“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
The world tells us that it is okay to desire more. However, this desire will cause us to sin if we choose to love the blessings more than the Source. We can become obsessed with gaining more money, possessions, power, or pleasures. Therefore, we will be dissatisfied with our lives. Also, we will not recognize His presence and power. Worse, we will be restless in pursuit of having and becoming more.
On the contrary, God promises that He will never leave nor forsake us. He promises to be with us along the way. And that should already be the foundation of our contentment. God didn’t say that it is wrong to strive for more, but He warns us that it can lead to greediness. Our desire to have more than enough will cause us to trust our own understanding. Later on, it becomes the most important thing in our life when it could have been Him who blesses us with everything.
Pray not to love money
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10
The love of money motivates people to sin. The desire to earn more causes them to steal or cheat. For others, they find security in their wealth and possessions. Even some Christians claim to honor God yet are more eager for blessings. We let money be the source of our satisfaction and happiness. Hence, we get stuck in a cycle of discontent.
Heavenly Father, I praise and honor You. Please help me resist the desire to satisfy my needs that are not according to Your Will. Allow me to see that You are the sole owner of my money and that you just lend everything to me. I pray that I will not base my love for You according to what You have blessed me with. Instead, remind me that I should love You, not the things that I get from You. Please forgive me for the times I did otherwise. Thank You because I am capable of becoming a good financial steward. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pray to be contented
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7
We are born with nothing, and we will leave this world with nothing as well. The things that we have now can be gone in an instant. So we must understand that if God alone is enough, everything else is a bonus. We must be fully satisfied with Who is inside us, rather than the possessions we can lose over time. We must center our desires on Him and His purpose in our lives.
Lord, I am sorry for the times I wanted more than enough of what You have given me. I failed to see that it is through You that I am capable and blessed. Father, thank You for everything You’ve done for me. Please help me be content and satisfied with what I have now and who You want me to be. I pray to learn how to love You in all the ways I can, so there is no room for me to desire what is missing. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pray to trust God
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14
Because of discontent, we fail to put our confidence in who God says He is. We do not recognize the power and wonders He can do. We forget that not one of His promises has ever failed. Our dissatisfaction drives us to become rooted in demanding what we want rather than aligning our desires to His will. But if we pray with confidence, He hears and provides anything, if it’s according to His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Almighty God, You are always good and gracious. Please forgive me for the times I forgot to recognize Who You are. But thank You for loving me the same. I know that You will only provide what is necessary for my life. Please remove everything that will hinder my faith. I am now putting my confidence in You because You know what is best for me. Let Your will be done. I surrender everything in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.