How do you trust God when your finances are falling apart?

Ralph
00:00:00

Have you ever found yourself staring at a bank account that's dwindling faster than you could even possibly keep up with it? Or maybe you're constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul and it feels like there's no end in sight. You're not alone, and today, we're tackling this topic head on. Stay tuned because I'm going to share with you how to trust God even when your finances are falling apart.

And yes, there is hope. Imagine this if you will. No more sleepless nights, no more dodging calls from creditors, and no more feeling like you're drowning in a sea of debt. Today, we're going to explore how you can find peace in the midst of financial chaos and discover practical steps to turn your situation around.

So if you're ready to trade anxiety for assurance, keep listening. Remember, our main question today is how do you trust God when your finances are falling apart?

Podcast Announcer
00:00:52

In a world where crushing debt keeps you trapped, where living paycheck to paycheck has become your new normal, and where the dream of retirement seems impossibly out of reach, there's hope. Join financial evangelist Ralph Estep Jr. A man who's walked through the fire of financial failure and emerged stronger on the other side.

Welcome to Ask Ralph, the show where real world experience meets biblical truth to break the bondage of financial despair.

Get ready to take control of your money, break free from the financial stress and align your resources with God's purpose for your life. This is Ask Ralph with Ralph Estep Jr.

Ralph
00:01:32

Welcome to the show where we're mastering your finances from a Christian perspective. I'm your financial evangelist, and I'm thrilled you've joined me today.
If you missed yesterday's show, we explored the secret to deducting home equity loan interest. It's a little known secret that you can still deduct that. So if you missed it, be sure to check it out because you could save a bundle come tax time.

Today I have a letter from a listener who's feeling the heat of financial struggles.
Let me share it with you. This comes to us from Desperate in Denver. And this person wrote this, "Dear Ralph, I've been following your show for a while, and it's been a huge help. But lately, things have been really tough. My wife and I are both working, but it seems like we're barely making ends meet. The bills keep piling up, and we're constantly arguing about money.

I'm starting to lose hope. How do I ever trust God when our finances are falling apart?" And again, that was signed by Desperate in Denver. Well, let me tell you this Desperate in Denver. First off, I want to thank you for reaching out and being so honest. See, I've been where you are and I know how overwhelming it can feel, but let me start by telling you there is hope.

I have a plan that can help you get past this struggle you're in right now, this storm you're in right now, this chaos you're feeling right now. I can help you get through it. I can help you restore your relationship with your wife and find that financial peace. And today I'm going to get right to that question.

And I'm going to give you some concrete ways to help you through this tough time.

And remember, if you've got a question that you'd like me to answer, head over to justaskralph.com and send it in. And you will hear your question answered right here on the show, because that's what this show is all about.

It's all about helping you find financial freedom, but more importantly, find that financial freedom while you're growing in your faith. And don't forget, every Tuesday at 1 PM Eastern time, we have a live show where you can join us. You can ask your questions in the chat. You can be involved in our community and you can enjoy that show every Tuesday, 1 PM, Eastern Standard Time.

And the easiest way to get to it is to go to askralphpodcast.com/live. It'll take you right to it. Again, that's askralphpodcast.com/live


Well now Desperate in Denver, let's transition to our daily Bible verse. I always like to start with scripture because I truly believe that is the starting point to finding peace.
And when I read your letter, one verse immediately came to mind. And this is from Philippians chapter 4, verse 19, and it says this, and this is so very strong, it says, "And my God will meet all of your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." See, he didn't say, I'm going to meet some of your needs.

He didn't say, I'm going to meet a few of your needs. What He said is I'm going to meet all of your needs, but let me give you a little spoiler right now. You notice He used the word needs and that's going to be important as we continue on today because a lot of people get confused between needs and wants.

But this verse is a powerful reminder that God knows our needs. He knows them. You don't have to tell him anything he doesn't know. I'm not saying don't pray about it. We'll talk about that later, but He knows your needs. But even bigger than that, He has the resources to meet them. But a lot of people get stuck in thinking, well, that's just my physical needs.

God's going to meet my physical needs. How's that even possible? It's not just about those physical needs, it's about the peace and assurance that comes from trusting Him. And Desperate in Denver, that's exactly what you're asking me today. I hear the financial piece, I hear the physical piece, but the deeper thing you're asking me is about how do I get that peace and assurance.

You know, today I am grateful for God's promise to meet our needs. And again, notice it says, needs. I think sometimes we confuse our needs and wants, but we're going to handle that more than as we get in today's show. But here is the blessed reminder that He's saying right now in the scripture.

It's a reminder that no matter what we're facing, I don't care what is in front of you, what you're staring down, whatever it is, He's there with us. He's providing and he's guiding every step of the way. We just have to allow him to do it.

So how do we get to this main question today? Trusting God when our finances are falling apart. Because it's easy to trust Him when we're living in plenty, when we have plenty of stuff. Hey, that's a simple thing to do. Oh Lord, you got me. Everything is going great. But when the storms are crashing, when the chaos is all around you and everything is falling apart, that's when it gets real.

And that's what our topic is for today. It's about real. And see, most of us can relate to this. All of us have had struggles. I don't care whether you make $10,000 a year or $200,000 a year. I guarantee at some point in your journey, you've had those financial struggles. And the truth of the matter is financial struggles can be overwhelming and they can be stressful.

I get it. As a financial professional, I've seen firsthand the raw emotion. The sleepless nights, that immense pressure that financial hardship brings. But here's the beautiful part of this. I've also witnessed the transformative power of trusting God in the midst of these challenges, in the midst of that storm, in the midst of that chaos.

So today we're going to explore how to trust God with our finances even when things seem like they're falling apart. And in order to do that, we got to start out with some basics. When facing financial difficulties, it's crucial to first understand God's character. That's where we have to start. So here are three aspects to remember.

These are crucial to understand God's character.

Number 1, God is aware. See, when you're staring at mounting bills, it's easy to feel alone. It's easy to feel like you're the only one dealing with this.

You're trying to figure this out. I remember as a kid watching my mom struggle over this. But scripture reminds us that God is intimately aware of our needs. He knows it. He is aware of our needs. Look to the book of Matthew chapter 6, verse 26. It says that God cares for even the smallest birds. And think about if He cares for the birds, how much more valuable to Him are we. See, he knows how much is in your checking account.

He sees every bill and He understands every piece of financial pressure you're facing. So start by understanding that God is aware. Second thing, God is able. See, we serve a God of unlimited resources. He doesn't have an overdraft set up for his checking account. His resources are unlimited. There's no bounds to them.

Look at the book of Ephesians chapter 30 verse 20. It declares that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. And see, this isn't just spiritual poetry might sound, all those are beautiful words. It is a practical truth. See God can provide in ways that surpass our understanding.

He's done it in my life and I bet Desperate Denver, he's done it in your life too when you really humble yourself and think about that, you ponder on that. He fed millions in the desert with manna. He multiplied a widow's last bit of oil and he provided tax money from a fish's mouth. And he turned water into wine.

See, here's the beautiful piece of this. That same God who did all of these things is your God today. He is able. And number 3, I hear this song about in church all the time. God is always good. And see, perhaps the hardest truth to hold onto when finances are crumbling is that God remains good. You don't feel like it at that point.

You're thinking, Lord, how are you putting me through this? Why are you putting me through this? I do all the things you tell me to do, I tithe, I pray, I live an upright life. I do all the right things. How could you not be good in this moment? But you have to ground yourself and realize that God is always good.

Look the Psalm 136 verse 1 reminds us to give thanks to the Lord for He is good. And His love endures forever.

Even in the darkest of financial times, those times when you feel like there is nothing I can do to make this work. Trust me on this. God's goodness is present. So let's jump in and then let's talk about those times of scarcity. Let's look at the Bible and see when things were scarce, what we can learn from that.

Because the truth of scripture is filled with examples of God providing during times of scarcity. Let's look at two powerful examples. And I've talked about this one on the show a week or so ago, and that's the widow of Zarephath. And this is 1 Kings chapter 17, verses 7 to 16. So just for a minute, think about it.

If you don't know the story, I'm going to encourage you to go read the story. But consider this remarkable story. Here's a widow. Down to her last meal and she meets the prophet Elijah. And he makes what seems like an unreasonable request. Make me a small loaf of bread first. Now you heard what I said.

She's down to her last meal. And Elijah, the prophet says, make me a small loaf of bread first. Can you imagine the tension? Can you imagine the internal conflict? We'd all be saying, Hey, look, I've got just enough to make bread for myself. But in this time of questioning, in this time of wondering what to do, she made the right choice and her choice to trust God's promise to Elijah led to supernatural provision throughout the entire famine.

And again, if you haven't read the story, I'm going to encourage you to do it because it will help build your faith. Because this story teaches us that God's provision often requires our participation. See a lot of people get hung up on the Lord will provide and you think they don't have to do anything. I heard somebody say the other day and I'll probably talk about this later is you know, you talk about the Bible that they'll take care of the birds.

Well, guess what? The birds got to leave the nest. So it requires your participation. And this obedience to the world, to the secular world, to those who are not of faith seems illogical. Doesn't make any sense to them. How can this happen? How can he feed all the people? How can he make these things overflow?

How can he do all these things? But the thing is you and I know friend that God's supply can be continuous. And here's another beautiful story. And this one hits me as an accountant and that's Joseph's financial administration. This comes right to us from the book of Genesis chapter 41. Again, I encourage you to read it and see as an accountant, I'm particularly inspired by Joseph's story.

See, here's a man who interpreted God's warning about economic disaster. He was seeing these visions. He knew the economic disaster was coming. And he didn't just sit on the sidelines and figure, well, God will provide. No, he implemented a comprehensive savings plan. Yes, you heard me right back in the book of Genesis.

Well, if you don't know this, if you're new to the faith, that's the first book of the Bible. So even back in the book of Genesis, chapter 41, we're looking at a budget. We're looking at a comprehensive savings plan. And Joseph created a distribution system for resources. He was actively engaged and he managed nationwide finances with integrity.
What a beautiful example. He saw the warnings. He developed a strategy. He developed a plan. He created a distribution system for the resources and he managed it with integrity. And see, this shows that God can use financial expertise as a ministry. If you're blessed with the ability to understand finances, like me, God can use your financial expertise as ministry.

He can use it for practical wisdom and spiritual guidance. Those two things work together. And planning for economic challenges is biblical. Did you hear what I just said? A lot of people don't like when I say this. Well, how can a God be? No, planning for economic challenges is biblical. So you're not going to hear that on the nightly news or on social media.

We've got to embrace this planning. That's why I harp, I preach, if you will, on budgeting on being intentional. This is biblical. Just look to Joseph and see, this leads me to the core of why I do this show. And it's the most basic of all Christian financial principles. Because here's a truth bomb.

Understanding and applying biblical principles of financial stewardship is crucial. If you're not going to get this, you're never going to find peace. And here are the two key principles that you need to understand. You need to write these down and you need to make this your daily mantra.

Number one truth. People don't like to hear this one, so be prepared. Number 1, everything belongs to God. See, this is fundamental. And this is the stumbling block that most people can't get past. Because they think it's theirs. Oh, Ralph, I've worked so hard for this. Look at my bank account. Look at my big house.

Look at my cars, man. I put in the work and I'm not saying they didn't put in the work. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. Because guess what? God wants you to put into work. I talk about that on the show all the time. But it belongs to him. It doesn't belong to you. So you got to get over that. Look at the book of Psalms chapter 24 verse 1.

It makes a very bold statement. It declares that the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. And see, once you are able to embrace that, once you're able to live that, the truth will transform how you manage your money. When you grasp that everything belongs to God, the anxiety decreases. Decision making improves and generosity increases because it's not yours to give away.

It's his. So understand that. Number one, this one is crucial. You want to get through these financial struggles and I'm going to tell you how to do it in just a few minutes, but you got to start with a basic understanding that everything you have belongs to God. Second thing. And this is the thing that most of the people who get past step one will never understand.

You got to understand the purpose of resources. See, this is the next step. And like I said, this is the step that most of us don't seem to understand or we battle with. Because God's financial purposes are clear. It might not be what you want to hear, but here's what they are. Provision for needs. That comes from 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 8.

Read it when you have time. That's the first purpose, provision for needs. Number two, kingdom advancement. That's right from Matthew chapter 6, verse 33. Again, I encourage you to read it. Check me on this. And third, blessing others. That comes right from 2 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 11. Those are His purposes.

Provide for needs, kingdom advancement and blessing others. See, understanding these purposes helps us allocate resources wisely and maintain a healthy perspective on money. Again, hear me on this. The purpose of our resources fit into these three things. Provision for needs. What do you need? Food, clothing, shelter.

Those are needs. Kingdom advancement. How do we grow the faith? How do we grow and get more people to understand and embrace and accept that personal relationship with Jesus? And blessing others. See, I don't see a big house in that list. I don't see a new car. I don't see a fat bank account. I don't see the newest tech gadgets on that list.

And listen, I'm not saying you can't have those things. I have those things. I'm not saying that at all. But we've got to get down to the basics if we're going to understand what I'm sharing today. Because when we realize the actual abundance we already have, it changes our perspective. See Desperate in Denver,

I hear you crying out about your, you're not making your bills, but I'm going to say something kind of harsh. It sounds like you've got a roof over your head. It sounds like you've got food, you got clothing, you got shelter. I'm not saying you're not struggling. That is not at all what I'm saying. But is God already meeting your needs?

So when we start to understand that, we start to get to the answer to the question. So the question remains, how do we trust God with finances? How do we trust God with our finances? How do you trust God with your finances? It's time to get practical. Because here is the honest to God truth. Trusting God with our finances involves both spiritual and practical steps.

Remember what I said a few minutes ago. I love the belief that the Lord will provide and he will, but you've got to be obedient. You need to put action into this. You're not going to sit on the sidelines and say, Oh God, Hey, take care of me. Here's my bills. I'm praying over them. I hear a lot of knucklehead online, knucklehead preachers, these prosperity morons who talk about, Oh, just pray over your bills.

Yes. Pray over your bills. Pray about every single thing you do, but put your butt to work and do something about it. God may give you the tools. God has given me immense tools. He's given me a mind. He's given me the ability to reach people. You've got to take advantage of what God has given you. So let's start with some immediate things that you can do right now, because action is the important component to this.

So let's start with those immediate steps. These are the things you do in the first 30 days when you recognize there's a problem, because here's a deal. We got to stop the bleeding. It's like when you arrive at the hospital and you're bleeding, the first thing they're going to do before they take your name address and social security number, they're going to stop the bleeding because if they don't stop the bleeding, you're going to die.

Well, you've got to do the same thing with your finances. And that starts with the number one thing. And that's a financial assessment. See, this is where it all starts. If you want to find financial peace, you got to start with the basics. You got to know the facts and this isn't about judgment. When I work with people, this is the first thing I do.

It drives them crazy. Hey, Ralph, I want the solution. I said, we're not at the point of the solution. We need to figure out what's going on first. You've got to do the same thing. You've got to start with a complete financial inventory. What do you own? What do you owe? What are your debts? What are all of those things?

What are your income sources? And then I'm going to tell you, next thing you got to do, you got to track every single expense for 30 days, every single one. I don't care what it is. If you buy a pack of bubble gum, it's going on the expense tracking. Because what gets measured gets done. That is one of the truisms that I believe in.

I talk about it on the show all the time. So track every single expense, list all your debts, list the interest rates for those debts, list the payments for those debts. And immediately identify three areas for immediate cost reduction. Again, we got to stop the bleeding. So that's the first step. Make that financial assessment.

I can help you with that. I'll talk about that later in the show, but this is the most critical part. If you skip this step, you're never going to find financial peace and you're never going to get to that point of being past that. Second thing, emergency measures. So once you've got those details, now it's time to get to work.

Remember what I said about action? If you're in crisis, the first thing you need to do is contact your creditors immediately. I used to work in that. I used to work at a credit union. And when we had members who were struggling, I would love to talk to them. Reach out to your creditor to say, listen, here's what's going on.

What you don't know and what a lot of people don't understand is they're embarrassed by that, but reach out to them. Look, at the end of the day, they want to get paid. They're going to work with you. They're going to help you get through this process. You don't have to do this alone. Second thing in that emergency measures, you've got to prioritize those essential bills.

Again, we're not talking about wants here, we're talking about needs. You need to have food. You need to have shelter. You need to have electric. You need to have heat, all of those things. And this is where you're going to start making some tough decisions. This is where you might cancel all of those non essential subscriptions.

Yeah. Hear me on this. You don't need Netflix when there's a fire going on in your finances. You don't need Hulu. You don't even need internet at this point. It's time to shut that stuff off because if not, you're not going to have a place to live. And this is also a time to activate your support systems.

So I call this your emergency financial plan. And it's critical to have one of these. I don't care whether you're in a struggle or in chaos now, chances are at some point you're going to be there. So build this plan, have this idea set in mind because you never know when it's going to happen. And as we looked at Joseph, the Bible is demanding we're prepared for this. Now you're thinking, that's great Ralph, for an emergency, but what comes next? Well, I'm glad you asked because guess what? My number one tenet is building your spiritual foundation. I'm working on my third book. That'll be released probably in the next month or two. And it all starts with this.

You got to start with that spiritual foundation. And we're still in the first 30 days. I haven't gone on to the intermediate yet. We'll get there in a minute. But set aside 15 minutes daily for prayer. Yes, you heard me right. 15 minutes. You got to put in the time. Choose three financial scriptures to memorize and memorize them.

Speak them throughout your day. When you're feeling that chaos, when you're feeling that struggle, go to that scripture, go to those knees and get in front of Lord and pray about it. I'm also going to encourage you at this point to find an accountability partner. Find someone that you can talk to that can help you through this process.

Maybe it's somebody that's been through this themselves. Another thing you consider here is joining a financial support group. But that is the crucial thing. So just to remind you at this first step, we're going to, we're going to make an assessment. We're going to see where we are. We're going to, we're going to take those emergency measures and we're going to focus on our spiritual foundation.

So now we've stopped the bleeding. Now it's time to build a plan. So these are my medium term. This is what I call my 2 to 6 month actions. That first one was the first 30 days. But this immediate term starts with what I call your financial stability plan. And the first part of this, yep. You're going to hear me.

I'm going to say it. The first part of this plan is budget development. If you don't like the word budget, let's call it intentional development plan or intentional spending plan. You've got to create a detailed spending plan. You got to implement maybe an envelope system or some kind of digital tracking system.

You got to establish automated savings, review your insurance coverage. And I'm not going to cover that today because I cover that on the show every day. I'm going to encourage you go to askralph.com and go back and listen to our episodes. There is a wealth of knowledge there.

The Holy Spirit has touched me and he's spoken into me things that you need to hear. Every episode I do, and I'm not being arrogant. I'm not bragging about this is profitable in this. So start with that budget. Start with that detailed spending plan. Here's where the money's going to go. Here's where I'm going to allocate it. And think back about those needs versus wants, because this may be a triage at this point.

And once you do that, then you got to think about income enhancement. Yeah, you heard me right. Again, you've got to take action. It's not going to happen on its own. What can you do to enhance your income? This is a time to evaluate your skills. Maybe you're skilled. You can do some side work, update your resume.

Maybe you're in a job that's not the best job for you. Start to network, look for opportunities. Maybe it's time to go back to school. It's time to take some training. Build that income because sometimes it's as simple as what's coming in is less than what's going out. And you're already at the bare bones.

I've worked with people that they were at the bare bones. There was nothing else they could cut. These people were living a frugal life. They didn't even get anywhere near those wants. They were focused on needs but their income was still not enough. And that's when we have a difficult decision to make.

We said, okay, what are we going to do? Do we go get that job at night? Do we go get that job on the weekends? And maybe you got to do that for a season. But then even in the intermediate step, we've got to build our spiritual skills. We gotta work on what I call a spiritual growth strategy. You got to really focus in on this. Hone in on regular Bible study about finances.

The Bible is full of finances. People think there's this huge separation, but read the Bible, read it from cover to cover, take on a daily devotional. You will see how often it talks about financials. This is a great time to attend a financial stewardship class, dig in and go back and listen to our episodes.

We've got nearly 700 episodes out there. I guarantee if you put the time in, you will find profit in those. I'm going to encourage you to journal as well. This is a great time to start reflecting on what you're learning and write it down. This way, when you get past this, you can go back and read your journal and say, Oh man, Ralph was right. The Lord provide it. The Lord showed me a way. He gave me that peace. And this is one that a lot of people don't like to do, but listen, I'm going to encourage you to do this because it will help you build your faith. And that is share your testimony with other people. Because guess what? Other people are right where you are right now. Desperate in Denver, other people are right where you are right now.

And they need to hear from you once you get this past, or maybe you're past it already and you know what to do, or you've been through it. You can be a huge resource to those folks. So that's the intermediate plan. But again, this isn't going to happen overnight. You notice I said two to six months.

If you think that a train wreck of finances is going to be repaired in 30 days, I'm sorry, but it's not going to. It's going to take time. You didn't create the terrain wreck in a short period of time. It takes time to recover. So we've gotten past that intermediate step. Let's look at the long term strategy.

Now we've got to work on financial security. So we stopped the bleeding. We developed an intermediate plan, and now we're going to develop financial security. The first part of that. And again, you've heard me say this before. The first part is building an emergency fund. You might be saying, Ralph, where do I even start?

Well, here's where I want you to start. Build three to six months of expenses. You know, Ralph, wait a minute, dude. You're telling me I've got to save three to six months of expenses. Look at me. Hear me. Yes. But again, I didn't say to do that tomorrow. I didn't say that to do that next week or next month. This is your long term plan. Set aside
just a little. Start that habit. I don't care if it's a dollar a day, $2 a day, $10 a day, whatever it is, start that. I've talked about this on the show as well. Keep it in a separate account, make it something that's difficult to touch. You don't want to be tempted by that. Make it automatic. A lot of people that have been effective in this have set up an automatic saving.

So as soon as their paycheck hits their bank account, bam, it gets pushed off to something else. And here's the challenge. You can't touch that money unless it's truly an emergency. A need. Emergencies are needs not wants. Not Hey, the new iPhone just came out. I would really like that. Let me hit my emergency fund for that. Wrong answer.

The next step is debt elimination. You notice I haven't talked about debt yet. I've talked about listing your debts, understanding what they are, but now we've got to really focus in on getting out of debt. It's one of my main tenets of what I believe. You can use the snowball method. You can use the avalanche method.

I've talked about this on many shows. I'm not going to waste your time right now discussing that because we've got bigger fish to fry, but negotiate interest rates, consider loan consolidations and hear me on this. Stop adding more debt. If you want to get out of debt, you're not going to get out of debt by adding more to it.

I worked with a client the other day. He was telling me, Ralph, I finally got all my credit cards paid off and now we're going to go on a trip. And guess what? I took out a loan to do it. Are you kidding me? You just spent the last three years getting out of credit card debt. Don't go there again. I'm not saying credit cards are bad, but if you have the type of personality that you can't manage it, don't have one.

Another important aspect here in your long term plan is career development. Maybe this is a time to go get more education. Go get those industry certifications. Go back for more education. You can never learn enough. If you're in business, look to develop your business. If you're looking to retirement, develop a retirement strategy.

I know there's a lot here. So now that we've got that immediate and that intermediate and long term plan, now we got to think about, okay, how do we balance that with our faith and our financial responsibility? And see if you thought the last part was hard, buckle up because this is where it gets really bumpy. Because it's essential to balance faith and financial responsibility.

That's what the Ask Ralph show is all about. And see, this means combining spiritual disciplines with practical action so you can have the best beliefs. You can be the strongest person in spirit, man, you can know the Bible from front to back and you can know every single word in between. But you also have to put things into action.

Look at the book of James chapter 2, verse 17. It tells us that, and it's a bold statement. It tells us that faith without works is dead. Think about that for a second. Ponder that. Reflect on that. Faith without works is dead. See trusting God doesn't negate the need for wise financial planning and management.

You hear me say that many times today. Like I said earlier, even the birds. The Lord said, I'm going to provide for the birds, but guess what? I heard this from somebody said the other day. So I don't want to take credit for it, but it's the truth. Even the birds had to leave the nest to find food. Think about that.

The birds had to leave the nest. Yes. He provided for them. He'll provide for you, but you got to do something. You got to take action. And when you do that, this verse empowers us to make Godly decisions and steward our resources effectively. And one of the things that a lot of people don't think about, many people don't consider the community response and responsibility when it comes to a financial crisis.

And I'm going to step on some toes of church people right now. And I'm a church person. So I'm stepping on my own toes. A lot of people lose sight of this. If you're a pastor, if you're a church leader, hear me on this. And if you're a member of the congregation, hear me on this as well and push this.

The church has a vital role to play in supporting individuals and families facing financial crisis. It annoys me to no end when somebody in the congregation is struggling and the church upon their ivory tower just ignores it. So you might say, Ralph, okay, what does that mean? This includes the church needs to do financial counseling ministries.

They need to offer educational programs. They need to have practical support systems and they've got to help people create sustainable solutions. It's not just hitting the benevolence plate. It's not just going and saying, Hey, we're struggling. We'll pray for you, brother. That sounds great, but that doesn't mean much.

Yes. Prayer is important. You will never hear me say prayer is not important. Prayer is crucial, but you've got to go deeper than prayer. You got to give people the tools to be able to make an impact. You got to work on those financial counseling ministries, those educational programs. One of the things that I'm going to focus in on 2025 is going out and working with people in churches directly to help those congregations find this financial peace. So if you're struggling, reach out to your church, reach out to your pastor, reach out to your community for help. Don't be embarrassed. Other people have been where you are.

So Desperate in Denver, reach out to your community of faith. If you don't have one, listen, there's beauty in that. That means the Lord is calling you to find one.
So let's just take a couple of minutes and revisit some of the steps that you should take right away, because I don't, you know, it's a lot to cover today. I don't want you to get lost. These are immediate steps. Schedule that 30 minute financial review. You know, find someone you trust. You can book a call with me, but you've got to start by starting out with what is the situation we're at right now.

What does this look like? I've said this on the show before, if you want to take a trip somewhere, let's say you're in Middletown, Delaware, and I want to go to New York City, the only way I can get there is if I start with looking at a map. Where am I now? If I wanna get to New York City, I gotta measure like where I'm now, how do I get there?
What's the path? Maybe you look for a budget template. There's a bunch of these online. I'm not gonna endorse a particular one. There are a ton of them out there. But see, it's all about putting that into action. As I said, it doesn't even have to be a tablet. It could be a simple piece of paper, list all your income and expenses.

Maybe you need to sign up for financial counseling because you didn't have this training. You weren't brought up with parents or by other people or loved ones around you who even understood this. Those are the immediate steps, but listen, don't forget about your spiritual commitments. Choose that time for prayer.

Seek an accountability partner, write down your faith declarations, put to writing your core financial beliefs that are backed by scripture. And hear me on this. This one's going to floor you. You're gonna be like, Ralph, wait a second. Here you go again, plan a giving strategy. You're thinking, Oh, Oh, sure.

Ralph. Yeah. Right. You're telling me, I got to plug the leaks. I'm trying to figure out how to make my needs met and you're saying, but be generous. That's correct. That's what I'm saying. And you know why I say that? Because remember what I said a few minutes ago, it's not yours to begin with. And you've got an obligation to support your faith community.
You might be saying, okay, great. That sounds good. Ralph. Well, great things, Ralph. I am sold. Where do I sign up, but where do I find these resources? I'm going to share with you some of these. Many churches and organizations offer these financial tools and support services. A lot of them have financial programs.

They have, there's debt reduction calculators online. There's budgeting worksheets. There's all kinds of resource guides. I read a daily blog post. There are hundreds of those out there that give you concrete ways to do it and start today. There's professional referrals. You can talk to somebody like me.

There's financial counseling, there's praying partners, there's support groups, there's professional networks. Don't ever let the lack of resource or your perception that there aren't resources stop you because they're there. You just have to go find them. Again, put your butt to work, get into some action.

And remember this, God is trustworthy in times of plenty and he's trustworthy in times of want. What do we say? God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

Let's revisit our verse today. Philippians chapter 4, verse 19. I want you to memorize this one because this one Desperate in Denver will impact your life.

Remember what it said. It says, my God will meet all of your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. See, this promise isn't just about money. All your needs doesn't mean all your bank account or all your checking account or all those things that you think you want. It's not just about money.

It's about God's faithfulness, his constant presence, his perfect timing and his unlimited resources. So today you have a choice. Will you trust God and take action? Will you pray and plan? Will you believe and move forward? Because the God who feeds the birds of the air is watching over you. And the God who closed the lilies of the field hasn't forgotten you. The God who provided manna in the wilderness has provision for you.

So let me encourage you. Let me speak directly to you. Remember, you're not alone in this. God is with you and he has a plan for your finances. It might not be the plan you have in mind. It might be a whole lot of needs being met, but you've got to trust Him and you've got to take action because you can overcome this situation.

Now, if you want to go deeper into today's topic, as I talked about a few minutes ago, be sure to check out my daily blog post. You can do that at askralphpodcast.com/blog. I've got some great resources there. I've got some insights to help you on that journey.

Well, before I wrap up today, I want to leave you with three reflection questions. Always like to give these reflection questions at the end so we can sort of think about it. And we can ponder what we've covered today. We can reflect on it. First one is this. See, this is all about action.

What is one expense you can cut back on this week to free up some cash? Just one. Pick one. One expense you can cut back on this week to free up some cash. Everybody's situation is different. I'm not going to call out anything. Just find one. Second thing. How can you start to give generously, even if it's just a small amount?

Remember what I said, it's not yours. And that could be a dollar. That could be $5. It could be whatever it is. What can you start by giving, even if it's a small amount. Because it's all about developing that habit. And number three, what is one lesson God might be teaching, or God is trying to teach you through your current financial situation?

See, because if we can step back from it and take away the emotion for just a minute, I have found that most of the time, God is trying to teach you a lesson. I've learned those lessons the hard way. I've shared those on the show. So ask yourself, reflect on that. What is one lesson God might be trying to teach me through this current financial situation?

You know, when you're in the middle of a financial storm, it's so easy to feel like you're drowning. As we talked about, the bills are piling up, the debt seem insurmountable and anxiety can be overwhelming. I've seen it. I've felt it myself.

You're probably feeling it right now as you're listening and you're watching this, but let me tell you right now, there is hope. There is a way out. Today we talked about the power of trusting God with our finances. We discussed understanding His character. We talked about that He's aware that He's able and He's always good.

We looked at biblical examples of his provision, even in the direst of circumstances. And we explored practical steps to take from immediate financial assessment to stop the bleeding to long term career development, emergency planning, and all of those strategies. But sometimes even with all that knowledge, it can still feel impossible to take the first step. And see, you're never going to get anywhere if you don't take that first step.

So that's where I come in. So I'm not just here to give you information. I'm here to walk with you. I'm here to guide you. And I'm here to help you find financial peace amidst the storm in the middle of that chaos. Imagine having someone in your corner who understands what you're going through. Who can help you create a personalized financial plan for you.
Not some boilerplate, not some big pie in the sky ideas. A personalized plan just for you. And this is the most beautiful part. Someone who can pray with you and support you every step of the way. And that's what I'm offering you today. Cause maybe you're feeling overwhelmed right now. Maybe you're not sure where to start, or you're even afraid to face your financial situation at all.

You feel like you're doing it all alone. Let me be the one to stand with you, to help you trust God and to find the way forward. Because this is my promise to you. We can turn your financial situation around. We can create a budget that works for you. We can create that intentional spending plan. We can find ways to increase your income and we can make a plan to tackle your debts.

We can explore what God might be trying to teach you through this journey, and how you can grow in your faith and in your financial wisdom. But you've got to take the first step. That first step is to reach out, to book a call with me so we can start this journey together. Please don't let fear or anxiety hold you back any longer.

Trust that God has a plan for you and that I'm here to help you discover it. So if you're ready to take control of your finances, if you're ready to trust God and find peace, book a call with me today. Just go to askralph.com. You'll see a button at the top of the screen. And I encourage you, book that call.

Let's walk this path together and let's find financial freedom and faith along the way. Remember you are not alone. God is with you always, and I'm here to help you. So take that first step, reach out today and start your journey to financial peace.

And maybe you've already found that peace. Maybe the show has brought it to you. And if you found value in today's show or in the show in general, I want to ask you to consider supporting us by buying a virtual cup of coffee. Now, no one is going to arrive at my office with a tray of coffees. But it's a way to support the show.

It's a way to help us grow the show. You just go to askralphpodcast.com/support. It's really that simple. You'll see a thing there. You just put in your email, decide what you want to do. You can make a one time support. You can make a recurring a support, but your support helps us reach more people.

It helps me get on more networks. It helps me to spread this message of hope, and faith and peace. Because people need to hear this. People are struggling. People around you are struggling. Well, let's end with a prayer because I like to always encapsulate these Sunday episodes with a prayer. I get a little bit more spiritual, but you probably noticed in the tone in general, my goal for 2025 is to really get more deep into the spiritual aspects of your finances.

That's what I'm being called to do. So let's end with a prayer. Heavenly Father, we come before You today with hearts that are heavy and minds that are burdened by financial struggles. Lord, we acknowledge that You are the source of all provision, the giver of all good things and the one who cares for every detail of our lives.

We ask for Your divine wisdom to guide us in every decision we make, especially when it comes to our finances. Help us to see the opportunities that lie ahead, even in the midst of our challenges. Lord, we pray for those who are listening today who feel overwhelmed, who are losing hope and who are struggling to make ends meet.

Remind them of Your unfailing love and Your promise to meet all their needs according to Your riches of Your glory in Christ Jesus. Lord, we ask for peace in our hearts. Help us to trust You completely, knowing that You are aware of our needs and that You are able to provide and that You are always good.

We pray for the strength to take action to make those wise financial decisions and to be good stewards of the resources You have entrusted to us because we recognize and we admit that it's not ours Lord. And help us to be generous even in our times of need, knowing that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Lord, we ask for Your guidance as we navigate these financial storms. Help us to see the lessons You want to teach us to grow in our faith and to find hope in the midst of our trials. We pray for the church and for the communities that support those in financial need. May they be a beacon of hope, providing financial help and spiritual encouragement to those who are struggling.

Lord, we ask for Your blessing on our finances. Help us to manage our money wisely, to plan for the future and to trust You with every aspect of our lives. We pray for those who are listening today who feel alone in this struggle. May they find comfort in knowing that You are with them, that You understand their pain, and that You've got a plan for their lives.
Lord, we ask for Your guidance as we take those next steps towards financial freedom. We've realized we've got to do something. So help us to be courageous, help us to take action and help us to trust You with every decision we make. Lord finally, we ask for Your blessing on this show and all of those who are listening. May they find hope, may they find encouragement and may they find practical help as they seek to trust You with their finances.

We pray all these things in the powerful name of Jesus, who loves us, who provides for us and gives us hope. And everyone say, amen. To sum up, trusting God when your finances are falling apart is about shifting your perspective. It's about praying differently. It's about making small changes and giving generously.

Remember, God is faithful and He will meet all of your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Now be sure to join me tomorrow as we tackle another pressing issue. I'm going to get practical. If you are overwhelmed by tax prep, how to decide between software and an accountant with confidence, I'm going to give you the tools to make that decision.

I'm going to show you how to decide whether it's best to go with somebody or to use that software. So don't forget to join me tomorrow and share that show with other people. And as I close today, remember my passion is to help you achieve financial success. I want to see you live out your dreams and I want to see you grow in your faith.

And I know together, working together, we can master your finances from a Christian perspective. So as I always say, stay financially savvy and may God bless you abundantly.

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