Lord, Bless Me With Just Enough: Not Too Much, Not Too Little (Proverbs 30:8)
“Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” Proverbs 30:8–9 (KJV)
I want to share a prayer that has been on my heart lately. It might sound strange at first. It goes something like this:
My prayer 🙏
Lord, please don’t bless me too much, because I know my heart. I might get comfortable and forget about You.
But please don’t give me too little either, because I might get so distracted by worries that I stop seeing You.
Just give me enough.
And Lord, a little challenge here and there is okay too. Because those are the moments I talk to You the most. Those are the moments I draw near.
Honestly? I used to only pray for more. More sales, more followers, more breakthrough. And God is good, and He does bless. But I noticed something about myself: when things were going really well, my prayers got shorter. And when things were really bad, my prayers turned into panic instead of trust.
Then I found out I’m not the first person to pray like this. Someone in the Bible prayed it about 3,000 years ago.
The prayer of Agur
Proverbs 30 was written by a man named Agur. Out of everything he could ask God for, he asked for two things: keep me honest, and give me neither poverty nor riches. Just my daily portion.
Why? Not because money is evil. He knew his own heart. Too much, and he might say “Who is the LORD?” Too little, and he might be tempted to do wrong out of desperation. He wanted whatever amount would keep him closest to God.
That’s wisdom right there.
Too much: when blessings make us forget
God actually warned Israel about this before they entered the Promised Land:
“Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein… Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God.” Deuteronomy 8:12–14 (KJV)
Comfort is sneaky. When everything is sorted, we stop feeling like we need Him. Prayer becomes optional. Church becomes a “when I have time” thing. Not because we stopped believing, but because we stopped needing.
Too little: when worries crowd Him out
The opposite is just as real. When bills are piling up and you’re not sure how next month works, it’s hard to think about anything else. Jesus described this exactly:
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world… choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22 (KJV)
Worry doesn’t just stress us out. It chokes the Word. It fills every space in our minds until there’s no room left to hear God.
Just enough: daily bread
This is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Not weekly. Not yearly. Daily.
It’s like the manna in the wilderness. God gave Israel exactly enough for each day, and if they tried to store extra, it went bad (Exodus 16:19–20). He wasn’t being stingy. He was teaching them to trust Him every single morning.
Daily bread keeps us daily dependent. And daily dependent means daily close.
And yes, a little challenge here and there
This might be the part that sounds the most unusual. Why would anyone be okay with challenges?
Because I’ve noticed that some of my closest moments with God came in the hard seasons. When I almost gave up on this shop. When I didn’t know what was next. Those were the nights I talked to Him the most. The psalmist said it too:
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” Psalm 119:71 (KJV)
And Paul, after begging God three times to take away his struggle, heard this:
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)
I’m not asking for pain. God is good, and He doesn’t delight in our suffering. But I’m no longer afraid of the small bumps in the road, because they keep my hand in His.
The secret Paul learned
“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound… I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:11–13 (KJV)
Contentment isn’t about the amount. It’s about the Person. When Jesus is enough, whatever we have is enough.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6 (KJV)
Pray it with me
Father, thank You for every blessing in my life. I don’t want Your gifts more than I want You.
Give me my daily bread. Give me enough to be generous, but not so much that I forget You. Give me enough peace that worry doesn’t choke Your Word in me.
And when challenges come, let them pull me closer to You, not further away. Teach me to be content in every season, because You are enough.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Declare this over your life
God supplies all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
I have my daily bread, and His mercies are new every morning. (Matthew 6:11; Lamentations 3:23)
I will not forget the Lord in seasons of plenty. (Deuteronomy 8:11)
I cast all my cares on Him, for He cares for me. (1 Peter 5:7)
His grace is sufficient for me. His strength is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
I am content in every season, because Christ strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11–13)
I draw near to God, and He draws near to me. (James 4:8)
Speak it. Believe it. Walk in it. His Word is true, and Amen!
If this spoke to you, you might also like Why I Almost Gave Up on Psalmist Gift Shop (And Why I Won’t) and Johnny Chang’s testimony on how to stop trusting your emotions.
Keep drawing near
Thank you for your support 🙏
Every listen, every share and every purchase helps us keep spreading the Gospel wherever we can. Your support keeps this godly business moving.
Psalmist has never been about the money. Yes, we need funds and we work hard, like everyone does. But every day we get to choose: to focus on this world, or to focus on the Word. We choose the Word.
Not too much. Not too little. Just enough, and always close to Him.
God’s business is our business. — Psalmist Gift Shop