“Two things I have asked of You; do not refuse me before I die. Keep deception and lies far from me; give me neither poverty or riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God.'” (Proverbs 30:7-9)
One of the things that stands out in this prayer request is that the petitioner’s greatest priority is NOT his need for food or money. Rather, his concern is for the name and glory of God. If he was too rich, he said he might “deny You and say ‘who is YHWH?'” But on the other hand, if he had too little, he might “profane the name of (his) God.” Either way, what would happen is that the name of God might suffer, so he makes his request for God to give him his “portion”, SO THAT God’s name would be glorified and not tarnished.
That is a great model for us as we pray today. Even as we lift up our prayer requests, we should remember that it is not all about us, but the name and glory of God. Jesus’ Model Prayer reminds us of the same thing: He instructs us to pray for God’s Glory, and Kingdom, and will, before we ever come to the point of sharing our needs (Matthew 6:9-13). It is a good reminder that even though our Heavenly Father loves us, and wants to hear our requests, there is something bigger going on in this world than our own health and prosperity: the name and glory and Kingdom of God!
shawnethomas 
Shawn, really appreciate this devotional and especially how it relates to the model prayer. Sometimes we are tempted to envy those who are rich and famous, or at the very least, have more than we do. Sadly, if the truth were known, the believer would not really desire the life of most of these people, who in actuality, are devoid of a relationship with the Savior for the very reasons mentioned.. Hebrews 13:5 and 1 Tim. 6:6-7 were two Scriptures which came to mind (have not committed to memory, but believe these are two I will work on as well as the one cited in this devotional). I thank God, as Christians, we are rich beyond measure in Christ, and can depend on HIm to give us contentment whether we have much or have little. I pray for balance that I would never forget or profane the name of my Lord.
Amen; thank you, Alan. I so appreciate your testimony, as well as sweet spirit and encouragement!