A Prayer about Materialism
Scripture Reading:
I Chronicles 16, Matthew 6:19-34
Reflections of the Heart:
Jesus said, “A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Luke 12:21 (NLT)
Scriptural Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Your Name is to be honored. Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth. You have set Your glory above the heavens. Lord, You are a great and greatly to be praised. Your greatness is unsearchable. Today, we lift our voices towards heaven and offer praises to Your Most Holy Name. We thank You for Your marvelous works and Your loving kindness and tender mercies toward us. Thank You for providing us with employment and blessing us with homes, cars, and “things.” Lord, You are good. Your mercy endures forever.
Father, it is Your will that we do not lay up material treasures on earth for ourselves, where moth and rust can destroy and where thieves can break in and steal; but lay up treasures in heaven for ourselves, where neither moth nor rust can destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. Your word states that our lives do not consist in the abundance of the things we possess: therefore, we will beware of covetousness. The one who lays up treasure for himself is not rich towards You. Where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Lord, we confess that life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Therefore, we declare that we, as a church body, will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness and all things will be added to us. Lord, we confess that we will not trust in uncertain riches but we will trust in You, the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. We confess that we will be a church that will continue to do good works and we will be ready to give and be willing to share.
What “material things” are controlling your life? List them and ask the Holy Spirit to help you release control and let them go, so that God’s perfect will is done in your life:
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Father, please help us to spend wisely and not excessively. Please break the bondage of conspicuous consumption over our nation. Help us to be better stewards of the resources You have blessed us with. Holy Spirit, please help us to be more disciplined with our lifestyles. Father, help us to learn to be content with what we have instead of always wanting more. Help those who are in financial trouble. Many need a miracle in their finances and we ask for Your intervention.
Father, please forgive us for greed, selfish ambition, idolatry, conceit and arrogance. Forgive us for loving things and placing them over You. Forgive us for not being good stewards of Your blessings. As a church, we renounce any gods of materialism. Lord, remind us of those we need to forgive; and help us to forgive.
Lead us not into temptation; but, deliver us from the evil one.
Lord, You are the Almighty God, the One who is and who was and who is to come. You have taken Your great power and reigned. Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, O king of the saints. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before You; for Your judgments are manifested. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture References for the written text: Matthew 6:9, Psalm 8:1, Psalm 136:1, Matthew 6:19-20, Luke 12:15, Luke 12:21, Matthew 6:21, Luke 12:23, Matthew 6:33, I Timothy 6:17-19, II Timothy 3:16-17, Ephesians 6:13-17, Galatians 5:16, Matthew 6:13, Revelation 11:17, Revelation 15:3-4
Today, I will trust God to:
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