I prayed a few weeks ago to give God control of my family’s finances and to let him help me make wiser decisions about spending money. I remembered a time when I tracked every dollar that we spent and had the good feeling of knowing I was being financially responsible, and a few weeks ago I believed that God could help me to be that way again.
The bad financial news I received last week hit me hard and triggered a lot of fear about the future. As I mentioned in my post this weekend, I prayed, but I did not try to figure out how to feel better. I surrendered to my fear and took it to God over and over again. By the time the weekend was over, I was not feeling as frightened as I had been on Friday night.
This morning I woke up feeling very scared about money, though, and when I opened up to my Al-Anon sponsor about it on the phone, it nearly turned into a full-blown panic attack. She was asking me questions about how I was going to deal with the problem long term, and I knew I couldn’t handle the discussion…at least not while I was at my job. I told her that all I feel like I can really do right now is try to have the courage to look at my expenses every day, cut unnecessary spending in a way that doesn’t feel severe (like stop eating out at restaurants but hold off on getting rid of cable) and pray for God to help me make good decisions. My sponsor said that it sounds like I’m going to strive for better financial health one day at a time (I could hug her for putting it that way).
So here are my ideas for ways to walk with God for financial success in the short term.
1. Pray each day to be a good steward of the gifts God has given me and for God’s will to be done for our family financially.
2. Pray to St. Germaine Cousin (beautiful saint who lived a life of impoverishment and abuse) and ask for her intercession so that God may guide my spending and work his will for my family’s financial future.
3. Pray each day for the courage to look at our expenses (and then go look at them).
4. Congratulate myself and thank God for each small success or behavior change.
And now, instead of just writing all of this in my blog, I’m off to practice it. If you walk with God in your financial life, please leave a comment and share what works for you.
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Money Prayers
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4 comments:
Dear Jesus, I just looked at our expenses for this month. Thank you so much for helping me. Thank you St. Germaine.
Your writing regarding suffering reminds me of the stigmatist Padre Pio, with whom my grandmother praticed intercessory prayer. If for any reason you are unfamilar with him, I think I still have one of her books about his life.
Here is what I found in a Google search:
"It is said that He spent his time on earth guiding many spiritually,
He had five rules for spiritual growth:
weekly confession
daily Communion
spiritual reading
meditation
examination of conscience
He compared weekly confession to dusting a room weekly, and recommended the performance of meditation and self-examination twice daily: once in the morning, as preparation to face the day, and once again in the evening, as retrospection. His advice on the practical application of theology he often summed up in his now famous quote, "Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry" . He directed Christians to recognize God in all things and to desire above all things to do the will of God."
I can't remember a single day (Im not exaggerating here, EVERY DAY)that my grandmother did not celebrate morning mass and receive the sacrament of Holy Communion. She led a life of financial peace when the odds & her earning capacity were clearly stacked against her. I speak first hand because I grew up in this family and to this moment have NEVER forgotten who was really "RUNNING" the finances in our household.
I KNOW this worked for her
I have one Padre Pio book, and I love it. I think it's made up of different letters and prayers he wrote.
Thanks for the rules of spiritual growth you listed. I'm strong in some areas, but weak in others that are really obvious (like attending weekly mass, much less receiving communion DAILY). I wonder what would happen if I actually did all of the 5 things you listed consistently?
I appreciate the comment!
Hmmm...then you would be a freakishly devout woman LoL! Don't know how she did it. Come rain or shine she would run up to the 6 AM mass before work. When she'd come home exhausted from work, she would lay in bed & pray the rosary. The shameful irony is when I was young, it seemed such a boring & lonely life, now as an adult I understand & clearly see she was anything but alone.
PS: You one up me on the thing mass, Im more the once a year type Im ashamed to say
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