A Prayer for Generosity Toward Those in Need During Christmas
By Christine F. Perry
Bible Reading
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV
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I was holding down the sub shop alone one December day. Mind you, this was not the standard of operation. However, we were slow and I was trying to save money on labor. While cleaning the counters, the door sounded as a man entered. I greeted him, took his order, and told him it would take a little while as we were out of salads and I’d have to prepare one for him. He graciously complied. Then, he said he needed to run a quick errand at another shop in the shopping plaza and he would be back.
After he returned and I completed his order, he slid his hand over the counter to hand me something. I was confused. We were always told to encourage customers to give to the foundation instead of taking tips. I made the suggestion to put the money there. He said, “No, I want to give this to you. I do this for three people every day around this time of year. Please take it.” I reluctantly took the money and thanked him. Promptly seeing him walk out the door and into the parking lot, I looked down to see what he had given me. Thinking it was a $20 bill, I was shocked to see a $50 bill. Tears came to my eyes. I had extra expenses coming up, and because of that man’s generosity, some of the pressure was alleviated. Although I know I should never worry because God always says He will provide, I am human and am prone to worry about things like finances.
That was over a decade ago, and I still remember this man’s generosity and the kindness in his eyes. I don’t know if this man was a believer or not, but he taught me a lesson. He was a joyful giver. How often do I begrudgingly give, even though Romans 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?” When we look at all that God has given us despite what we have done to him, it humbles us. It makes us want to give generously because he gave everything for us. However, when our priorities are not his priorities, our mindset will be one of scarcity and not abundance.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Gracious Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being a God of abundance. Thank you for your love, kindness, and generosity toward us. Father, you know our hearts. You know that sometimes we hold back when we should give. I pray that you would give us hearts to obey you so that we can be generous this season. Help our giving not to come from a place of making us look good in front of others but that we will give out of an abundance of gratitude for all you have done for us.
Lord, in light of eternity, money doesn’t matter. However, we know here on earth, we need to be good stewards. I pray that you will take charge of our finances. We know that we can never outgive you. I pray that our hearts will be obedient to what you want us to do. I pray that our ears will be attentive to your Word. I pray that our wallets will not be hindered by our fear, selfishness, or greed but that we will be willing to let you have all because you gave your all for us. Lord, apart from you, we are nothing. But with you, we have all we need. I pray that our eyes will be open to who you want us to be generous with this season. I also pray that we will not only be generous with our finances but also with our words and actions. Thank you for being the best example of generosity. We love you. Help us to be more like you. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Anna Ostanina
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine’s work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
Editor’s Note: We’re proud to announce we’ve just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You’ll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it’s a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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