Have you ever stood in that grocery store checkout line?

You got your card in hand and you're just praying it doesn't get declined again.

Or maybe you've laid in bed at 3:00 AM staring at that ceiling, your mind racing.

Wondering, will I make rent this month?

Can I pay the bills?

What if something breaks?

It's not just financial stress, that's fear, that's shame,

and that is suffocating.

And if we're honest, it can crush your faith.

So today I'm gonna share a simple solution to not only reduce your financial stress.

Also restore your crushed faith.

So let's do this together.

Hey everyone, and welcome to Ask Ralph.

I'm Ralph your financial evangelist, and this is the show where we

tackle real financial challenges with a faith centered approach.

See, it's all about helping you break the cycle of financial shame with confidence.

In today's episode, it's all about the emotional toll of living in that

cycle of financial shame, the stress, the anxiety, and yes, your faith.

So let's talk about it.

I, I wanna start with a question from a listener named Lisa.

Lisa reached out to me and she said this, Ralph, I am so stressed about money

that I can't even focus on my faith.

How do I fix this?

Lisa, thank you so much for your heartfelt question.

That question that's real, that is so impactful, and that is

truly suffocating, isn't it?

And I know so many people listening right now may very well

feel the exact same way you do.

But here's the truth, money, stress doesn't just affect your bank account.

It affects your mind, it affects your relationships, it affects your sleep,

it affects your peace, and yes, it affects your connection with God.

Let's be honest, financial stress is relentless.

It creeps into everything.

It makes you short-tempered with your kids.

It makes prayer feel impossible.

It makes you feel like God is somehow distant, that he's silent,

maybe even disappointed in you.

Listen to me.

What I'm about to say is vitally important.

God is not distant.

God is not silent.

God is not done.

And a solution today, well, it starts with acknowledging the emotional toll.

You don't have to pretend that everything's fine.

You don't have to put on a brave face for God.

'cause guess what?

He already knows.

The book of one Peter, chapter five, verse seven says, cast all of your

anxiety on him 'cause he cares for you.

See, he cares not just about your faith, but he cares about your fear.

Yes, God does not want you to live in fear.

Think about that for a moment.

Isn't that tremendous?

So, name it, write it down, say it out loud.

Let him meet you in the middle of it.

You're probably thinking, okay, Ralph, well how do I build

this daily spiritual habit?

So here's something simple but powerful.

Start your day with two minutes of prayer.

Yes, just two minutes is all that it takes to get started.

Do you have two minutes in your day?

If you do, then let's do this.

Say, God, I give you this burden.

Help me trust you with it.

Yes, it's really that simple.

Then write down your biggest financial worries.

Then say, Lord.

These are yours.

And then I want you to read Philippians chapter four verses six to seven every

day this week and speak it out loud.

And I wanna share that with you right now.

This is what it says.

It says, do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by

prayer and petition with Thanksgiving.

Present your request to God and the peace of God.

Which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and

your minds in Christ Jesus.

That peace.

It's not a myth, it, it's not for perfect people.

It's for you, Lisa.

You are not alone, and if you're listening today and feeling

overwhelmed, you're not alone either.

God doesn't expect you to carry this alone.

He wants to walk with you through it.

And let me just say that again.

You are not broken.

You are not forgotten.

You are his beloved.

So let's pray together.

Heavenly Father, we come to you with heavy hearts.

So many of us are burdened by money, by stress, by fear, and by anxiety.

Lord, we ask, would you meet us in our worry?

Would you remind us that we're not alone?

Help us to trust in your provision even when we can't see the way forward.

Lord, give us peace that surpasses all understanding and faith that

holds on even during the storm.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So here's your challenge for today.

Before you go to bed tonight, I want you to write down one financial burden you're

carrying just one, and then pray over it.

Release it to God.

Say, God, I trust you with this.

And tomorrow we're gonna get more practical.

We're gonna talk about budgeting, we're talking about planning,

and we're gonna be talking about taking real steps towards peace.

But first we start here with faith and with honesty.

So I just wanna thank you for joining me today.

I know your time is valuable, so I appreciate you choosing to spend

just a few moments with me today.

If this episode helped you share it with a friend who might need it also.

And don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter.

You do that@askralphpodcast.com slash newsletter, and you're gonna get tools,

you're gonna get encouragement, and you're gonna get resources to help you

break that cycle of financial shame.

So until next time, as I always end the show, stay financially

savvy, stay rooted in faith, and remember this, God is with you.

Even in this, God bless you.