When it comes to giving, many of us have mixed feelings. We may feel guilty if we don’t give enough, or we may feel like we’re not doing enough if we only give a small amount.
But when it comes to tithes and offerings, God has spoken very clearly about what He expects from us.
In this post, we’ll take a look at what the Bible says about giving and how it applies to us today. Stay tuned!
When it comes to giving, the Bible is very clear about what God expects from us. In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to give a tenth of their income to the Levites, who in turn would give a tenth of their income to the Lord
“ 8 Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”- (Malachi 3:8-10).
In the New Testament, Jesus speaks about giving in a number of different places. In Matthew 6:2-4, He says:
“2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
And in Luke 6:38, He says:
“38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
So what does all of this mean for us today? Simply put, God wants us to be generous givers. He doesn’t want us to give begrudgingly or out of a sense of duty, but rather He wants us to give cheerfully and willingly.
When we give to others, we are ultimately giving to God and He promises to bless us in return. So let’s not be stingy with our giving, but rather let’s be generous and watch as God blesses us in return!
Prayer for tithes and offering
1)
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your faithfulness in providing for our needs. We know that everything we have comes from You and we are so grateful. We also know that giving is an important part of our relationship with You. You have commanded us to give tithes and offerings, and we want to be obedient to Your Word. So today we pray for Your blessing on our giving. Help us to be generous givers, cheerfully giving of our time, talents and resources. May our giving be a reflection of our love for You and our thankfulness for all that You have done for us. And as we give, we pray that You would bless us in return. We know that You are a generous God and we trust that You will meet all of our needs according to Your riches in glory. Thank You, Lord. We love You and we praise Your name. Amen.
2)
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your generosity. We know that everything we have comes from You and we are so grateful for Your blessings. We ask that You would help us to be generous givers in return. May we not hold back when it comes to giving to others, but rather may we give cheerfully and willingly, knowing that we are ultimately giving to You. Bless us as we give, that we may be a blessing to others in turn. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
3)
Dear Lord, We thank You for Your faithfulness and generosity. We know that when we give to others, we are ultimately giving to You. Help us to be generous givers, not out of a sense of duty or obligation, but rather out of a heart of love and compassion. Bless us as we give to others, that we may be a blessing in return. We ask this in Your name, Amen.
Conclusion
We have seen from the scriptures that God loves a cheerful giver. When we give our tithes and offerings, we are showing our obedience to God and our trust in Him. We are also being a blessing to others.
As we give, we can be confident that God will bless us in return. If you have not been giving your tithes and offerings, I encourage you to start today. As you do, you will be blessed in ways you never thought possible.
