40 Days of Praying - Day 36

Tithing: Ask God to impress on all of us the necessity of giving Him the "firstfruits" of our money. Pray that we will honor Him and excel in "this grace also."

Malachi 3:8-12 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me. 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 you will not have room enough for it. will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

Haggai 1:4-11 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 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.

What a great evening we had last night. The GCR family demonstrated once again the reality of our commitment to the Kingdom of God. There is no clearer demonstration of a person's loyalties than where and how they spend their money. 5.7 million is a lot.

So it's probably overkill to talk about tithing today. We have probably talked about it and addressed giving enough. We have talked about the why's and the how's and the what for's. I remain convinced of several things: 1) Money is not neutral and fights for my heart at all times. My stuff has a kind of gravitational pull on me. 2) Giving is about trust. Trust that God will use what I give for good. Trust that if I give the extra that I was saving for a rainy day, God will supply what I need when the rain comes. 3) All believers should tithe. I think we should tithe to the local church, but I am willing to settle for tithing to any kingdom work. I may be harsh and judgmental, but any believer who has been a Christian more than 6 months and is not at least tithing lacks some rudimentary faith. Every excuse I have ever heard to justify not tithing is an accusation that God is unreliable and will not provide. 4) Money is attractive to me because it represents security if God doesn't come through. I can see money. I know what it does. God sometimes does his own thing. That's why the pull of money is a pull toward idolatry. It pulls me toward something that will be there if God doesn't come through. 5) I know money (and stuff) are temporary and ultimately unsatisfying. But it sure is hard to keep believing that.

I could go on. But we don't need sermons. We need action. Pray for tithing and giving hearts.

O God, inspire in us trusting hearts. Let us not be like other men who look to money and what it buys in order to be satisfied and safe. You are our only rock. Only you can fulfill our hearts. Make us tithers. Show us in real life how you supply all our needs according to your riches in glory. Help us show with our money what we say with our mouths. In Jesus name, who did not count possessions as anything, but looked to you for everything, amen.

Grace.