Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6 NIV)
This is a time of year when many of us take time to thank God for the blessings we have been given in our lives: family, relationships, our “stuff,” and even our circumstances. We also give thanks to God for being loving, caring, and for giving us a way to Him through Jesus. These prayers of thanksgiving are important. We also sometimes have prayers of request from God, or petitions.
I was recently getting ready to pray and bring my request to God, and I paused to reflect, “Am I a giver or taker?” Do I come to God to thank Him and spend time with Him, or just when I need something? In other words, when it comes God, am I primarily a giver or a taker? I know what God is; He is a giver all the way!
• Giver of love
• Giver of life
• Giver of mercy
• Giver of grace
• Giver of peace
• Giver of blessings
…just to name a few.
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)
Do you like when people only come to you when they want something, but never reach out to you at any other time? Probably not. We need to respect God and give to Him, for Him, and from Him to others. He wants us to be givers! He doesn’t want this out of “reluctant compulsion,” but out of a “cheerful” heart. God knows this will bless our lives and make them more the way He intended.
He wants us to give the things I listed above to others. He wants us to give control of our life to Him. He wants us to submit ownership of all of our “stuff” to His control. He wants us to bring Him praise and thanksgiving, whether we “feel blessed” at the time, or not. Be a giver.
Now read this: You can win or you can love
This post originally appeared on Changed Through Faith and was republished with permission.
Brian Goslee is an author, speaker, and founder of Changed Through Faith Ministries . Their mission is to help fathers and families grow closer to God and each other, using fun and relevant faith-infused events and resources. Brian’s life has been radically changed through active faith in Christ and he has a heart for helping others experience this in their lives.
