Thinking about buying a lottery ticket? It’s a topic that comes up often, so let’s see what the Bible has to say about gambling and trusting in God for our needs. Discover some verses that offer wisdom and guidance for life’s uncertainties and choices.
Bible Verses about the Lottery
Proverbs 13:11 – Wealth gained hastily will quickly fade away
“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” – Proverbs 13:11
Ecclesiastes 5:10 – The love of money can lead to dissatisfaction
“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” – Ecclesiastes 5:10
1 Timothy 6:10 – The root of all evil
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” – 1 Timothy 6:10
Luke 12:15 – Guard against greed
“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.'” – Luke 12:15
Proverbs 21:6 – The fleeting nature of ill-gotten gains
“The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death.” – Proverbs 21:6
Matthew 6:24 – You cannot serve both God and money
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” – Matthew 6:24
Proverbs 23:5 – Money is temporary
“Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” – Proverbs 23:5
Proverbs 10:22 – True blessings come from God
“The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.” – Proverbs 10:22
Mark 8:36 – The cost of losing one’s soul
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” – Mark 8:36
Isaiah 55:2 – Investing in what truly satisfies
“Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” – Isaiah 55:2
Proverbs 28:20 – A faithful person will be richly blessed
“A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” – Proverbs 28:20
Matthew 19:24 – The challenge of riches
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” – Matthew 19:24
Psalm 37:16 – A little with righteousness
“Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked.” – Psalm 37:16
James 4:3 – Motives behind prayers
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” – James 4:3
Proverbs 16:8 – The value of righteousness over wealth
“Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.” – Proverbs 16:8
Exodus 20:17 – Coveting what others have
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” – Exodus 20:17
Proverbs 11:4 – Wealth cannot save us
“Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” – Proverbs 11:4
Philippians 4:19 – God provides for our needs
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19
Hebrews 13:5 – Contentment with what we have
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'” – Hebrews 13:5
Proverbs 3:9-10 – Honoring God with our wealth
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” – Proverbs 3:9-10
Acts 20:35 – It is more blessed to give than to receive
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” – Acts 20:35
Matthew 6:19-21 – Treasures in heaven
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” – Matthew 6:19-20
Luke 16:13 – Loyalty to God
“No servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” – Luke 16:13
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 – God’s sovereignty in wealth
“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” – 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
Proverbs 6:30-31 – The folly of greed
“People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the substance of his house.” – Proverbs 6:30-31
Colossians 3:2 – Focus on eternal matters
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” – Colossians 3:2
Proverbs 28:22 – The pitfalls of greed
“The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.” – Proverbs 28:22
Psalm 49:16-17 – Not fearing when wealth increases
“Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.” – Psalm 49:16-17
Romans 12:2 – Transformation through God
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” – Romans 12:2
Matthew 5:3 – The blessing of the poor in spirit
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:3
Proverbs 30:8-9 – Asking for sufficiency
“Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” – Proverbs 30:8-9
Ecclesiastes 4:8 – The emptiness of solitude
“There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.” – Ecclesiastes 4:8
Matthew 7:7 – Ask, seek, and knock
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7
Luke 18:27 – What is impossible with man is possible with God
“Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.'” – Luke 18:27
Philippians 4:11-12 – Learning to be content
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” – Philippians 4:11-12
Proverbs 22:1 – A good name is better than riches
“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” – Proverbs 22:1
Matthew 6:33 – Seek first the kingdom of God
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33
Luke 12:21 – Storing up treasures for oneself
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” – Luke 12:21
Also Read: 30 Bible Verses about Ignoring Negativity (Explained)
What Does the Bible Say About the Lottery?
When we think about the lottery, we’re usually thinking about a game of chance where we might win a lot of money. It’s exciting to imagine the possibilities—what we could buy, who we could help, how our lives might change. But what does the Bible say about the lottery and gambling in general?
First off, the Bible doesn’t mention the lottery directly. However, there are plenty of references that can help us understand how God might want us to think about it. One thing that stands out is the idea of trusting in God rather than in quick riches. In Proverbs, we read about the dangers of chasing wealth impulsively. It’s clear that scrambling for fast money can quickly lead us down the wrong path.
We are also reminded that everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him. When we gamble or spend our money recklessly, we might not be honoring that trust. The Bible encourages us to be wise stewards of our resources, using them for good purposes and to help others. When we gamble, there’s a risk that we are simply trying to benefit ourselves, rather than thinking about the bigger picture.
Then there’s the aspect of contentment. Several passages in the Bible encourage us to be happy with what we have. When we play the lottery, we might be showing that we’re not satisfied with God’s provision in our lives. Instead of being grateful, we might be seeking more and more, chasing after an elusive goal.
And what about the impact on others? If we win, someone else loses. The Bible calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and it’s hard to do that while participating in something that could be hurting them.
Even though the Bible doesn’t talk about the lottery directly, it gives us enough guidance to understand how gambling might not be in line with God’s principles. We are called to trust in Him, to use our money wisely, to be content, and to care for others. With all this in mind, it might be clear that playing the lottery is not the best way to honor God.