Greed by liz west via Flickr CC BY 2.0
Lord God of earth and heaven,
you know better than we that plenty
can be as great a spiritual burden as poverty.
Forgive us … we who have so many blessings,
for taking them so much for granted …
for thinking that they are ours to do with as we please …
for squandering so many of them in such irresponsible and irretrievable ways.
Remind us that your Word is
more precious by far than the things we treasure …
more powerful by far than the people and policies we trust …
more promising by far than the schemes we try for gaining the world
while giving up our souls.
William Russell
_________________________________
As for the rich in this present age,
charge them not to be haughty,
nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches,
but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
They are to do good,
to be rich in good works,
to be generous and ready to share,
thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future,
so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
prayer & verse 