“PRAY FOR MONEY, HONEY,” the Treasurer tells me.
It’s kind of an odd request, but, OK…
So am I really supposed to have “a serious conversation” with God about cash, money, legal tender, shekels, bread, currency, bucks, (not the Basketball players) dough, loot, moolah and wampum?
I get it…
Money impacts “EVERYONE on the planet” and we always seem to “talk GINGERLY around the topic.”
But pray for money? SERIOUSLY?
Most preachers try to “AVOID IT” the discussion – like it is “A PLAGUE.” (Except for that “annual Stewardship sermon,” of course!)
Heck, much of “the criticism” that the church has HISTORICALLY received is – that’s “ALL WE DO is talk about MONEY.” MONEY, MONEY, MONEY…
So it is funny then, “how truly HESITANT” we can be as Jesus followers – when it comes to talking about “money” because “Jesus didn’t MESS AROUND “he just went for it.”
He was not at “ALL “squeamish” about approaching the subject head on…
And, as (we know) the vast numbers of people that “he taught and spoke with” were “down and out,” DIRT POOR. They virtually had NOTHING…no thing…no stuff, nuthan, no moolah! Zip, zero, nadda!
The Romans had an iron grip on them all, and if anyone tried to break free, that meant “people WOULD die.”
Also, they had “zero economic clout” and “zero opportunities” to better themselves. They were just stuck…
No pension, no social security, no IRA’s, no savings…nothing… living day-to-day…meal to meal, hand to mouth.
Nevertheless “the treasures” they needed most to hear about were “SPIRITUAL”…and Jesus was “on-top-of-that and all over that one!” As a matter of fact, it was right up his alley!
So, Jesus spoke of money FREQUENTLY. Even though the people he spoke to, had none.
As a matter of fact…16 out of the 38 parables told by Jesus dealt with MONEY “AND POSSESSIONS.”
1 out of 10 GOSPEL VERSES, 228 verses in all, talk about money DIRECTLY…

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure TO GIVE YOU the kingdom.”

It is God’s good pleasure.
He likes to…
He wants to…
He desires…
It pleases him to do so…

The Greek word for “pleased” was also the same word used at Jesus’ baptism.

As He came out of the water, the voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I love. With HIM I am well pleased.”�

God is “more than pleased” to GIVE you the kingdom. So, WHAT ELSE do you need?

God obviously likes to GIVE.
It is his nature to GIVE.
God loves to BESTOW blessing upon blessing upon his children.

It is GOOD to Give.
It feels good.
It warms “the coddles of the heart.”

We are to be generous as our Father-God is GENEROUS.

So, if God is pleased to give you his Kingdom…what more is necessary?

“Sell your possessions and give to the poor.”
Remember, Jesus is talking to his disciples.
And we imagine, they are not walking around with a lot of cash, no credit cards, no debit cards and no coins in their pockets. I’m sure they didn’t carry checkbooks…and PayPal wasn’t around yet… So there was no AP for that!
They don’t even have a lot of things. What, one change of clothes maybe…
Not a lot of stuff…Not a lot of baggage…no doilies, no knickknacks, no books to carry, not even a backpack! So what DID they have to SELL?
So that MUST MEAN that “his EMPHASIS” was totally on the “SPIRITUAL.” The Kingdom is of “such value,” “such worth” that it is MORE IMPORTANT than anything here on earth.
The small meager things that you may have or possess are nothing compared to the KINGDOM.
So, as God GIVES to you, so should YOU GIVE TO OTHERS…
Help each other out, support one another…be there for each other…and always remember, the Kingdom is YOURS!