Bible verses for financial struggles

What are some of the top Bible verses that deal with money or financial problems?  Which ones would you include?

Worry about Tomorrow

Matthew 6:31-34 “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

This is one of the most powerful verses that many have committed to memory.  Most just quote “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” but what is left out is “all these things” which include anxieties about what we will eat, wear, and drink.  In 1st century Judea, most people worked daily for their wages.  That is, they worked and then got paid for that day.  They had no guarantees about tomorrow’s work and wages, therefore it was much easier for them to be anxious about the next day (tomorrow) than it is for us today but anxiety is not restricted to 1st century Judea.  Today we tend to be anxious about tomorrow when God only promises enough grace for today.  That is why Jesus said that it’s a waste of time to worry about tomorrow because “sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Testing God

Malachi 3:10-11 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.”

This is the only place in the Bible where we are allowed to test God.  God tells us to bring in our tithes and put Him “to the test” to see if He won’t “open the windows of heaven” for us “and pour down a…blessing until there is no more need.”  He even promises to “rebuke the devourer for” us.  That means that if we trust God enough to give offerings, He promises to pour our blessings that will, in a sense, overwhelm us to the point that we have “no more need.”  Test God by being faithful and generous in supplying the needs for the work of the kingdom and He will pour out more than we could ever imagine.

Every Need Met

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Since God owns everything there is, is it too hard to trust Him to supply the needs for you or your family?  Of course not, but why do we, and why do I, still worry needlessly over things that God promises to provide for.  God supplies every one of our needs but not one of our greed’s.  The key word here is “need” because He knows what we need today and will need tomorrow too so why don’t’ we trust Him and take Him at His word?  The truest richest are already in our possession if we have repented and trusted in Christ.  Everything else is secondary in nature to salvation, yet it is too easy to get wrapped up in our needs, even when God promises to supply every one of them.

The Birds Don’t Worry

Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

Have you ever seen a bird worry about their needs?  Can they even consider tomorrow? Have you ever seen a bird depressed, with their head down, and stopped chirping?  No, they don’t have to work and store up for tomorrow because God ensures that they are fed today and since we know that God values us above all other created things, why would He not do the same for us since we are “of more value than they?”

Pouring into your Lap

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

I love the picture Jesus gives us of giving.  When we give, “it will be given to” us but in what ways?  God will give back to us in “Good measure, pressed down, shaken together” and “running over be put into lap.”  Imagine that you live day to day for your family and get paid only each day that you work.  That was the way it was in 1st century Judea for many.  Now imagine that you are paid by coins in a bag.  Since you have been generous in giving, you open your money bag to receive your day’s wages and it is given to you in good measure, then it is “pressed down” so more can be given.  After that, your money bag is shaken so that the coins settle allowing more room for money to be put in.  Then the employer pours yet more coins into your money bag until it spills over into your lap.  That is the image I get in this verse because God promises that “with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Honoring the Lord

Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

Here, giving to the Lord is a sense of honoring Him because you trust Him.  When you “honor the Lord with your wealth” what results from this?  He ensures you that “your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”  Remember when this was written, there were no banks like there are today so barns were the only place to have excess food stored and to have “vats…bursting with wine” meant that both food and drink will never be in short supply but only if you honor God with your offerings.  Wine is symbolic of joy so this could also mean that joy will be the byproduct of your giving to the Lord and when you give back to God, you honor Him by showing Him you trust Him enough to fill your barns and your vats.

Faithful in Little, Faithful in Much

Luke 16:10-11 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?”

Every one of us has been entrusted by God with the things that we have.  For most of us in the western world, we are richer by far than most of the world, yet studies show that the richer give proportionately less than do those who are poorer.  Jesus warns that those who have been given much, more will be required (Luke 12:48) and for those who have little and have been faithful in the little that they have, they will be given more.   Someday when the saved receive their rewards, those who were faithful in little will be rewarded with much and they will be entrusted with more.

Conclusion

Why shouldn’t we trust God because He owns all that there is?  Why not give back to God because all that we have is already His and we are only stewards.  Why do we tend to worry about tomorrow today?  Why don’t we test God in the only place that we’re allowed to and that is in our offerings to Him?  He promises to meet every one of our needs, just like He does the birds of the air who could care less about what they’re going to eat or drink tomorrow.  If you honor the Lord, He will give back to you in an overflowing way that spills over into your lap and even if you have little and are faithful in that, He will entrust you to be faithful in much someday.  The question is, will you trust your eyes or will you trust God Who you cannot see with your eyes.  Even our eyes can lie to us but God never does.

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book  Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon

www.patheos.com

Proverbs 1:5 – “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.”

Finances are one of the biggest hurdles that all of us face in life.  It’s no wonder that this was the 2nd most talked about issue from Jesus.  Money has the power to push people into thinking that they are good.  “Why do I need God?  I’m financially sound.  I can provide everything I need for me and my family.”  The problem is they may be financially sound and spiritually dead.  The same thing can go on the other end of the spectrum for people that are in financial chaos.  “Why do I need God?  He isn’t providing for me anyways.  He must be a lie.”  The problem here is that they are still relying on material things to be happy and not on the Creator who made them.

Here are 6 Bible scriptures for financial troubles that I pray will keep you grounded in your walk with the Lord!

If you are struggling right now financially I hope these verses have helped you to understand where your troubles may be coming from. God loves you and only wants what is best for you.

Troubles Of The Rich

Matthew 19:24 – “Again I (Jesus) tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.”

The verse follows the passage of Jesus talking to a rich man who has lived a very good life.  He never committed murder, adultery, theft, false witness and many other things.  He only had one crutch: riches.  He refused to give up his wealth.  Money does something to man that nothing else does.  It gives him stability, but it is a false stability.  When we aren’t relying on God for stability we are on very shaky ground.  Anything that we put as a priority before God is an idol.  And what did God say about this?  “You shall have NO other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)

Tithing Issues

Proverbs 3:9-10 – “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

I can attest to this in my own life.  Even right now I don’t tithe on a regular basis.  It is one of the struggles I face.  And with this, I am dishonoring God.  According to this verse we honor God when we give back to Him what He has already given to us.  So, the contrary can be said that we dishonor Him when we don’t give back to Him.  Think about that for a moment.  I know I am.  It’s no wonder that I am financially struggling right now!  It’s time for me to put this demon to rest and move forward!

Real Treasure

Matthew 6:21, 24 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.”

Could it be that you are in financial difficulty right now because of your allegiance to it?  More importantly is your reliance on money causing you to hate or despise the Lord?  This verse is clear.  If you serve money you “will hate” God.  If you are devoted to money you will “despise” God.  Whether you feel this or not, you cannot escape it.  You can tell right now where your treasure is because of the desires of your heart.  Are you laying up treasures here or in Heaven? (Matthew 6:19-20)

Anxiety

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Do you worry about clothing, food, your health or anything else that finances provide for?  God knows this already.  If you are anxious about these things, put your heart in the right place and give your worries to God.  “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matthew 6:32)  It may very well be that you are having troubles because your heart needs adjusting.  Go to God in prayer.  Give Him your concerns and trust that He will provide.

Mind Shift

Haggai 2:8 – “The silver is Mine; and the gold is Mine, declares the Lord of hosts.”

Not one single penny you earn is yours.  It belongs to the Lord.  He has given you the means to earn your income.  I never really thought about this before, but our God is a VERY generous God.  Everything that we have belongs to Him and He lets us keep 90% of it!  Think about that!  Would you allow someone to take all of your resources only to give just 10% of them back to you?  No way!  This makes the tithe seem so little to me.  Maybe 10% isn’t enough?  Maybe we could give more?  Your financial difficulties may be because of your state of mind.  Your money is not your own.  It belongs to the Lord.  Take some time to think about this and make proper steps to get this right.

Sometimes It’s God

Job 1:12 – “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he (Job) has is in your hand.  Only against him do not stretch out your hand.”

Job “was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1)  You see, sometimes God allows Satan to attack us financially even when we are managing our finances the way God wants us to.  These times are trial grounds and we need to know that God has us and will deliver us out of the trials in His time.  If this is your situation, stay connected with God.  He will deliver you out of Satan’s attempts to sway you away from Himself.

Conclusion

If you are struggling right now financially I hope these verses have helped you to understand where your troubles may be coming from.  God loves you and only wants what is best for you.  Go to God in prayer today and talk to Him about your situation.  He will listen!  May God bless you all as you continue to live a life worthy of the calling!

Another Reading: Call on God for Help in Desperate Times

Resource – “Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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There are many in the body of Christ who are struggling financially with their businesses.  Some are even considering down sizing and laying off their employees because of the financial situation that they are facing.

We would like to submit the following scriptures to you for meditation, followed by a prayer for your business.  The Lord will show you a way out of your current situation and make all of this work out for your good.  Deuteronomy 8:18 (NLT) ~ “Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.”

We would also suggest that you make some time to fast through this process so that you can clearly hear what the Lord has to say to you on this matter. (Matthew 17:21) “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

The following scriptures are related to honesty & how you treat your employees.  As you fast and meditate through these you may discover some areas where you need to repent & make things right.  We know that God does not reward disobedience so these scriptures will help to guide you in the right direction.  You can also take a look at these other prayers which may help you in other areas as well.

Proverbs 24:3-4
Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms shall be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Leviticus 19:13
You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.

Deuteronomy 25:13-15
You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Job 31:13-14
“If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves when they filed a complaint against me, what then could I do when God arises? And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?”

Psalm 112:5
It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.

Proverbs 10:4
Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Proverbs 11:1
A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight.

Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.

Proverbs 13:11
Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it.

Proverbs 16:8
Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice.

Proverbs 22:16
He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Jeremiah 22:13
Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper rooms without justice, who uses his neighbor’s services without pay and does not give him his wages.

Malachi 3:5
Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me, says the LORD of hosts.

Luke 16:10
He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.

Ephesians 6:9
And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Colossians 4:1
Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

1 Timothy 5:18
For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

James 5:4
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.

These scriptures address the subject of Greed

Ecclesiastes 5:10
Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.

1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

1 Timothy 6:7-10
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have.

James 4:1-3
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

These are scriptures related to Debt Management

Proverbs 22:26-27
Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Ecclesiastes 5:5
It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Here is what the bible has to say about get rich quick schemes:

Proverbs 12:11
He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.

Proverbs 13:11
Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Proverbs 14:15
The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps.

Proverbs 19:2
Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs.

Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

After  you’ve meditated on these scriptures you can pray the following prayer and wait for the Lord to direct your steps regarding your business.

Father God, I come to you in the name of Jesus and I ask that you would forgive me of the sin of ____________________.  I know that all of my sins are forgiven and washed away by the blood of Jesus and I receive your forgiveness in these matters (1John 1:9).  You say I am to come boldly before your throne to receive mercy and grace in my time of need and I am in deep need at this time (Hebrew 4:16) I ask now that you will reveal to me all the things that I need to do to make some thing right regarding this business which you’ve given me (wait for a few seconds in silence and God will show you what you need to make right, write them down so that you don’t forget).  Thank you for the employees that you’ve given me and I pray that you will continue to provide for them through me.  Lord I lift up this business to you and I dedicate it to you to be used for Your glory.  I ask that you bless it financially and show me how to be a good steward with what you’ve already given me and will continue to give me (Matthew 13:12).  I pray that now you will release to me action steps that I need to take to get this business on track to prosper this year.  I am remembering Lord that you are the one who gives me the power to be successful.  Your word in Joshua 1:8 says that if I meditate upon your word day and night and do not depart from it You will make my way prosperous and successful.  I thank you for this truth and I thank you for the scriptures that you will use to impart wisdom and understanding. I move forward by faith in honesty being fair and balanced in all of the business affairs because I know honesty and righteousness brings you glory and sets me apart from other businesses (Proverbs 16:11).  Lord I pray you grant me and my employees favor to get new customers and that all the bills from this business will be paid according to the glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  I pray for your divine provisions and a miraculous financial breakthrough in Jesus name, Amen.

Here are some other articles that we think would help you as well:

Praying for Divine Relationships and Connections Joshua 1:8 – Prayer For Success and Prosperity Bible Verses About Success Prayer For Healing Finances

More Prayers

www.missionariesofprayer.org