Nobody likes debt. Although healthy debt management can open doors to success and security, it also has the potential to get out of control quickly, sometimes becoming a burden that feels unmanageable.

I remember my very first credit card. I turned 18 during my senior year of high school and received my very first credit card offer in the mail just days later. I cautiously stuffed the envelope in my book bag and held it there for weeks as I decided what to do next. My responsible self, the one who worked in an office every day after school and scooped ice cream every summer, knew I shouldn’t proceed. But my normal teenage girl really, really wanted things I couldn’t afford. My reckless teenage self won out and I signed up for the credit card. My first purchase was a pair of $60 sneakers and, over the next year—my first year of college—I ended up charging everything from coffee to textbooks. I never got into a huge financial mess, but for a full-time student and part-time paper pusher who made very little money, my credit card debt quickly became overwhelming.

Maybe you’ve been like me, a little reckless in your debt accumulation. Maybe you were hit hard by the housing and economic crisis and are still struggling to recover. Perhaps you’ve had a medical issue or treatment and the hospital bills just won’t stop. It could be student loan debt, haunting you years after graduation, or a family member that left you with a debt you can’t pay. Whatever the reason, your debt feels incredibly overwhelming and affects everything in your life.

If you are struggling with debt today, and working to recover, trust that God knows your every need and promises to always provide, even in times of struggle. As you work your way out of the red, let these verses encourage you:

1. Philippians 4:19 (GNTD)

And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs.

2. Hebrews 13:5 (GNTD)

Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”

3. Matthew 6:24 (GNTD)

You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

4. Matthew 6:26 (GNTD)

Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds?

Father God, we pray for those who feel overwhelmed with debt. Today we ask that you would fill them with peace and offer the strength they need to climb out of their financial hole. Provide every need and give them wisdom in managing their finances. Surround them with those who will keep them accountable and, more than anything, remind them that you are always their provider. In Jesus’ name, Amen!