Two Prayers to Add to Your New Year’s Prayer List
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New years are always filled with new hopes, new dreams, and new expectations. As we begin this new year, I also want you to fill it with a new prayer. There are moments when the truths in Scripture seem to jump off the page as you read them. I found one of those in Proverbs 30.
Agur recognizes a problem that is common to our human condition. The more you have, the more you are prone to forget your need of God. It is easy to see you need God when you don’t have enough, because it forces you to depend on him. Think of it like this.
How much do you pray when you don’t have enough?
How much do you pray when you have more than enough?
When you have too much, you may forget God. Think of all the times you may have prayed Lord enlarge my territory, or bless my finances, or help me make more money. Maybe the prayer should have been, Lord give me enough, so I am satisfied and don’t forget about you.
However, there are two traps in this verse. The trap of enough and the trap of not enough. Not having enough and the stress associated with it can cause you to do things that may dishonor God. Let me paint a picture for you.
One of the biggest motivators for crime is poverty. A person who is hungry may steal to get food, but a person who is full will most likely not have the same inclination. When you lack something, you will often look for ways to get it and sometimes you choose the quickest method possible – even if it means cutting corners or being dishonest. Agur is asking God not to let him fall into this trap, either.
The problem with pursuing wealth is you may never have enough, and this can become a distraction. The problem with poverty is you don’t have enough, and this can become a distraction as well. Neither is a great place to be for being and doing what God desires you to be. Many have left the faith because of the deceitfulness of riches, and many have struggled in the faith because they don’t have enough to eat.
As you look at this new year, pray that God would give you exactly what you need. Not too much, so you forget about him, and not too little that you dishonor him. When you walk in this place, you will find contentment. Most of all, you will prioritize your relationship with God over any material possessions. When you put him first in this manner, he will provide everything you need.
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Photo credit: Unsplash/Fa Barboza
