Prayer for Anxiety About Money

You will need: a Bible, pen and paper.

Pause (5 minutes)

Find a quiet place and a comfortable seat. Take deep, deliberate breaths. Consciously relax any tension in your body.

Become aware of the Presence of God. He is right here with you. Welcome Him to come close.

Praise (10 minutes)

Read through Psalm 145. Read it out loud if you can, from beginning straight through to the end.

Then read through it a second time. This time, go slowly. Let a phrase capture your attention, and begin to pray it in time with your breathing.

Example:

Inhale The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises

Exhale Faithful in all He does

Remember His faithfulness (10 minutes)

I remember the days of old;
    I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
Psalm 143:5

Continuing to dwell on God’s goodness, start to bring to mind the times in the past when He has provided for you and the people you love. He may have used a job, a generous community, a miracle – be as specific as possible as you remember how He has taken care of you.

Write some of these memories down. You may want to make a mind map or a list so that you have a visual representation of all the ways He has worked things together for good in your life.

Recall His promises (10 minutes) 

These two different Scriptures contain promises from God to his people: 

 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19

“Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”
Psalm 34:9-10

Take some time to recall and record 3-5 other promises God has made. You might like to remember a combination of promises in the Bible, and from your own history with God. Recall what He has said about your future, and remember that He always keeps His word.

Ask (20 minutes)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7

Now, with the faithfulness and promises of God fresh in your mind, begin to ‘present your requests’ to Him, for yourself, your nation and the world.

Ask for yourself (10 minutes)

Needs

Bring your financial needs and requests to God. Be as specific as possible. You might want to write down individual bills, deadlines, and amounts. Present them to Him and ask Him to provide where you lack.

Pay attention to the thoughts that come to mind while you do this. You may find that ideas and solutions occur to you as you pray.

Dreams

When we are anxious about money, it can be hard to dream. But God doesn’t just want to meet your needs, He also wants to bless you and nourish your dreams. Take a few minutes to present your dreams for the future to Him. What do you want to see for your kids, your career, your friends?

Ask for your nation (5 minutes)

You are not alone in experiencing anxiety about finances.

Ask for:

• Wisdom for your nation’s leaders: that the right people would be around the table, and that God would give them divine ideas and strategies for governance.
• Stability and growth in your nation’s economy: that creative business ideas, new jobs, and streams of investment would flow into your nation.
• Strength and investment in your nation’s support structures: that the most vulnerable members of society will be able to access the support that they need, and that support workers will be strengthened and refreshed.

Ask for the world (5 minutes)

We are all connected, and our personal circumstances are affected by what is going on on an international level. Take some time now to pray for the world.

You may want to use a print-out world map to help focus your prayers. Feel free to write your prayers onto the map and to draw connections between nations.

Ask for:

• Peace to come where there is war: pray for specific conflicts and ask for God’s mercy to bring a swift end to these wars.
• Supply chains to be restored: Rising costs and prices are often due to supply systems being disrupted, so that things that used to be easy to get become difficult to access. Pray for new solutions where systems have failed, and protection for the infrastructure that connects the world.
• Global access to resources: There are enough resources for everyone on earth, but they aren’t distributed equally. Pray that access to nutritious food, clean water, and effective energy would become normal for every single person.

YIELD (5 minutes)

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:31-33

You have praised God, remembered His faithfulness, and recalled His promises. You’ve prayed for your needs, your nation’s needs, and the needs of the world. Now it’s time to hand things over to Him.

God is big. As you sit with Him now, ask Him to take the worries and concerns that have been weighing you down. Yield to His purposes and His provision for you. Listen for His voice.

In this moment, ask God if there are ways you can be generous to others, even in the midst of hardship. This could be giving financially, but it could also be a generous gift of time, skills, and acts of kindness. Anxiety compels us to think about ourselves and hold what we have close – trust comes in the opposite spirit, inspiring us to give generously because we have a generous God.

And may the peace of God, which passes understanding, guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.