Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. ~ Deuteronomy 15:10-11
Often when we try giving from a generous heart, we give away only what is comfortable.
How would we feel about giving if it were uncomfortable?
Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor during the early foundations of the Christian church, once wrote a letter to the Emperor of Rome stating that he was scared the generosity of the Christians was going to cause the people of Rome to become disloyal.
Christians fully opened their homes to the orphaned, sick, and poor, and lovingly took care of them.
The generosity of the church was so big, and so well-known, that the Romans were afraid that the church’s outpouring of love would be the demise of the mighty Roman empire.
These early Christians opened their homes, generously helping those around them, even though it directly angered the most powerful government in the world at the time.
Giving from a generous heart, like the early Christians, is something we can all practice a little more.
Check out this Scripture meditation below to help get us started!
Deuteronomy 15:10–11
10 “Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”
What This Teaches Us about God
He loves generosity (v. 10)
He wants us to help those in need (v. 11)
He calls us to be open handed (vv. 10–11)
He is compassionate towards us (v. 22)
Prayers of Response
When I practice generosity by _________, it can sometimes feel forced. Lord, I’m grateful for your generosity with me because _________.
Prayer Requests
Father, help me to take my generosity a step further and be dangerously generous by _________. I feel called to help _________ (name) but I always find excuses to get out of it. Please help me want to serve others.
Prayers of Readiness
I don’t know where to start with serving others because _________, but I trust you will guide me, Lord. Today, as I _________, I am ready to make an impact on my community for your Kingdom!
A simple prayer like this can be all we need to get started connecting with God in our Lent journeys. To follow more of our journey through Lent and check out our other Lent devotions click here!
Original content by Reclaim Today. Reshared with permission.
