Philip Yancey describes 3 levels of prayer during financial
problems. The first stage is
“HELP!” For those who face a job
loss or huge medical bill, prayer is an outlet for fear and worry. God wants us to come honestly to Him,
like a child asking for help.
Look at Jesus’ night in Gethsemane, when facing death. He
dropped to the ground and felt overwhelmed. In his anguish, his prayer began as “Take this cup from me,”
and changed to “May your will be done.”
In the trial scenes that followed, Jesus was calmer; his prayer had
relieved his anxiety, renewed his trust in his Father, and gave Him courage to
face the cross.
The second stage of prayer is MEDITATION and
REFLECTION. Okay, my savings
account is gone; what can I learn from this? A financial crisis presents an opportunity to identify what
I base my life on. If my ultimate
trust was in my financial security, my life’s foundation isn’t going to
last. Do you handle your finances
in a way that honors God? Do you
reflect or meditate in your prayers about your finances? Psalms 8, 32, 36, and 111 have examples
of reflective prayers; try praying one of those Psalms in your own words.
The third level of prayer is the most difficult: I need
God’s help in taking my eyes off my own problems in order to LOOK WITH
COMPASSION AT OTHERS.. Jesus
taught us to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” So God calls us to make the world more
like heaven. When a financial
disaster leads us to open our eyes to the needs of others, it’s a sign of this
level of prayer.
A young man developed a successful accounting business, and
was able to save a significant sum for his retirement. But disaster struck, and he lost
everything. But his struggles
opened his eyes to others who suffered financial loss, and his experience gave
him empathy for others who suffered losses. In the midst of his financial crisis, he was lead to pray
for others in crisis. God doesn’t
waste a disaster.
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