Are You Praying About Cable?

“I need to pray about it,” he told the pastor.

“I understand,” the pastor said,”It’s good to pray before making such a big commitment like this.”

Thirty-eight dollars sure is a lot of money,” the man said. The pastor nodded.

“It sure is. So let’s both pray about whether you should sponsor a child. I’ll pray with you.”

The two men shook hands there in the lobby of the church. Deal.

“And let’s pray about whether you should pay for cable too.”

The man laughed.

“Well, let’s be consistent,” the pastor explained. “Thirty-eight dollars is a big commitment. So is your cable bill. I think we should pray about that too.”

Chart showing the average monthly cost of basic cable in America

How different would my life be if I prayed about every substantial investment of time and money before making it? How different might the lives of others be?

I met a man in Grand Rapids, Michigan yesterday who decided to do just that. He and his wife decided to pray about every recurring monthly expenditure. Some of these expenses were conspicuous because they left his bank account each month in one lump sum. Cable and other utilities, for instance. But other recurring expenses trickled out a few dollars here and there, but added up over time. Coffee, for example.

This man and his wife discovered they were spending $230 every month at Starbucks. They prayed and asked God if there was anything else He’d like to do with that money. And God answered. The couple began drinking $30 worth of coffee each month and giving the excess $200 to a missionary from their church serving in Bangladesh.

Infographic Average spending at Starbucks

Should we pray before feeding the hungry or equipping a missionary or donating to church? Absolutely. But be consistent. Let’s pray before giving big to the cable company or the coffee shop too.