We’ve all heard the line, maybe even sung it ourselves – “Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?” It’s a catchy tune, a cultural touchstone that playfully highlights our desires for the finer things in life. But when we move from song lyrics to sincere prayer, does this yearning for material possessions have a place in our conversations with the Divine? Is it okay to ask God for a Mercedes Benz, or for anything material at all?
For some, this question might seem almost irreverent. Perhaps you know someone, like a friend of mine prone to dramatic gestures, who might metaphorically (or literally!) throw books at the wall in response to overtly materialistic interpretations of faith. Books promising divine handouts of wealth and luxury, suggesting God is some celestial vending machine dispensing blessings on demand, can rightly provoke a sense of spiritual unease. The idea that we need to “jog God’s memory” with our requests, as if the Almighty is forgetful or needs reminding of our needs, feels fundamentally flawed. After all, we’re talking about an all-knowing God, not someone struggling with senility.
Yet, the Bible itself seems to offer mixed messages on this very topic. On one hand, we are explicitly encouraged to ask. The Apostle Paul urges us in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” This sounds like a clear invitation to bring all our needs, material or otherwise, before God. Jesus, in the Lord’s Prayer, even instructs us to ask, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). This petition for our daily sustenance seems to validate the idea of requesting material provision from God.
Alt text: Hands clasped in prayer, symbolizing the act of making requests to God, relevant to discussions about praying for material needs like a Mercedes Benz.
However, just a few verses prior in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus offers a seemingly contradictory perspective: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). This verse suggests that perhaps our asking is not so much about informing God of something unknown, especially concerning our basic needs. If God already knows what we require, what then is the point of asking, particularly for things beyond mere necessities, like, say, a luxury car?
This tension is further complicated by the pervasive influence of prosperity theology in contemporary religious culture. Proponents of this “gospel of wealth” often cite scriptures about asking and receiving, like Luke 11:9-11: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives… What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?” They interpret these verses as divine endorsements for praying for material blessings – wealth, health, success, and, by extension, perhaps even a Mercedes Benz.
But is this really the depth of spiritual life that we are called to? While it’s comforting to think of God as a loving parent who wants the best for their children, spiritual maturity demands that we grow beyond a purely materialistic understanding of “the best.” As followers of Jesus, our journey, our discipleship, is about striving for higher things – things of the Spirit, the Heavenly, the Holy. It’s about becoming more like Jesus, whose life was hardly characterized by the pursuit of earthly riches and luxury cars.
Alt text: Man thoughtfully examining a classic car engine, symbolizing contemplation about material desires versus deeper spiritual needs, in the context of wanting a Mercedes Benz.
The advocates of prosperity gospel often miss a crucial point about Jesus’ teaching on asking, seeking, and knocking. His promise is not primarily about accumulating earthly possessions, but about pursuing deeper spiritual realities. As Luke 11:13 concludes, Jesus says, “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” The ultimate gift, the true blessing to be sought, is not material wealth, but the Holy Spirit itself.
I believe that God genuinely desires us to express all our needs in prayer, including our material ones. However, as our relationship with God deepens, something transformative happens within us. We begin to cultivate a sense of trust and contentment, regardless of our financial status or material surroundings. Our desires shift. We find ourselves needing less and less materially, while yearning more and more for spiritual fulfillment. The desire for a Mercedes Benz may fade as the desire for God’s presence grows stronger.
Think back to my friend who throws books – his passionate reaction stems from a deep commitment to genuine faith. He has spent extensive periods ministering in impoverished communities around the world, witnessing firsthand the prayers of those in desperate need. He lived alongside heroin addicts in recovery in Europe, people stripped bare, praying from the depths of anguish. Their prayers weren’t for luxury cars; they were for fundamental salvation – freedom from addiction, reconciliation with broken families, a reconnection with the God they felt distant from. They prayed for miracles of basic life restoration, and in many instances, they experienced them. God showed up in unexpected, unexplainable ways.
For many around the world, and indeed for many within our own communities, praying for material things is not about luxury; it’s about survival. Praying for a stable job, for food on the table, for basic necessities like medicine for a sick child – these are prayers that God certainly wants to hear. These are cries from genuine need.
Alt text: People receiving food donations at a food bank, illustrating the concept of praying for basic material needs and contrasting it with desires for luxury items like a Mercedes Benz.
But for many of us living in places of relative stability and affluence, constantly asking God for more material possessions, for that Mercedes Benz and beyond, represents a spiritual misdirection. It’s aiming far too low on the “Divine scale of blessings.” As we mature spiritually, our focus should shift towards seeking a deeper connection with God’s living presence and power in our lives. We should pray for a link with the Holy Spirit that unlocks the transformative potential God dreams for us – the unexpected, the unexplained, the supernatural changes that can impact not just our lives but the world around us.
Instead of “Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?”, perhaps our highest prayer should be, “Come, Holy Spirit.” May our asking prayers unleash a power beyond all earthly expectation, transforming our lives, our communities, and the culture around us. Let us pray for spiritual riches that far surpass the fleeting satisfaction of material possessions.
Rev. Orville James is a minister.
Thanks for reading!
