Silas
Beloved of All
Thank you for sharing your heart and inviting prayer over the resources God has entrusted to you and your desire to handle them wisely. That desire itself is pleasing to God, and I am glad to stand with you in prayer.
Scripture teaches that wisdom is the principal thing, and with all your getting you should get understanding. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That is where wise stewardship starts, not with asking first for increase, but with asking for a heart that reveres God, knows His ways, and knows how to apply what you know in a way that honors Him. Knowledge gives you facts, but wisdom gives you the ability to use what you have rightly.
You remember how Solomon, when God invited him to ask for anything, did not ask for riches or honor or long life, but asked for wisdom to lead well and to judge rightly. God was pleased with that request and said that because he had asked for wisdom rather than money or fame, He would give him wisdom and also add to him the riches and honor he had not asked for. The lesson is that when we put wisdom first, God is free to entrust more to us according to His will. Wisdom is better than rubies, and nothing you could desire compares to it.
The Bible also personifies wisdom as a voice crying out in the streets, inviting everyone to come and learn. That invitation points us to Christ Himself, for in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. True wisdom comes from above. It does not lead to envy or strife or selfish ambition. Earthly wisdom does, and it is sensual and empty. The wisdom that is from God leads to purity, peace, and a life that bears good fruit, and you can see the difference in how a person lives.
Concerning money, Scripture is very clear and balanced. Money itself is not evil and it is not good in itself. It is a tool that represents power and influence, and it can be used well or badly depending on the heart. What God warns against is the love of money, which is the root of all kinds of evil. When the love of money becomes the master passion of life, it has destroyed many people and led to countless other sins. Money can even make a person its slave, so that he cannot enjoy it or use it freely. Jesus taught that we cannot serve both God and money, and that we should use what we have in this life to lay up treasure that will last for eternity, rather than only buying things that wear out and decay. The Proverbs say that both wisdom and money can be a defense, but the excellence of wisdom is that it gives life to those who have it.
So my prayer for you is shaped by these truths.
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ I bring this dear one before You with thanksgiving. Thank You for every material and spiritual resource You have placed under their care. Grant them first and above all the fear of the Lord and a wise and understanding heart, that they may steward what You have given with prudence, righteousness, and equity. Teach them to put You first in every decision, to seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness, and to use what they have for purposes that will endure for eternity and bring glory to You.
Guard their heart from the love of money and from making riches their master. Keep them from being enslaved by wealth or by the pursuit of it, and help them to hold all things loosely before You. Give them discernment to know the difference between true wisdom from above and the empty wisdom of this world, and lead them into purity, peace, and good fruit.
We do acknowledge, as Your Word says, that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers of darkness, and we ask for Your protection and strength in Christ. Clothe them in Your armor, keep them walking in truth, and let their life be grounded in faith in the power of God rather than in the wisdom of men.
Provide for them according to Your perfect will, and grant favor as You see fit, not for selfish gain but so that they may be generous, faithful, and fruitful for Your glory. May Christ be their treasure above all else, and may their life show the life giving power of Your wisdom. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
May the Lord grant you wisdom day by day as you walk with Him, and may He guide every choice you make with what He has entrusted to you.
Scripture teaches that wisdom is the principal thing, and with all your getting you should get understanding. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That is where wise stewardship starts, not with asking first for increase, but with asking for a heart that reveres God, knows His ways, and knows how to apply what you know in a way that honors Him. Knowledge gives you facts, but wisdom gives you the ability to use what you have rightly.
You remember how Solomon, when God invited him to ask for anything, did not ask for riches or honor or long life, but asked for wisdom to lead well and to judge rightly. God was pleased with that request and said that because he had asked for wisdom rather than money or fame, He would give him wisdom and also add to him the riches and honor he had not asked for. The lesson is that when we put wisdom first, God is free to entrust more to us according to His will. Wisdom is better than rubies, and nothing you could desire compares to it.
The Bible also personifies wisdom as a voice crying out in the streets, inviting everyone to come and learn. That invitation points us to Christ Himself, for in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. True wisdom comes from above. It does not lead to envy or strife or selfish ambition. Earthly wisdom does, and it is sensual and empty. The wisdom that is from God leads to purity, peace, and a life that bears good fruit, and you can see the difference in how a person lives.
Concerning money, Scripture is very clear and balanced. Money itself is not evil and it is not good in itself. It is a tool that represents power and influence, and it can be used well or badly depending on the heart. What God warns against is the love of money, which is the root of all kinds of evil. When the love of money becomes the master passion of life, it has destroyed many people and led to countless other sins. Money can even make a person its slave, so that he cannot enjoy it or use it freely. Jesus taught that we cannot serve both God and money, and that we should use what we have in this life to lay up treasure that will last for eternity, rather than only buying things that wear out and decay. The Proverbs say that both wisdom and money can be a defense, but the excellence of wisdom is that it gives life to those who have it.
So my prayer for you is shaped by these truths.
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ I bring this dear one before You with thanksgiving. Thank You for every material and spiritual resource You have placed under their care. Grant them first and above all the fear of the Lord and a wise and understanding heart, that they may steward what You have given with prudence, righteousness, and equity. Teach them to put You first in every decision, to seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness, and to use what they have for purposes that will endure for eternity and bring glory to You.
Guard their heart from the love of money and from making riches their master. Keep them from being enslaved by wealth or by the pursuit of it, and help them to hold all things loosely before You. Give them discernment to know the difference between true wisdom from above and the empty wisdom of this world, and lead them into purity, peace, and good fruit.
We do acknowledge, as Your Word says, that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers of darkness, and we ask for Your protection and strength in Christ. Clothe them in Your armor, keep them walking in truth, and let their life be grounded in faith in the power of God rather than in the wisdom of men.
Provide for them according to Your perfect will, and grant favor as You see fit, not for selfish gain but so that they may be generous, faithful, and fruitful for Your glory. May Christ be their treasure above all else, and may their life show the life giving power of Your wisdom. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
May the Lord grant you wisdom day by day as you walk with Him, and may He guide every choice you make with what He has entrusted to you.
