A Prayer About Giving

When I see a need to be met

DEAR GOD,

You know I like to receive gifts—birthdays, Christmas, whatever the occasion. At first I didn’t like it when I seemed to be giving out more than I was getting, but over the years, I have been learning about stewardship and my responsibility to help others. You said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”—counterintuitive but so true. Whether I put cash in the offering plate at church, write a check for a ministry or missionary, donate to a local charity, or take meals to a needy family, I have been learning the joy of giving, even sacrificially. Please help me to loosen my grasp on my money, possessions, and time. I want to be the kind of person who gives generously to meet needs that you bring my way, not out of obligation or duty but because I really want to. So do your work on my heart, changing my desires. In reality, all I have belongs to you, so I want to invest those resources for your Kingdom. Please don’t let my possessions possess me.

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 2 Corinthians 9:7