Proverbs 19:17
“If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you!”
Almighty God, we approach this opportunity of sowing into Your Kingdom with great joy and anticipation knowing that whatever we give to You can’t be lost. We know a portion of this money will meet physical needs of people around the world. We know that Your word says that when we feed the hungry, or give a cup of cool water, or welcome strangers in Your name, we are actually doing those things unto You.
We also know people can be poor spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. May this offering allow the powerful truth of Your word to bring peace, comfort, and spiritual wholeness to those who need it most. What a blessing it is to be Your hands and Your feet through our giving today. We look forward to the day that we will perhaps be able to hear testimonies and stories of how this offering touched and changed lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Luke 16:11
“So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?“
Heavenly Father, You have been so good to allow us to manage Your resources. We don’t own a thing, but simply steward what rightfully belongs to You. We want You to be able to trust us, so we ask that You would first stretch our faith to actually trust You to give us wisdom and discernment so that we make wise decisions with spending and saving and giving. We want to invest our resources in things that matter…things that last…things that endure. Too often we get sidetracked and caught up in things of this world and our own desires, but help us remember that You promise to always meet our needs. Get our eyes back to Kingdom purposes so that we lay our treasures in heaven, not earth. Stir our hearts for what stirs Yours, Lord and teach us Your ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.“
Dear God, It’s such a beautiful thing that You have given us the freedom to decide in our own heart how we want to invest into Your Kingdom. I pray that You would increase our faith to sow bountifully because when we do, we reap in proportion to how we have sown. We can trust You to replenish our supply. Thank you for loving us when we give cheerfully. You’re pleased with our generosity because You see a reflection of Yourself in us when we give generously. You gave everything—Your very own Son. You give us grace, mercy, and love with no bounds. You give us everything we need to live a holy life. You are a giver, and it pleases You when You see us give freely. I pray for each one here today to remember what a generous God You are, and respond by giving generously. We trust You to use our tithes and offerings to build Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Matthew 25:21
“Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you have been a faithful steward to manage a small sum, no I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, ‘Come celebrate with me!”
Jesus, I can not imagine what it will be like to look at You eye to eye, face to face and hear You say “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Because You love us so, I can only imagine the expression on Your face, the delight in Your eyes, and the warmth of Your smile when You say, ‘Come celebrate with me.’ Your word tells us that we can’t possibly conceive what You have in store for those who love You. God, I pray that You help us look to what is ahead and not get bogged down with the worthless things that seem to paw at our faithfulness. I pray that You would empower us to stay faithful to You, help us to be the trustworthy servants that make You proud. Our everyday stewardship and management of Your resources is what matters, not just what we give You in the offering today. Thank you for being patient as You open our eyes slowly to what it really means to be a faithful and trustworthy steward. I pray that we would continue to walk in the light of knowledge and obey Your leading with open hearts and open hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.
2 Corinthians 8:1-15
“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. …“
Heavenly Father, What a beautiful picture of compassion we see in this story. The people of Macedonia found such great joy in giving to meet the needs of others. What compassion filled their hearts. God, I pray that You would fill our hearts with the same compassion, eager to bless, eager to sacrifice and eager to give abundantly first to You and also to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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