Did you know that the God of the Universe wants to have a personal relationship with you, and as part of that relationship He wants to provide your needs?
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:18 “And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (NLT). God is our Heavenly Father and He is also our provider. One of God’s Names in the Bible (His Names represent aspects of His character) is Jehovah Jireh-God provides. The word provide literally means to “see ahead”. God sees your needs and goes ahead of you to provide them.
Our family has had many opportunities to experience this aspect of God’s character. We have so many miraculous provision stories that we could fill a book (and we have!), but I will share a few highlights with you:
The Last Few Cents
One Christmas we were on an especially tight budget, so the children and I went to the Dollar Store to buy some gifts for family members.
When we were finished, my youngest daughter (seven at the time) wanted a coloring book. I only had change left and we needed thirteen more cents to buy the book. I prayed with her that if God wanted her to have it, He would provide the money. She looked on the floor a little bit apart from where we were standing and there were a dime and three pennies on the floor.
Even When I Don’t Need It
Believe it or not my husband and I got our first cell phones in 2006. We kept those first phones for three years and then were able to get upgrades to new phones. Shortly after we got the new phones my husband left his in his pocket and I washed it in the laundry. A few days later I dropped mine and broke it.
My husband bought a cheap replacement phone ($20 at Walmart), but I went back to my old phone. I definitely don’t need the latest and greatest anything, so I didn’t mind the old phone.
One day, a friend was showing me her new phone and I mentioned with a laugh that my phone was over four years old. Instead of laughing, she gave me her phone which was only a couple of months old! God provides even when I don’t need it.
Before I Can Ask
Our family lives on one income, and because the budget is very tight we rarely go out to eat. One Sunday I really wanted to treat the kids lunch out at a restaurant, but I knew there was no way that we could afford it. A thought crossed my mind that someone was going to give us money to go out, but I soon forgot about it.
I never said anything to anyone, and right before we left church a friend handed us money and said to take our kids out to lunch. God is so faithful. He not only provides my needs, but my desires as well.
I hope these stories will encourage you to look to God to provide your needs. Whether you have a lot of money or a little, God wants to be a part of your financial life. Everything we have comes from Him and He gives good gifts!
©2010 Kimberlee Stokes -The Peaceful Mom. Please feel free to share these stories as long as you give credit and a link back to this post.
Thanks for the encouraging stories of God providing. I must say that I have been challenged in my faith even after all of the times God has come through to provide for me in the past. I have allowed myself to forget those blessings that God had provided in the past and became so independent in my own ability to provide that I truly lost sight of GOd being the provider and not myself. I am working on restoring my relationship with GOd. I am a single parent with two sons and I admit sometimes I just feel so overwhelmed that the only thing I can do is cry because it breaks my heart when I fall short with just basic financial needs of my family, but somehow I do believe that God is still with me and he has it in his hands, I never did and he just wants me to remember that it has always been him that provided for me and my family and not myself. I understand that I can do nothing without GOd, he is everything. I am blessed even through the struggles.
Aw! I’m so sorry you’re having a difficult time with finances Rebecca!
While I’m not a single parent, and I can’t begin to imagine how challenging that is, I definitely relate to feeling worried about finances and finding myself not trusting God at times. Just yesterday I felt really discouraged because I realized that when I did the budget this week I left out gas money so we weren’t able to save money that I thought we could save. Then God encouraged me because I discovered that a medical bill that had gone to collection five years ago fell off my credit report and I made 3 sales I wasn’t expecting to make. He is always faithful.
I pray that God will begin to give you stories of miraculous provision and that you will notice even the small ways He is providing for you. Please email me and let me know when that happens. 🙂
I remember receiving a notice on my door a few weeks ago saying our lights had been shut off yet I still have lights. God provides!! I was recently evicted as well. I am a single mom and lost my job. I apply sometimes 8 jobs a day. I finally got a call back for a potential job making double what I made before. God provides!! I was approved in spite of being evicted for an apartment way bigger and way nicer for my children and I. I have 5 days to get out of my current place I was evicted from. Of course I don’t have the money to move, but I am trusting God because God provides!! God bless.
That is AWESOME Kandas!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. I pray that God will continue to provide for you in amazing and personal ways. He is a Father to the fatherless and a Husband to the widow (even if it comes through divorce). I would love for you to let me know what happens. 🙂
I remember receiving a notice on my door a few weeks ago saying our lights had been shut off yet I still have lights. God provides!! I was recently evicted as well. I am a single mom and lost my job. I apply sometimes 8 jobs a day. I finally got a call back for a potential job making double what I made before. God provides!! I was approved in spite of being evicted for an apartment way bigger and way nicer for my children and I. I have 5 days to get out of my current place I was evicted from. Of course I don’t have the money to move, but I am trusting God because God provides!! God bless.
That is AWESOME Kandas!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. I pray that God will continue to provide for you in amazing and personal ways. He is a Father to the fatherless and a Husband to the widow (even if it comes through divorce). I would love for you to let me know what happens. 🙂
Thank you for sharing so many beautiful stories and helpful tips. I needed this reminder “The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:18 “And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (NLT). God is our Heavenly Father and He is also our provider. One of God’s Names in the Bible (His Names represent aspects of His character) is Jehovah Jireh-God provides. The word provide literally means to “see ahead”. God sees your needs and goes ahead of you to provide them.” I have been laid off from my job of 14 years and need to remember God is my provider and He goes ahead of me to provide our family’s needs and also some of our desires. My desire and prayer has been to have more time with my daughters. God CAN provide this!
Thank you so much for sharing that Jenn! I did a word study a couple of years ago and learned that “provide” means “to see ahead”. I love that! I needed the reminder this week too. I agree with you that He is your Provider and will take care of you.
I didn’t know that you had struggled with depression….. I’ll have to look around some more!
I sent you an email but I just have to say it again, publicly, THANK YOU for your transparency about your family and your finances and your freedoms from depression. I cannot get enough of this site! I wanna sit down and have tea with you!!! Thank you SO MUCH. I feel like i can be a better mom and wife after I’ve been encouraged here. Thank you!!!
You are very welcome Alicia! I am so happy that you feel encouraged by my site, that is truly my hope when I write. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your stories. Even knowing that God provides there have been times that I was so distracted by my circumstances that I reasoned instead of trusting and believing and consequently suffered emotional distress, loss of joy & frustration—but I am thankful that he blesses us through people with kind gestures and words of HIS faithfulness and hears our prayers. I remember and surrender…GOD is good and will always meet our needs. How I love HIS WORD. God bless you.
I am so glad you were encouraged Jami! God IS good!
🙂
Just spent over an hour looking at your site and its just really opened my eyes to really wanting to grow more with God. Looking towards him for everything. Thank you so much for making this site and Im so happy I found it. Found it because God lead me too it. Im recently a single mom of 2 little girls and we have just now really become closer with God. Really want to make that a big part of their life. We too have a little income being its just my income for now. So this is all inspiring and I cant wait to try to do your budget plan and everything else on here. Thank you again and God is so very good. Ive seen that in the last months. May he keep blessing your family.
I am so sorry that you are in this position Karlee, but so glad that I could encourage you. God is a father to the fatherless and a husband to the widow, even if you are a “widow” through divorce, God wants to provide for you. Blessings!
Thank you for your stories…God truly is faithful and he loves us soooo much!!!
Thanks for sharing these stories! Sometimes it’s easy to forget how faithful God is and these stories really touched me. Your website and mission to live on a budget are inspiring and I wish you and your family the best.
Thanks so much Steph. 🙂
Thank you so much for this! I have spent the last hour reading over your site and am really starting to feel a peace come over me, I am steping out on faith as my husband and I are being lead to do and quiting my job to stay at home with kids and become a true helpmeet. I think this adjustment of “less stuff” is going to do everyone some good and I know God will provide I just love hearing stories like the one above.
Hi Lola!
I am so glad that you’re here, and especially glad that you feel at peace. I can tell you that God has been ever faithful in our 18 year journey of marriage and living by faith. I pray that God would overwhelm you with His abundant provision and I would love to hear back from you when He does. 🙂
Blessings!
God is good! I too have a testimony and many stories of God providing for our needs! I believe by relying on and including Him in our finances we become more grateful!