My New Year’s resolution for 2007 was a simple prayer: “Lord, help me to be a generous giver just like you.”  If you read my last post, I confessed that giving the tithe check each week lacked joy.  Please understand – I don’t regret writing God my “thank you” note.  I am grateful for everything He gives me.  What I do regret is that I let my heart get to a place that the tithe was a habit without the heart.  When I took my concern to the Lord the eve of 2007 and asked Him to help me find joy in giving, this prayer or “resolution” is what He gave me.  May I share why this prayer was so powerful to me?

            The major presupposition to this prayer is that God generously gives to us.  My mind started to flood with a variety of Scripture passages that demonstrate the generosity of God.  The very first thing that came to mind was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”  God’s love for us was so great that He was willing to give up His only Son so that we could have a love relationship with Him for eternity.  That level of generosity is overwhelming!

            Another picture of His generosity is found in Acts 1:4-5, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is an expression of God’s generosity. 

           Those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ for our salvation have the promise found in Eph 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.”  God generously gifts us with His Holy Spirt by sealing the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  The Holy Spirit gives us the power necessary to do God’s will in conformity with the purpose of His will (Eph 1:11). 

         Then there is God’s generosity in terms of abundance.  Check out how generous He is:

• Whatever we can ask or imagine when we come to God in prayer, He does “immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine” according to Eph 3:20-21.
• According to Eph 1:8, God has lavished us with His grace with all wisdom and understanding.
• According to I John 3:1, great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
• Numbers 14:18 says, “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.”
• He is generous with forgiveness.  We can ask as often as we need to, and He tells us in I John 1:9 that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  There is no quota!  He freely gives forgiveness upon the asking.
• He tells us in James 1:5 that “if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding  fault.”
• Rom 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all– how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things.”  How much more generous can He get?!

        There is another underlying assumption in this prayer. I can be a generous giver just like God.  Is there a scriptural basis for such a desire? Absolutely.  I Tim 6:17-18 says, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (Did you catch more generosity?) Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”  Please don’t get stuck on the word “rich” in this verse.  There are plenty of statistics that support we are the wealthiest nation on this Earth.  If your household brings in $40K/yr or more (it may even be a lower number than this), you are in the top two percent of the richest people in the world.  We live in such a materialistic culture that we have been fed the lie that we are only rich if we have a million dollars in the bank.  Nothing could be further from the truth. 

          Here are two more verses that support this desire.  2 Cor 8:7 says, “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us –see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”  Look at 2 Cor 9:6 which says, “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”  It says in verse 11 of this same chapter, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”  God wants to put us in a position that we can be generous on every occasion.  Isn’t that incredible?  Am I the only one excited about this?!

        This prayer is an integral part of my giving story.  It catalyzed change in my heart in 2007.  A heart that was once calloused is now softened.  My giving no longer feels like a habit without a heart.  A deepened gratitude toward God for all of His generosity toward me allows me to experience joy as I write my “thank you” notes.  I pray boldly asking God how I can do more to glorify Him and further His work through generous giving.  God is doing a serious and exciting work in my heart, and I will continue to unfold it.  The vision for living giving will be shared, but I need to lay more groundwork.  It is an exciting ride, and the Lord welcomes anyone who desires to “excel in the grace of giving.”  There is no patent on this prayer.  I can’t take credit for it because it came from Him.  This prayer is nurturing and growing my heart for giving, and it will do the same for you. 

Blessings,                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Lee Ann