Last week I got a message from my aunt requesting for prayer for financial difficulties. On that day alone, she was the third person that approached me for prayer over financial issues. It seems to be a constant in my life as a minister to specifically minister over money problems.
What's the one thing that people ask for in the midst of financial difficulty? That more money will come. We strongly believe that when more money comes, all our problems will go away. And while money pays the bills, cancels the debts and feeds the children, is it really the real answer to our problems?
I once wrote a note to myself on my journal declaring this to myself: "In times you're getting roughed over by money issues, you don't have a money problem. You have a faith problem." I believe that that applies to every single one of us today. Sure we need more money - everyone does. But more than just needing more money, we need more faith and we need faith in the right Person.
When we know Jesus more and experience Him more, our bills might not go away, but a new hope comes - assuring us that if we're concerned about our income and provision, God is just as or even more concerned. Faith does not necessarily make cash miraculously appear in your wallet (although I've heard that happen to some friends), but it does give you the audacity to do things right, walk in perseverance and obedience and to watch God move in mighty ways you never imagined. The more faith we have in Christ, the more we give leeway for His Spirit to move in every area of our life - including our finances.
Hebrews 11:1 says this: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
To grow in faith is to grow in hope because faith has everything to do with whom your hope is placed in. When we place our hope in something that is uncertain, then our hope becomes uncertain. We need assurance to be built up in faith.
Sadly so many times we put our hope in things that are not certain. We hope in ourselves, our bank accounts, our parents, our friends, our contacts, our job or our financial advisor. And while there's nothing wrong about getting other people involved, our hope is a weight only Jesus can carry. When we put our hope in Him, our faith is firm.
We don't have money problems. We have faith problems. When we grow in faith, we watch a faithful God faithfully provide not just money but peace, joy, assurance, wisdom and gifts. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, "You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day."
Last week I got a message from my aunt requesting for prayer for financial difficulties. On that day alone, she was the third person that approached me for prayer over financial issues. It seems to be a constant in my life as a minister to minister over money problems.
What's the one thing that people ask for in the midst of financial difficulty? That more money will come. We strongly believe that when more money comes, all our problems will go away. And while money pays the bills, cancels the debts and feeds the children, is it really the real answer to our problems?
I once wrote a note to myself on my journal declaring this to myself: "In times you're getting roughed our by money issues, you don't have a money problem. You have a faith problem." I believe that that applies to every single one of us today. Sure we need more money- everyone does. But more than just needing more money, we need more faith and we need faith in the right Person.
When we know Jesus more and experience Him more, our bills might not go away, but a new hope comes about- assuring us that if we're concerned about our income and provision, God is just as or even more concerned. Faith does not necessarily make cash miraculously appear in your wallet (although I've heard that happen to some friends), but it does give you the audacity to do things right, walk in perseverance and obedience and to watch God move in mighty ways you never imagined. The more faith we have in Christ, the more we give leeway for His Spirit to move in every area of our life- including our finances.
Hebrews 11:1 says this: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." To grow in faith is to grow in hope because faith has everything to do with whom your hope is placed on. When we place our hope on something that is uncertain, then our hope becomes uncertain. We need assurance to be built up in faith.
Sadly so many times we put our hope on things that are not certain. We hope in ourselves, our bank accounts, our parents, our friends, our contacts, our job or our financial advisor. And while there's nothing wrong about getting other people involved, our hope is a weight only Jesus can carry. When we put our hope on Him, our faith is firm.
We don't have money problems. We have faith problems. When we grow in faith, we watch a faithful God faithfully provide not just money but peace, joy, assurance, wisdom and gifts. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, "You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day."
