Certainly it is right and proper to ask God's help for financial needs. However, we need to understand that financial problems come from two kinds of causes: external and internal. By external causes, I mean those things that happen outside our own ability to control them. These include sickness, loss of a job (most of the time), and other troubles that come upon us. By internal causes, I refer to causes brought on by our own actions and decisions. This may come by buying extensively on credit, not paying our debts, spending money on pleasures instead of needs, or just being discontent with the basics and determining to have more than God has given to us.
Certainly, God is ready to help us in every need we have. But His help may take different forms for different situations. Some of the ways in which He may help us are as follows:
- He may increase our income or give us an unexpected gift. This is what people usually want when they ask for financial help. However, this is not always God's choice. Unfortunately, people sometimes ask to win a lottery or some other large amount of money. This is certainly wrong. This comes from greed and the Bible warns of "the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof" (Proverbs 1:19).
- He may decrease our need for money. Many people do not realize that this is a more powerful way of getting out of debt than an increase in income. The Bible teaches that "the borrower is servant to the lender" (Proverbs 22:7). God may change your need for as much money in certain areas.
- However, God often uses a third way to help us when we seek His help in financial matters. He gives us direction on how we can better deal with our financial problems. This means that when you pray for financial help, you are also asking God for His wisdom and indicating that you are willing to submit to His leadership in this area. Without this submission, you may find that your prayers do not go very far. However, when you submit to the direction God gives, you will often find that He will also help you by increasing your income or lessening your outgo. He wants to see if you are willing to obey Him.
So, I encourage you to ask for God's help and be submissive to His leadership. May the Lord richly bless you in every way.
