I sat at my dining room table, stacks of paper spread out in front of me. I had spent the past 20 minutes organizing and reorganizing my stacks of paper, but I told myself that it was all preparation. This time, I was going to find a method that worked. This time, I was going to stick to my guns and transform myself into that responsible adult who had it all together.

I was going to create the perfect budget!

After a couple hours of really, really bad math, I decided that the perfect budget didn’t exist. Discouraged, I turned to Google and did some reading on the most successful (and simplest) budgeting tips on the internet. One caught my eye: give every dollar a job.

I considered the implications of personifying my cash. I’d send 75 little workers to cover my car insurance for the month. A small army of dollars would chip away at student loans. Unfortunately, a few would be lost each week in a tragic coffee accident. Soon, budgeting felt much more enjoyable.

Once I reached the part of my budget where I planned out charitable giving, I paused. Somehow, these dollars didn’t have a job. Instead, they had a purpose. These were the dollars that supported people and causes close to my heart, from my hometown to halfway across the world. I began to think that I should do more than just send these dollars to fulfill their purpose. I should pray for my dollars.

A PRAYER FOR YOUR DOLLARS

The Bible doesn’t come with a one-size-fits-all budget, but it does have a lot to say about generosity. Here’s a prayer you can say for your own dollars as you discern where God may be calling you to send them in order to build his kingdom.

Lord, I proclaim that my heart is yours, bought by the work of Jesus Christ through his blood.

“For your heart will always be where your riches are.”

Matthew 6:21 GNT

Thank you for providing for all my needs and blessing me with the ability to give generously.

“And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs.”

Philippians 4:19 GNT

I know that you love a cheerful giver. Help me to make gifts gladly, knowing that you have given me everything I could ever need.

“You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 GNT

Help me to cultivate generosity in my life, my budgeting, and my attitude.

“Be generous, and you will be prosperous. Help others, and you will be helped.”

Proverbs 11:25 GNT

Send the dollars I give exactly where they’re needed. May this gift be a tangible reminder of your love and provision for other people.

“When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.”

Psalm 19:17 GNT

In Jesus’s name, amen.

Blog Sources:

“Four Simple Rules For Successful Budgeting.” You Need a Budget.

https://www.youneedabudget.com/the-four-rules/