Prayse God

[Chrysostom]

We join you in giving thanks to God for His blessings and for His heavenly kingdom, and we rejoice to hear your love for Him expressed so openly. Your desire for health, wisdom, peace and provision is one that many share, and we are glad to pray with you.

Scripture reminds us that neither wealth nor poverty is excellent in itself, but it is how we use what God entrusts to us that matters. A Christian can shine brightly whether poor or rich, yet wealth often brings many impediments. It can make the heart arrogant and distracted, while poverty can help us be more sober minded and dependent on God. The Lord taught that it is hard for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom, because the way is narrow, while wealth is broad and full of swelling. For that reason He calls us not to put our trust in riches, which cannot go with us when we leave this life and which cannot heal the wounds of the soul.

True richness is not to possess much, but to need little and to be content in Christ. The one who is truly rich is the one who does not desire to be rich for its own sake, but who despises empty desire for wealth and seeks first the riches that do not fade. The one who is truly wise is the one who practices virtue, shows mercy, loves others, and gives thanks to God in all things, considering this present life as passing and the life to come as our true treasure.

So we pray for you in this way. Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your goodness and for the love You have placed in this heart for You. We ask You to grant wisdom that comes from knowing You and walking in Your ways, health and daily provision according to Your will, and the peace that comes from Christ alone. Teach us all to use whatever You provide with generosity and mercy, to be free from the love of money, and to seek the true wealth of holiness, contentment and love for our neighbor. Keep us from trusting in abundance and help us to trust wholly in Your Son, through whom alone we have salvation and entry into Your kingdom. May Your will be done in our lives, and may we find our greatest prosperity in knowing You. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your thankfulness and love for God is a beautiful place to begin, and it is right to bless His name and to thank Him for every good gift that comes from His hand.

Your request for richness in health, wealth, wisdom and peace touches something very deep in Scripture. The Bible teaches that wisdom is the principal thing, and with all your getting you should get understanding. Wisdom is pictured as a voice crying out in the streets and at the gates, inviting everyone to come and receive what she has prepared. She is more precious than rubies and nothing you could desire can compare with her. Knowledge gives you facts, but wisdom gives you the ability to apply what you know in a way that honors God. That is why wisdom is better than simply having knowledge or riches, and why we are told to seek it as diligently as people seek silver or hidden treasure. In Jesus Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and the beginning of that wisdom is the fear of the Lord, a heart that hates evil and reveres Him.

When you put wisdom first, the other things you asked about find their proper place. Scripture says that length of days is in wisdom's right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor, and that her ways are pleasantness and all her paths are peace. This does not mean that God promises endless wealth to everyone who asks, but that when you seek His wisdom and His will, He orders your life toward what is truly good and lasting. The apostle John wrote a personal greeting to a dear friend in which he wished that he would prosper and be in good health even as his soul prospered. That was a loving prayer, not a guarantee of wealth, but it shows a real connection. As your soul prospers through knowing Christ and walking in His truth, your whole life is brought into better health and order under His care.

Peace also comes in this same way. The wisdom of this world leads to strife and wars, but the wisdom that comes from above is peaceable. You cannot find real peace while you are still at war with God in your heart. God has offered you a peace treaty through Jesus. Though your sins were as scarlet, He invites you to reason together with Him so that you can be made white as snow through the blood of Christ. When you have peace with God through His grace, you can then know the peace of God within your own heart, and that inner peace allows you to live at peace with others. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

So my prayer for you is that God would first fill you with His wisdom and understanding, that you would grow in the fear of the Lord and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. May He grant you grace, mercy and peace from the Father and from the Son in truth and love. As you walk in His wisdom, may He also provide for your daily needs, strengthen your health, and give you a quiet and settled heart that rests in His goodness. May He teach you to seek His kingdom first, trusting that He will add what you need according to His perfect will.