How Spiritual Practices Can Transform Your Investing with Tim Macready

Dec 5, 2025

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We check the markets often—but how often do we check our hearts? Most of us approach investing with calculators, not character. Yet Scripture calls us to a deeper way. What if investing isn’t just a financial activity but a spiritual practice—one that shapes who we’re becoming?

Tim McCready, Head of Global Advisory at BrightLight (part of the Eversource Wealth Advisors team), has been helping both Kingdom Advisors and FaithFi develop a theological framework for investing that aligns our portfolios—and our hearts—with God’s purposes. His recent work explores how timeless spiritual disciplines can transform how believers think about investing.

Why Investing Requires a Spiritual Lens

Tim begins with Jesus’ words in Matthew 6: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” That’s not just a warning—it’s an insight into spiritual formation.

“Our investment decisions aren’t just a reflection of faithfulness,” Tim says. “They’re shaping who we’re becoming as we seek to be like Jesus.”

When we invite God into our investment decisions, investing becomes more than strategy—it becomes worship. It becomes one more place where we ask God to form us into faithful stewards.

The Ignatian Prayer of Examen—For Investors

One of the most compelling ideas Tim introduces is applying the historic Ignatian prayer of examen to our portfolios.

For centuries, believers have ended their day with this reflective practice—examining God’s presence, confessing sin, noticing grace, and preparing for tomorrow.

Tim suggests: What if investors practiced something similar?

Rather than viewing portfolios strictly through analysis or performance, the examen helps us approach them with discernment, surrender, and spiritual attentiveness.

Step One: Gratitude

Gratitude quiets the noise and recenters us on God’s generosity. Before looking at performance or market movements, Tim encourages investors to pause and thank God for His provision.

It might sound something like:

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the gifts You’ve entrusted to me—including my investment portfolio. Speak to me about my stewardship, challenge me, and remind me of Your faithfulness as I draw near to You.”

Gratitude reframes everything. It reminds us that portfolios are gifts to steward—not trophies to admire nor securities to cling to.

Step Two: Review

Just as the daily examen invites believers to review their day, the investing examen invites us to review each line of our portfolio with prayerful reflection.

This simple discipline lifts our eyes beyond numbers to the impact our investments have on people, communities, and the world.

As Tim notes, “We may find both joy and conviction—joy where God is pleased, and invitation where He’s calling us to change.”

Step Three: Repentance and Renewal

This is where the examen moves from reflection to transformation.

Perhaps we discover that we’ve placed too much security in our portfolio. Perhaps a certain investment feels misaligned with God’s desires. Perhaps God prompts us toward greater generosity.

Repentance helps us acknowledge these areas honestly—and renewal invites us to receive God’s forgiveness and step forward in faith.

A simple prayer might be:

“Gracious Provider, rule over every part of my life, including my investments. Forgive me for trusting wealth over You. Give me courage to act where You lead, and joy in following Your plan for my life.”

This step reorients our trust away from the market and back toward the One who “owns the cattle on a thousand hills.” (Psalm 50:10)

Step Four: Community and Accountability

Though investing can feel private, it was never meant to be isolated.

We grow best in community. Sharing a budget or portfolio with a trusted friend or mentor is humbling—but powerful. Accountability exposes blind spots, clarifies values, and encourages faithfulness.

Whether through a small group, a stewardship class, or a community like the FaithFi app, transparency invites God’s wisdom through God’s people.

Step Five: Fasting from Market Noise

We live in an era of constant market updates, by the day, hour, and minute. Tim points out that this flood of data gives the illusion of control while feeding anxiety.

A spiritual practice of “fasting” from market noise—checking less often, turning off notifications, stepping back from constant updates—helps us rest in God’s provision instead of reacting to every market swing.

Jesus’ question echoes here: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27) Or, as Tim puts it, “add a single cent to your portfolio?”

Step Six: Service

Spiritually formed investors naturally turn outward. Financial experience is a gift meant to serve others—whether through mentoring, teaching budgeting, serving on a church finance committee, or helping younger believers develop healthy habits.

Service transforms stewardship from something we manage to something we multiply.

A Holistic Vision of Faithful Investing

When we bring together gratitude, review, repentance, community, fasting, and service, we begin to see investing not as a sterile financial exercise but as a rhythm of worship.

“Investing is faithfulness,” Tim reminds us. “It forms us. It shapes us as disciples. A biblical approach to investing isn’t measured only by returns, but by spiritual formation.”

In other words, investing becomes a way to follow Jesus. A biblical worldview of investing doesn’t start with performance—it begins with the heart. When we invite God into our investing, He uses even financial decisions to form us into the likeness of Christ.

May our portfolios—and our hearts—reflect the One who has entrusted everything to us.

On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:

I worked hard to raise my credit score to about 730, but a miscommunication with my student loan led to a late payment and brought it down to 548. The issue is fixed, and the account is current, but my score is still low. How long will it take to recover if I keep making on-time payments?

Resources Mentioned:

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every workday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God’s resources.

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