Should I Pray to Be Rich?

Should you pray to be rich? In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus made it clear that we should pray for our daily bread. But should we ask God to fill our bank accounts?

Praying to be an Adulterer

If you’ve been asking God for wealth, why isn’t he answering your prayers? Maybe it’s because you’re praying to be an adulterer.

James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Here, the Greek word for “passions” has connotations of adultery. Often, when we pray for riches, we’re asking God to give us an idol to replace him. We’re asking for financial increase not for his will or for his great commission—but for our own benefit and comfort.

The writer of Proverbs 30 actually prays the opposite. He prays that God would NOT give him riches. I’m sure this is inconceivable to many people today. He says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches … Lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8-9). He knew the dangers and temptations that come with wealth. It’s a slippery slope. You get rich, and all of the sudden that’s where you find your significance and identity. You become wealthy, and you stop depending on God.

Did Jesus Pray to be Rich?

When we have a question about prayer, the best thing to do is look to Jesus. The Gospels record countless instances of Jesus praying—but never that he prayed to be rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says:

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”

The context for this verse is that Paul is urging the Corinthian believers to give to the poor church in Jerusalem. He’s saying that as you decide what to give and even whether to give or not, look at Christ. He is our example in all things.

Jesus was poor for our sake. He chose to come in poverty to save us and make us spiritually rich. He could have come as the richest man to ever live, but instead, he chose to come as a helpless baby to poor parents and become an ordinary carpenter.

Most of Jesus’ ministry was targeted to the poor, unwanted, and undesirable in society, including drunkards, prostitutes, lepers, Samaritans, and Gentiles. He identified with the poor because he became poor. He experienced all the vulnerability and weakness of the human condition—and then he gave his life up for us. He took my place and your place on the cross. His dead body was even laid in a borrowed tomb!

I say it all the time: Jesus had so little by earthly standards, but he gave so much. He gave everything to save us from our sins.

What to Pray For

If you look through the lens of Christ’s example, don’t pray for God to make you a millionaire. A better prayer is for a return on gospel conversations. A better prayer is for the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth. A better prayer is for a heart of generosity and wisdom in stewardship. A better prayer is that God would put you in whatever situation that’s going to give you more of Jesus. For a lot of people, more money is not going to accomplish that goal.

Instead of praying to be rich, pray for opportunities to serve people. Pray to be of service, and then work as unto the Lord.

Think of it this way: Wealth is the natural result of adding value to the marketplace, but so few people are giving 110% to their jobs. Corporations are lucky if people are giving 50% to their jobs. You can find popular YouTube and TikTok videos out there on topics like “quiet quitting” or “bare minimum Mondays.” Don’t watch them. They’re all about how to get away with doing the bare minimum at work as if that’s some kind of ultimate goal.

I challenge you—don’t just sit back and phone it in on the job, hoping to win the lottery. Don’t justify slacking off at work in the name of self-care.

Instead, die to self as Christ did. Seek to add value and bless people, and leave your income bracket in the Lord’s hands. Wealth is not something you have to pursue or pray for. It often comes indirectly as you utilize the skills, talents, and opportunities God gives you to serve others.

Then if God does bless you financially, I challenge you to see yourself as a steward of what God has given you. A steward doesn’t claim anything as his, but he sees himself as a catalyst that wealth passes through.

Summary At the end of the day, you won’t find true satisfaction in asking God to fill your bank accounts, but in his richness. He’s not a liaison to our blessings. No, the blessing is having him. The blessing is treasuring Christ and what he has done for us.