God's Word and Prayer as a Handbook for Investing
Image by Patrick Fore
With the help of faith friends from our gathering of Faith Driven Investors, we’ve begun drafting a set of Unifying Principles. Our hope is that we can begin to come together under these thoughts and ideas to work toward a more full vision of what it means to let our faith drive our investments.
If you have thoughts, questions, concerns, things you’d change or add, please let us know! We’re relying on you, our community, to make this resource the best it can be.
We believe that God speaks to us through His word and that all of Scripture is useful for instruction on how to formulate and execute an investment strategy. This includes our motive for investing well, the importance of saving, and how we might invest. Scripture, when taken in aggregate, provides us with a great handbook on every question of investing—why, how, where, what, and when.
Of course, Scripture is much more than simply a guidebook for investing—it is, after all, the written Word of God that contains everything we need to know and love Him. But within the pages of this book is a description of a way of life, a calling that is to something greater than earthly returns.
With that in mind, we turn the pages searching for God to reveal Himself in ways we may not anticipate. And as we do, we see countless passages that cover the topic of money—whether that be in terms of spending, saving, or investing. And we believe that these sections provide the key to investing from a faith-driven perspective. As in all things, God cares about who we are and what we do. Our investment strategy is no exception.
In addition to communicating with God through His Word, we also believe in the power of prayer. As followers of Christ, we have the ability to speak directly to our Creator and Savior about anything and everything. When it comes to our work, our families, and our lives, we are constantly seeking to consult God—to speak to Him about what we are doing and thinking and to ask for His input on all of it.
Bible reading and prayer are two of the key spiritual disciplines, and for the Faith Driven Investor, they are an absolute necessity.
Using Scripture as Our Guide
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Psalm 119:160 The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
1 Chronicles 16:11 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.