7 Signs Money Is Secretly Your Master

Let me start with the words of Jesus today. In Matthew, chapter 6, verse 24, he said very clearly, no one can serve two masters. And then he made it plain, you cannot serve both God and money.Now, this isn't just a warning for wealthy people. This is a warning for every single heart. Because money doesn't have to be in your hand to be ruling your heart. Sometimes it rules through fear.Sometimes it rules through comparison. Sometimes through that quiet lie that says, if I just had a little more, everything would finally be okay. Maybe you know that feeling.You check the bank account, you see the number, and before you think about anything else, your spirit just reacts. You either feel peace or you feel panic. Maybe you feel relief or maybe even dread. And in that moment, you realize something.This may not just be a money issue. This may be a hard issue as well.So in this video today, I want to walk you through seven signs that money may be sitting in a place that actually belongs to God alone. And I'm not doing that today to shame you. I'm not doing it to condemn you, but to help you see clearly.Because whatever gets brought out into the light can finally begin to heal us. And then when I present each sign, I want to give you three things.I want to give you the biblical truth, the heart issue underneath of it, and just one practical step that you can take to start walking in freedom. So I want to encourage you right now. Take a breath, open your heart, and let's talk honestly about whether money has quietly become your master.World falls apart. Hey, Ralph here. I'm Ralph Estep Jr. And I want to welcome you to Truth Unveiled with Ralph. This is a place where we uncover biblical truth.We strengthen our faith, and we bring real life under the light of God's word. So whether you came today for encouragement or clarity, or maybe just for conviction, I am so grateful you're here today.And today we're talking about money. Now, we're not just talking about how to manage it, but how to make sure it's not mastering you.Because money can be a very useful servant, but it is a terrible master. The Bible never says that money itself is evil, but it does warn us again and again about what money can do inside the human heart.Look at First Timothy. First Timothy 6 says, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Luke 12 says, Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.And Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to seek first the kingdom of God. So today's conversation is bigger than budgeting. It's about Worship, it's about trust. It's about stewardship.It's about what's sitting on the throne of your heart. And let me say this gently. A whole lot of believers are trying to solve a heart problem with spreadsheets alone. Now, don't misunderstand me.I'm an accountant. Spreadsheets matter. Your budget matters, paying off debt matters, and savings matters.But if money has become your source of peace, if it's become your source of identity or your source of hope, then no amount of money in the world is going to fix that. Only God can carry that kind of weight. So let's slow down a little bit and let's walk through this together. And let's ask the Lord to show us truth.Because freedom begins with honesty. And honesty is a form of grace. Well, let's jump right into it. Here's sign number one. Your peace rises and fall with your bank balance.And you know this feeling. Payday comes, debt deposit hits, and for just a moment, you breathe a little easier. You feel lighter, you feel safer, you feel more secure.But then the bill's clear. That rent payment check gets cashed, your car payment goes. You spend money at the grocery store, you pay those credit cards, and that number drops.And suddenly your mood drops with it. And then, like so many of us, one unexpected expense shows up. That car repair, that bill you weren't expecting, maybe a medical cost.And now it feels like your entire inner world just got shaken. But let me say this plainly. When your peace is being controlled by the number in your account, money has become more than a tool.It started acting like a savior and friend. Money was never meant to carry that burden. And see, Jesus speaks directly to this. In Matthew 6, he says, do not be anxious.Now it goes on to say about what you will eat or drink or wear. And then he points us to the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. In other words, look how faithfully your Father cares for his creation.If we look at Hebrews 13:5, it says, Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have. For he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.And the Book of Psalms, chapter 62, verse 10 says, if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. Do you hear that? The answer to money driven anxiety is not just more money, it's the presence of God.Now, I told you I would talk about the different pieces to this. The hard issue here is misplaced trust. Somewhere along the way, we started believing that that number could protect us better than the Lord himself.And that may sound strong, but that's exactly why Jesus spoke so clearly, because whatever you run to for safety becomes your functional master. So what do you do? Well, the first thing you've got to do before you check your phone, before you open that bank app, anchor your heart in God.Start your day by saying, father, you are my source, you are my provider. My peace is in you, not some number on my bank account. Read the Book of Matthew, chapter 6, verses 25 to 34.Do it a few days in a row and start to understand that. Pray about it. Let it settle deep down in your spirit, and then take a wise, practical step. Maybe for you, that's making a simple budget.Maybe automate your bills or build a starter emergency fund. I talk about all these things on my daily show, financiallyconfidentchristian.com which we'll put a link in the show notes.But I want you to hear me clearly here. Planning is not a lack of faith. Planning is actually stewardship. We've got to trust God deeply and handle money wisely at the same time.That's not about acting in fear. That's actually about acting in obedience.And when your peace is rooted in the Father's career, that bank balance can go up and down and your soul doesn't have to go with it. Well, let's move on to sign number two. And sign number two is you constantly compare your financial life to other people.This is one so many of us are guilty of. And you scroll online like all of us do, and you see the vacation.You see that friend of yours that has the new house or the new car in the driveway next door, that perfect kitchen, that polished life, that curated life. And before long, you start feeling behind. And then you look at your own life, and what God has given you starts to feel so small.Now, this isn't just insecurity. This is actually a fancy word they call in the Bible. This is a form of coveting. Exodus 20 says, you shall not covet.And that command is not there to rob you of joy. Not at all. It's there to protect your heart from slavery. Yeah, it's a big, strong word, because comparison will make you blind to grace.Let's look at Proverbs, chapter 14, verse 30. It says, Envy makes the bones rot. Rotten bones. And look, in Luke 12:15, Jesus says, Take care and be on your guard against all covetousness.Galatians 6 tells us to test our own work, not measure ourselves against our neighbor. In simple language, Run your race, carry your assignment. Be faithful. What God has put in your hands. Now, the hard issue here is discontentment.And underneath that is often an identity issue. When you don't really know who you are in God, you start using other people as your measuring stick. But listen to me.Your calling was never meant to be compared to someone else's highlight reel. That's all it is. It's their highlight reel. God isn't grading your life on somebody else's assignment. So what do you do?Well, the first thing you've got to do is you've got to repent of that comparison as soon as you notice it. And I don't say that to shame you. I'm talking about true repentance with honesty. Say, lord, I don't want another person's portion.Teach me to be faithful with what you've given me. Teach me to be faithful with mine. One of the practical things you can do is bless people on purpose.When someone else succeeds, pray blessings over them. And now that may feel unnatural at first, but blessing is truly one of the ways that God breaks envy off the heart. Now let's take a practical step.Unfollow what feeds that coveting. If you're listening to stuff, it's making you crazy like this. Stop following it. Turn down those voices that keep you discontent.But then at the same time, write down your own financial goals. Not what culture tells you, not those cultural goals. The highlight reels that everybody else has. Not social media goals. Your goals.Think about your goals. Maybe for you, faithfulness looks like getting out of debt. That's a great thing. Maybe for you it's building margin.Maybe it's taking care of your family, giving generously. Or maybe it's just living simply. That's not being small, that's being beautiful. Contentment is not complacency. I hear people say complacency, no.Contentment means your heart is at rest while your hands stay faithful. And, friend, that kind of life is richer than appearance. Well, let's look at sign number three.And sign number three is you feel guilty when you spend, but you also feel guilty when you save. Maybe at times you buy something you actually needed and right away you feel bad about it.Or maybe you save money and somehow you feel bad about that too. You enjoy a meal and you think, I shouldn't have done that. Or you hold money back and you think, man, I'm sure being selfish.So no matter what you do, money comes with this cloud of shame over it. That, my friend, is a miserable Way to live. And it's truly a sign that money has gotten tangled up with condemnation.But I want you to hear this carefully. Look at Romans, chapter 8, verse 1. It says, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But that includes part of your life where money's been messy or money's been confusing, or maybe for you, money's just been plain painful.And a lot of people carry money shame because of what they saw growing up. Maybe when you were growing up, maybe spending was always treated like sin. Maybe you always heard that saving, well, that's just being selfish.The Lord will provide. Maybe money around you was chaos. Maybe you grew up in a home, that there was complete lack of money.And maybe every money conversation in the house came with fear. I've shared on the show before. My mother kind of did that for us. We always had this fear of, we don't have that kind of money.What's our life going to look like? But you took all that in. So now even as an adult, your heart still reacts like money itself is dangerous.It's like a tape recorder goes off in your head. But Scripture gives us a healthier way. The book of Ecclesiastes says it is a gift from God to enjoy the fruit of your labor.First, Timothy 6:17 says, God richly provides us with everything to enjoy. And Proverbs 21:20 reminds us that the wise store up resources. Think about it. The Bible gives us balance.Sure, we're to enjoy what God provides, but we're also to save with wisdom. We're to give with joy and do all of it with a clean conscience. Now, the hard issue here is not just money, it's shame.And shame always confuses what God has already made clear. So what do you do? Well, the first thing you've got to do is you've got to renounce the lie that money itself is dirty. Money itself is not an issue.Money is a tool. Now, you can use it to be selfish, or you can use it to be faithful.Second thing you've got to do is you've got to ask the Lord to heal your money memories, those things that just continue to play over in your head over and over because what you saw as a child, maybe you pray something like this, Father, show me where guilt has attached itself to my finances and teach me what faithful stewardship really looks like. But then you got to take a practical step. Maybe for you it's to create a simple spending plan with.Listen, it doesn't have to be major, maybe just four categories. List out your needs and your savings, your giving, and yes, your enjoyment. Enjoyment belongs here too.Because when enjoyment is planned with wisdom, it's not rebellion, it's gratitude. Set aside a small amount that you can spend every week or every month without guilt. It's already built into the plan. And then automate that.When you save and what you give, make that automated as well. Because what I will tell you is that clarity reduces the shame. And when you have a purpose, it silences that guilt.And when you can find true stewardship, it really does bring peace. Let's move on to sign number four. And sign number four is your life choices are being driven almost entirely by income potential.Going to step on some toes here because you chose the path you're in because it paid well. You stayed in that because it paid well. And you kept saying, yes, because, well, it paid well.But deep down, something in you has been drying up almost like a desert. Your joy is low, your peace is super thin. And every week just feels heavier and heavier than it should.Now listen, I'm not telling you to go be reckless and quit your job. I'm not telling you to do that today or tomorrow and say, well, Ralph told me that if I'm not having joy, I'm going to quit my job and call it faith.No, that's not what I'm saying. But I am saying this. If money is the only voice that gets to decide the direction of your life, then money has truly become your master.Jesus asked in Mark 8:36. He said, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lose his soul? That's a rough one. And that verse is not only about eternity.Think about this for a second. It's also about what happens when outward success comes at the expense of your inner life. It costs you either way.Let's look at Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 10. It says, you are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.And Proverbs 16:3 says, Commit your work to the Lord. That means your life has purpose, your work does have meaning, and your calling can't be reduced to a PayCheck alone.Colossians 3 says, Whatever you do, whatever you do, work heartily. As for the Lord, so the question's not, can I make money here. The deeper question you've got to ask yourself, can I be faithful here?Can I honor God here, and can I serve with integrity here? Now the hard issue. Underneath this is fear. Fear that you follow where God leads. If you follow that, he is not going to sustain you.And that fear is old. That fear has been around forever. Let's go back to what Jesus answers in Matthew 6:33.He says, Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added to you. Now, friend, that's not a promise of luxury. A lot of people think, well, if I follow God, he's going to put me in the lap of luxury.No, it's a promise of God's care as you walk in obedience to him. So what do you do? Well, the first thing you've got to do is bring your work life before the Lord.Honestly ask this question, Father, where have I left the where have I let fear make this decision for me? Where have I stopped asking what faithfulness truly looks like in my life? Those are tough questions, but those are questions you've got to ask.And then take a practical step. Maybe you build some margin so you're not so dependent on that job. Maybe you pay down your debt, cut your unnecessary expenses.See, there's always things we can do or build some savings. They might be saying, wait a minute, Ralph, you're talking about faithfulness in my job. Where are you going with this?Because financial margin gives you room to obey God without panic. What did I say the heart issue was here? Fear. So if you can give yourself some margin, you don't have to panic when you pivot or you make a change.But then start exploring what faithfulness could look like in your next season. Don't quit your job right now, but start thinking about that next season.And maybe that means staying where you are with a renewed heart, like, I've got a purpose now. This is faithfulness. I'm going to do this for the kingdom. Maybe it means training for something new and changing what you're doing.Maybe it means serving in a new way while keeping your current job. But don't hand your whole life over to money. You belong to God. I just want to pause here for a second.If today's message is speaking to your heart and if you want more teaching that's practical, rooted in scripture, I want you to take a second right now to join our community. And I want you to stay connected. I want to hear from you. And you can go to truthunveiledwithralph.com/join.We'll put a link to that right in the show notes. But again, that's truthunveiledwithralph.com/join.Because every week when I do this show, my prayer is that this channel helps you walk in wisdom, helps you walk in freedom, and really helps you find a deeper trust in God. Well, now, let's get right back to it. Let's keep going. Let's look at sign number five.And sign number five is, you avoid your finances because facing them feels overwhelming. You don't open the mail, you avoid those statements. Add budget. I'll put that off for another day.And you keep telling yourself, I'll deal with it later. But the problem is, friend, later just keeps moving.And underneath of all that is this quiet dread, this low grade fear that something's wrong and if you look at it, it's going to feel even worse. I felt that so many times. And that's not laziness. A lot of times it goes back to something we talked about a few minutes ago. This is shame.But the thing I've learned about shame, shame loves the dark. But Scripture keeps calling us into the light. Let's look at John 3. It says, People hide from the light when they fear what will be exposed.But the one who practices truth comes to the light. And Proverbs 27:23 says, Know well the condition of your flocks. Now, I raise Black Angus cows here. I got to know the condition of my cows.Well, guess what in Bible language, this means to pay attention to what has been entrusted to you. Everything you have, God, is entrusted to you. God has provided that to you. You got to know what's going on with that.That's what stewardship looks like. Luke 14:28 says, A wise person sits down and counts the cost. So avoiding the numbers, that's not protecting you.It's only strengthening that fear and that feeling of doom. Now, the hard issue here is shame. And honestly, it's mixed with helplessness.And maybe right now, as you're watching or you're listening and you're thinking, Ralph, man, finances have been painful for me for a long time. And maybe every time you look at them, you hear that same accusation. Oh, you should have done better. You ruined this. You're behind.Or maybe this big zonker here, you're failing. But friend, that's not the good. That's not the voice of the good shepherd. Conviction, which is a good thing, is specific and leads you forward.That condemnation, that condemnation you're feeling is crushing and it just keeps you stuck. So what do you do? Well, the first thing you've got to do is you've got to bring your fear to God without Pretending he already knows. Maybe say this.Lord, I'm afraid to look. I feel ashamed. But Lord, I don't want to live in hiding anymore. Just take it right to him. Listen, he already knows what's going on.He's just waiting for you to say, I need you. But then once you do that, do one practical act of courage. And yes, I say the word courage. Not 10 things, just one.Maybe you open that statement this week and you just take a look at it. Okay, here's what it is. This is the reality. You gather those bills, maybe that debt's an issue. Start writing down those balances.You list those due dates. You're not trying to solve everything in one hour. Just flipping that switch and you're turning on the light.But once that light is turned on, you can take the next step. Maybe set up one auto pay. Maybe you're one of these people that misses those bill payments. Set up that autopay.Maybe your money is leaking, it's bleeding out the sides. Cancel a subscription, call one of your creditors. Make one basic budget. Those small acts of stewardship break big cycles of fear.I've seen it happen in my own life. Just those little steps can completely break these huge. I'm talking about lifetime cycles of fear.And trust me, when you face what you've been avoiding, you're going to discover something. Those numbers may be real. They are real. Those are decisions you've made. But they're not Lord. Only Jesus is Lord. Well, let's look at sign number six.And sign number six is your generosity is conditional. Going to step on some more toes here. Just think about this. When money feels abundant. Hey, you're open handed. Here it is. Oh, let me give.Let me do this, let me do that. But then when money feels tight, everything closes. So your giving rises and falls with your sense of comfort. And listen, that's very understandable.I've had seasons in my life just like that. But it reveals something. What it reveals is whether generosity is a conviction or just a convenience. And you've got to know the difference.Second Corinthians 9 says, God loves a cheerful giver. Cheerful. It also says, the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly. But the one who sows generously will reap generously.Now, that passage there is not about hype. It's actually about trust. One of the clearest pictures of trust in giving is the widow in Mark 12. And I'm going to encourage you to go read it.Jesus watched wealthy people give large amounts of Money. He was there with his disciples. And then a poor widow woman came in and she gave two small coins.And Jesus said to his disciples, she had given more than all of them. Now they were betwixt. They couldn't understand it. But she gave out of her poverty when everybody else was just given out of their excess.In other words, it was easy for them. But what this widow woman gave us, hard, it meant something. Look at Acts, chapter 20, verse 35. It says, it is more blessed to give than to receive.And I can still hear my mom on Christmas and holidays talking about when we were children, about children. Listen, it's so much more of a blessing to give than to receive. But I want you to hear me carefully. I'm not saying this out of pressure.This is an invitation. Truth is, God doesn't need your money. He doesn't need your money.But the point is that generosity loosens money's grip on your heart, because that's what we're really talking about here. God doesn't need your money. But what he does need is that willing heart, that cheerful giver, that loosing of the grip.Proverbs 11 says, One gives freely and grows all the richer, while another withholds what should be given and only suffers want. Well, that's strong if you think about it. The one who gives grows richer, but the one who withholds suffers more want.Seems countercultural, doesn't it? Yeah, it does. But that's the whole point. That proverb is revealing a spiritual reality.Closed hands don't just struggle to give, they also struggle to receive. The hard issue here is scarcity. It's that fear that if you release anything, you won't have enough left for yourself. That's a real fear. I get it.But generosity, even in small ways, it trains your heart to trust God as the source and friend God is the source. So what do you do? Well, the first thing you've got to do is you've got to settle this in your heart.I want to say something and I want you to just imprint this on your mind. Giving is worship. Giving is worship. It's not performance. It's not about guilt. It is worship.But in order to do that, you've got to make generosity intentional. I'm a numbers guy. I'm a practical accounting guy. Put it in your budget, even if it's a small amount.Don't wait until you feel rich enough to become generous, because you're never going to get to that point. Start with consistency. Start with a prayer of making helping God to give you that cheerful heart, give you that willing heart.But listen, and I'm not telling you not to be wise. Yes, be wise. Take care of your household, handle your responsibilities. Scripture teaches that too. There is a balance here.But don't let that fear be the shepherd of your generosity. But hear me on this too. You can practice forms of generosity that aren't financial.Maybe you're thinking right now, Ralph, dude, I have nothing to give. You do.You can give your time, you can give your encouragement, you can give your attention, you can give your service, you can pray for others, and you can encourage others. Generosity isn't just about money. It's about becoming the kind of person who reflects that open handedness of God. Think about God.God is the most openness handed. Well, let's look at number seven. This is sign number seven. And so many of us fall into this trap.And sign number seven is you believe more money is the only solution. You tell yourself, I'm dare say you lie to yourself. If I just made more, everything would be fine. I just got that raise, I'd finally have peace.If I just hit that number, the stress would disappear. Now I want to be fair, I want to be honest. Sometimes more income really would help.If you've got a situation where you need money in your budget, more income is going to help. And if you're under real pressure, more margin matters. I talk about margin all the time. But here's the danger.And there is a danger point here when more money becomes the thing you're waiting on to save you. Money has taken a place that belongs to God alone. Just think about that for a second. That's God's place.In Luke 12, Jesus tells the story of a rich man who kept storing up more and more for himself, thinking he was secure. But what does God call him? God calls him a fool. Strong word. But why does God call him a fool?Because his soul was anchored not in God, but in that money. The issue wasn't that he had resources. The issue was that he trusted his resources more than he trusted God.Look at first Timothy, chapter 6, verse 6 says, Godliness with contentment is great gain. Godliness, contentment, great gain. Look at Paul says in Philippians 4 that he had learned to be content in plenty and in want. Why?Because Christ strengthened him. Not his money, not his possessions, not his followers. Christ strengthened him. And Psalm 23. I read this at my mother's funeral.My favorite psalm of the Bible. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The Lord is my shepherd, not Money, not possessions, not stuff. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.See, that's the kind of freedom that money can never buy. I know a lot of very wealthy people, they can't buy what we're talking about here.The hard issue here is false hope because we imagine that some bigger number will calm what only Christ can heal in us. But more money doesn't automatically produce peace. I've met some really wealthy people that are probably the most unpeaceful people that you met.It doesn't produce wisdom and it certainly doesn't produce self control. Unfortunately, a lot of times it just magnifies whatever is already happening in your heart.It just makes it bigger and harder and stronger and bigger, darker. So what if you do? What do you do if you feel this right now?First thing you've got to do is stop waiting for a future number to become faithful today. You've got to be faithful today, even if you're aspiring to that future number, friend. Be faithful with what is already in your hand.Be faithful what God has already given you. I know that's a deeply biblical principle, but Jesus says it in Luke 16.He says that the one who is faithful in little things will also be faithful in much. So start there. Be faithful in what you have. Second thing, real practical step here. Track what you're doing with the money you already have.What are you doing with it? What are you doing with God's already given you? Now, I'm not saying this to condemn you. I'm telling this to you to tell the truth.Find those leaks, find those patterns, find those habits that are causing you financial distress. And then ask, listen, what's my next faithful step? Not your next fantasy. No, my next faithful step. Maybe it's making a plan.Maybe you've been putting that off and you need to finally sit down and make an intentional spending plan. Maybe it's cutting one expense you just can't afford. Maybe it's asking for help. Maybe you need somebody to help you with finances.I'm not talking about help with money. I'm talking about help me manage this. Maybe it's learning what you were never taught. A lot of us weren't taught any of these financial topics.Yes, more money can be a blessing, but more money is not your Messiah. Christ is enough. And from that place of trust, placing your trust in Christ, you can grow, you can build, you can work, you can save.And yes, you can give without making money your final hope. So those are the seven signs that money may be secretly mastering your heart. We're going to go over those again.Your peace rises and falls with your balance. You compare constantly. You live under guilt. Your life decisions are ruled by income. You avoid the truth.Your generosity is conditional, and you keep believing more money is the final answer. And, friend, if you saw yourself in any of that, I'm not saying that to shame you. That's not the response I'm looking for.Here's the response I'm really looking for today. How about you surrender that right now? Because today's goal is not about condemnation. The goal is freedom. Jesus never said, you can't have money.What did he say? He said, you cannot serve two masters. So the real question today is not, do I have money? You ready for this? The real question is, does money have me?And if the answer is yes in any area, the invitation of God is not rejection. It's repentance. It's healing. It's freedom. The Father's not trying to take away your peace. He's trying to become your peace.He's not taking away your provision. He's teaching you where provision really comes from in the first place. And when money moves off the throne, something beautiful happens.You can finally use money without worshiping it. You can finally budget without fear. You can save without pride. You can give without panic. You can work without selling your soul.And you can truly enjoy what God provides without guilt. That's freedom. So bring your heart before the Lord. Ask him right now where money has become too important in your life.Ask him where fear has been, making decisions. Ask him to teach you contentment and courage and wisdom and trust. And then take one step, just one honest step, one obedient step, one faithful step.Because freedom often begins that way. Not all at once, but one surrendered choice at a time. Now, before we close today, I want to speak to the person who knows you need Jesus.And maybe today's message has showed you that fear has really been ruling your heart. Maybe money has been sitting in a place that belongs to God alone. But the good news of the Gospel is Jesus saves. He does, he forgives.And Jesus makes all things new.The Bible says in Romans 10 that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe it with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. And if you're ready to surrender your life to Jesus Christ, I want to encourage you to pray this with me from your heart right now.It's what we call the salvation prayer. But if you're ready to finally surrender and give that to Jesus, Why don't you pray with me? Lord Jesus, I come to you now. I know that I'm a sinner.And I know that deep down I will never be able to save myself. And I believe you died for my sins. I believe you rose again in power. So today, right at this moment, I repent. I turn away from sin.Lord, I just turn to you. Forgive me, Lord. Wash me clean, make me new Jesus. Be my Lord, be my Savior. Be the master of my life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit.Teach me to follow you. Teach me to love you and teach me to obey your word. Lord, I surrender all that I am and all that I have to you right at this moment.Thank you for saving me. Thank you for loving me and thank you for making me a child of God. And I just pray that in Jesus beautiful name. Amen.Friend, if you prayed that and you really meant it, don't be ashamed of Jesus. Stay in his word, find a Bible believing church and keep walking with the Lord. Now let me pray together one more time together.As we close out today, Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift up every person watching or listening right, right now, and I ask you to break the power of fear and greed and comparison and shame and financial bondage in our life. Your Word says in Matthew 6 that we are not to serve two masters.So today, Lord, we renounce the rule of money and we place every area of our lives under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Lord, bring healing where money has wounded us, bring wisdom where there's been confusion, and, Lord, bring discipline where there has been chaos.I ask right now, Lord, that you provide for every household, open doors that no man can shut. Give daily bread to us. Give us clear direction, Lord, and please give us peaceful sleep.Teach all of us to seek first the kingdom of God and to trust you as our source.I just pray that you would raise up faithful stewards with generous hearts and content spirits and courageous believers who will honor you with all that they have. Lord, let debt lose its grip today. Let fear lose its voice. And let peace return to homes, Lord, and marriages and minds, and yes to finances.And may every person that's hearing my voice, Lord, walk in freedom and walk in integrity and walk in wisdom, Lord, and have a deep trust in you. We declare that Jesus is Lord over this house, over this mine, over this money, and over this future. And we ask this in the mighty name of Jesus.Amen. Friend, if this message has blessed you, I want to encourage you right now to share it with somebody who needs it.We live in a really difficult and dark world. And your share might be a main thing for them to really change their dynamic.You can subscribe to us, stay connected and keep walking with me here on Truth Unveiled with Ralph. And I want you to remember this. God is your source, his word is your guide. And Jesus Christ must always remain master of all.And I just want to leave you with this verse. It's From Matthew, chapter 6, verse 21. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. I'm Ralph Estep Jr. And this is Truth Unveiled with Ralph. May God bless you, my friend.