But when the time came for testing, he did what a lot of us would do today - rationalize and question. 

As we examined in the previous two segments of this short series on Job,  The Lord Himself took the occasion of Job and his friends' insidious reasoning to, basically, explain God to them and ALL mankind specifically. THEN the Lord anointed Job with a new mission - Prayer Warrior! Yes, He did! 

Read from Chapter 42: "7 And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 8 Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”

Three times God used the words "My servant Job". When God called His top generals all through Scripture, He did so twice (Moses, Moses....Samuel, Samuel....). When He says something three times, He is deadly serious and one had better pay attention!

Now the record does not go into any detail or mention of Job actually praying. However, we know, in the Spirit, that he did! God does not call a man "My servant" three times and then predict that His "servant" WILL do something in order for Him to forgive those three bloviating friends who escaped punishment because of God Himself granting Grace....if He did not mean it!

Two things here - Job obviously threw himself headlong into maturing his new-found relationship with the Almighty, Whom he understood fully for the first time and secondly, the mercy of God extends to us even when we deserve nothing but death. That mercy is Grace powered and only available by prayer and the sacrifice of self. The sacrifice of self is a repentant heart and a love for the Lord above all else.

Hence the result of all of this is - RESTORATION. The end of the actual first book of the Bible (in Chronological time) says (from Job Chapter 42): "12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 

14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and full of days".

Are you in need of  Restoration? Is your internal spiritual GPS as completed wrong in its coordinates as those three friends of Job, who thought they spoke for the God Who disciplined their folly? Or, are you like Job, with some Faith, who sought Truth and found a calling? If the answer is both - a category into which most of all fell into, at some point in our lives - then there is so much Hope. All we need to do is go to Job 42:1-6 and acknowledge our error and make it right, with the Great God of Heaven.

The key thing to remember in "making it right" - as Job set out to do in this entire process, is that God is still in the Restoration business. He can take our entire broken down wills, spirits, souls and bodies and make something new and beautiful that can shine just like those exquisite priceless classic cars, which are becoming just as rare now, just as true followers of Christ are.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come....2 Corinthians 5:17 

THIRTY DAY PRAYER CHALLENGE - DAY 19

PRAY THE NAMES OF GOD

DAY 19


GOD IS SOVEREIGN


One of the many definitions of Sovereign is "An almighty monarch or ruler....who possesses the ultimate or supreme power" (basically, to do as he wills). Many kings of the earth (and some queens) have exercised that, to the detriment of their subjects. History records one of the most brutal monarchs was Mary, Queen of Scots. 


Known as Bloody Mary, she brutalized and killed many who did not agree with her state run church at the time. Most of her victims were Christians. However, one in particular scared the daylights out of her. His name was John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian Church.


Knox was well known as a prayer warrior who specialized in  Imprecatory prayer (which is prayer, as King David did in Psalm 35, asking God to deal harshly with one's enemies). Knox was a like a thorn in the side of Bloody Mary. She is known to have said "I fear the prayers of John Knox more than ALL the assembled armies of Europe"!


Here is the absolute monarch of Britain, afraid of one man praying to a God! While imprecatory prayers are not to be trifled and played around with, Prayer in General to the Supreme Monarch of the Universe is not just highly recommended but mandatory for the believer!


Think about the Royalty in Heaven: Father God - Abba - is Sovereign. I mean, He sits on His Throne RIGHT NOW-RIGHT NOW, and myriads of angels attend Him in His Court! Then Jesus...oh my Jesus! How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds, in a believer's ears!


Jesus is called the King of Kings three times in the New Testament and if you click here, a new window will pop up with one page carrying ALL three verses! 
In 1 Timothy 6:15, He shows He is the King of Kings. 
In Revelation 17:14, the stupid rulers of this world will line up one day soon to fight the Lamb - Jesus, Whom they will never defeated, because He is the King of Kings.
In Revelation 19:16. He returns on His white horse and on His robe is written "King of Kings"! 

Friends, this is the REAL Monarch and Supreme Commander of all things! There is no other! Therefore, read this passage and pray with me:


Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
(1 Chronicles 29:11-13 ESV)


Father, in the Name of Jesus, Majesty, Ruler of the Universe, Almighty and Most Sovereign Lord, I come to You now, on bended knee, in all humility, praising You for Who You are!

Lord there is none like You. No one else can make the stars shine, the seas to roar and the wind to sing. No one else can cause the mountain to break open yet deliver and delicate snowflake, of which, no two are alike! No one else can send a fish to swallow Jonah, yet use two fish and some loaves of barley to feed thousands with many baskets of leftovers.

My God and My King, You rise above the Heavens where You have been seated from time eternal to infinity. My puny mind cannot grasp the true Regal Nature of Your Glory in the Heavens or the power worship right now, before You, in the Throne Room! It just floors me, Abba Father!


You give Grace to the Humble, Judgment to the evil.
You give Riches untold, some of them material and temporal things.
You give Good things to those who blaspheme and curse You, because You are good and generous....and with the hope that many will be saved regardless.
You give Strength, health and true joy every morning to those who walk in Your Anointing and seek You out daily!

Great is Your faithfulness, Lord unto me and everyone whom You have called by name to be a daughter or son of the Living God.

O Sovereign God, Who maketh and knoweth all, I worship You in the Fullness of Your Glory and bask in Your Holy Presence this wonderful day that You have made! Thank You, my master! I remain, ready to do Your Perfect Will, in the Name of Jesus,
Amen!

TOMORROW: GOD IS JEHOVAH-NISSI

(image by google images)