Prayer and Giving, Part 3: Generous Praying

In this third post on giving and prayer, I have eight words of stewardship advice. Seven really, because pray is repeated! Clergy and Christian leaders could act on this simple counsel today:

• Pray

• Say thank-you

• Tell stories

• Pay attention

• Pray. (This is one worth repeating. We’ll talk about the Holy Spirit and pre-authorized giving!)

While I’m imagining an audience of people who work in Christian ministry, we are all both givers and receivers. The first and last points on prayer apply to us all.

Pray

First, pray. Inhale. Exhale. Thank God for the gift of this day, with all its joys and sorrows, worries and delights. Acknowledge God’s generosity, God’s mercy which is new every morning (Lam 3:22-23).

Say thank-you

Pick up the phone (or email or write a card) and say “I thank God for your generosity” to a long-time supporter of your ministry (2 Cor 9:11). “I thank God for your generosity” is a prayer, shared with God and the faithful donor.

Tell stories

Before the offering (or over coffee, or in a newsletter), share a short anecdote. A smile from a child at the food bank. A bedside prayer in a hospital room. A hopeful phone call that connected someone to needed resources. The story needn’t be long or detailed, it just needs to be real (respecting privacy of course!)

Connect people’s generosity to other people, rather than to a budget line.

In the offering prayer, thank God for what we have received and for opportunities to share. Thank God for generous givers, both past and present. They form part of the cloud of witnesses who encourage us in our faith.

Pay attention

Gratitude helps us notice God at work in the world. Often when I say pay attention, I mean pay attention to who gives. That’s important, as you can’t thank someone if you don’t know who they are!

Paying attention goes beyond knowing donors. Gratitude is the act of paying attention to God’s activities in the world. It’s sunny as I’m writing, after a very grey month, and I’m grateful for that! Gratitude reduces our fears and reminds us to trust God. Gratitude makes it easier to connect with donors too.

If gratitude seems hard, maybe loop back and pray again. Inhale, exhale. Acknowledge God’s generosity and the gift of this day. Encouraging a faithful donor who has supported your ministry for years will bless both you and the donor.

Pray

Pray. We are all both givers and receivers. Are you cultivating your own spiritual discipline of giving? When we don’t know what to do, which is often, we pray for help. “Lord, help me to be generous” could be a request for Jesus to guide your giving.

In my previous post, I wrote about steady and spontaneous prayer and giving. I’ve heard donors tell me that spontaneous giving feels more Spirit led. How can prayer guide our giving if it’s pre-authorized?

Good question! The late Edwin Friesen wrote that the Holy Spirit can guide our giving a year in advance. I like this so much!

Pray about your regular giving. Pray about your spontaneous giving. How should it be directed?

Generous praying. Praying generously. Giving and prayer go together as ways of following Jesus. I’m grateful for the many role models who have encouraged me in these spiritual disciplines.