Praying Through (For) Recession

By marklail

When money and economy are at the top of every news headline, people and churches
are affected. As Christians, our response is a call to pray.
I recently read an academic work by an economics professor at Texas State University
who concluded that recession increases involvement and giving in evangelical churches.
His conclusion was that recession has positive spiritual effects and, consequently, it
would be beneficial to pray for a recession.
Well, I’m not ready to pray for disaster, economic or otherwise, simply because there
might be positive spiritual consequences. Rather than praying for a recession, we need to
pray our churches through recession. The following are tips for praying for your
congregation during times of economic challenges.
1. Pray thankfully. If the hope is for a $5,000 offering and the reality is a $3,000
offering, then you have 3,000 reasons to be thankful.
2. Expect to learn. The Lord probably has a spiritual lesson that outweighs the
current financial crisis. He’ll teach if we allow him that opportunity.
3. Believe in miraculous multiplication. The same Lord who turns bites of food into
baskets full and who makes good wine out of water can increase the contents of
your offering plate.
4. Learn to sacrifice. It is a spiritual discipline that will help us become more like
Jesus. In prayer, let the Lord know that while you and your congregation are not
thrilled with the idea of sacrificing, you are willing.
5. Ask the Lord to send you people with the gift of giving. I recall once praying like
this: “Lord, I know we’re supposed to be winning the lost, discipling them and
developing them into maturity, but could you just send us a nice family that’s
already mature, knows how to tithe and willing to serve?” The Lord clearly and
immediately answered that prayer.
6. Pray for prosperity. David prayed in Psalm 51:18 “In your good pleasure, make
Zion prosper.”
7. Ask the Lord to help you eliminate waste. In every life and church, something
slips through the cracks, but the Lord can help you reduce this. The Lord will help
us see the areas of waste and eliminate them – from unnecessary bank fees to the
copy machine.
8. Acknowledge the Lord as sovereign. We are under the Lord’s provision all the
time, everywhere. We should acknowledge it and take comfort in it.
9. Pray for jobs. Ministry to the jobless can be very effective. Seize this opportunity
by involving your church in the ministry of praying for jobs, even to the point of
asking the Lord to anoint resumes.
10. Keep hope. Money – or the lack of it – can be depressing in hearts, homes and
churches. Financial woes are a challenge that will lead to victory. Always keep
hope.