Make Us Wealthy

7/1/2012

 
I have a Pastor friend who is firmly devoted to what some of us call, "The Prosperity Gospel." His belief is that God wants everyone to be wealthy. But Jesus wasn't wealthy, was he? Didn't he say, "The poor will be with you always."? Or, "Blessed are the poor in spirit . . ."? That got me thinking about praying for wealth. What would such a prayer REALLY look like? Here is one possibility:

Give us such wealth,  O God, so as to  make us
really wealthy.
So wealthy that we might have more than enough - 
FORGIVENESS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DONE US WRONG;
MINUTES AND HOURS FOR THOSE “INTERRUPTIONS” YOU SEND OUR WAY; and SMILES AND LAUGHTER FOR THE DELIGHTFUL JOYS THAT  SURROUND US.

Give us such wealth, O God, so as to  make us really wealthy.
So wealthy that we might spend ourselves extravagantly - 
TO ENTERTAIN THOSE ANGELS WHO VISIT US
UNAWARE;
TO SHARE  WITH OTHERS THE PIECES OF HEAVEN THAT RAIN DOWN GENTLY UPON THE EARTH; and
THE READINESS TO DANCE WHENEVER YOUR HEAVENLY  ORCHESTRA PLAYS.

Give us such wealth, O God, so as to make us really wealthy.
So wealthy that we might have an abundance of those things that really matter - 
FAITH TO STAND IN THE FACE OF TEMPTATION AND ADVERSITY;
HOPE TO REACH OUT TO THOSE STANDING ON UNSTEADY GROUND; and
LOVE TO LET GO OF THAT WHICH DOES NOT SATISFY, SO THAT WE MIGHT  GRASP THAT WHICH IS ETERNAL.

This we pray in the name of Jesus, Who, to attain great wealth, willingly became poor. Amen.    



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