Is It A Sin To Ask God For Money

When Jesus told us to "ask and we will receive", he didn't specify that any particular thing was off limits. Yet, there are some things we don't feel comfortable praying for. I've known people who refused to pray for relief from suffering or for God's will to be done, but Jesus prayed for both of these things (Matthew 26:39) on the night before he died. Some people don't feel right praying for themselves, but Jabez did just that (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) and "God granted his prayer". It has been my experience, however, that the thing most people are afraid to pray for is money. With that in mind, let's answer the obvious question – Is it wrong to pray for money?

What Does The Bible Say About Money?

Before I answer the question about praying for money, let's look at what the Bible says about money.

First, it's clearly wrong to love money…

For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy 6:10)

According to Jesus, it's also wrong to serve money…

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

He also warns against greed…

"Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions." (Luke 12:15)

We shouldn't pray for money that we plan to spend foolishly…

You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:3)

Is It Wrong To Pray For Money?

Having said all that, let's address the question of praying for money. Jesus acknowledges that our Father in heaven is aware of our material needs (Matthew 6:32). He also tells us to ask and we will receive (Matthew 7:7). If we have necessary expenses (rent, food, clothing, etc.), there's nothing wrong with praying for money to pay our bills. In my previous post, I discussed the unusual way that Jesus produced the money to pay the temple tax.

Can we confuse our "needs" with our "wants"? Absolutely. That's something we should bring to the Lord in prayer. He will help us to figure it out. In the meantime, go ahead and ask him to provide for all your spiritual and material needs. That's exactly what he wants.

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