You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

Heavenly Father, Your Word is filled with warnings about the dangers associated with riches. What will it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his own soul? Such is the danger to every individual who lets riches take Your place. You teach us, instead of pursuing wealth, to pursue contentment and godliness. Indeed, You tell us there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world and cannot take anything out of it, but if we have food and clothing, we should be content with those, and those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, a snare, and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction, for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. And yet, Lord, You never to say that riches are an evil in themselves. Rather, You tell say, “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” So, Father, help us to be content with what You provide for us through our honest and diligent labor, and indeed more than to be content, to be generous with it, giving gladly to the poor around us, for You teach us, “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.” In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.