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Kind Father,
You are the Giver of all good things. You long to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18). We thank you for Your generosity in granting us the desires of our hearts, answering our prayers, and making us glad with the joy of Your presence (Psalm 21:1-7). You pour out unending blessings, far beyond what we deserve.
Please help me to recognize that nothing I own is really mine; it is a gift from you. When I reflect on my attitude toward food and possessions, I see how often I satisfy my own desires rather than considering the needs of others. I confess that I think nothing of spending money on little extravagances, knowing full well that others elsewhere are in need of water, food and clothing. I give generously to various causes, but never to the point of significant sacrifice.
According to Your Word, selfishness and greed rank alongside sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, drunkenness, envy, murder, deceit and malice (Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 1:29). Lord, I pray that You would forgive me for the ways I have been inconsiderately selfish with the resources you have given me. I want to be generous with these blessings so I can be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:1-3). In Jesus' name, I ask that you would put to death in my life, the things that belong to the sinful nature, especially greed (Colossians 3:5).
Lord, from birth I have observed in my child the human tendency to be self-centred. Please show me how I can encourage ________ to be concerned about the needs of others instead of hoarding the things you give to him/her. Thank you that ________ has shown a spirit of generosity when he/she ________. As ________ is tempted to be selfish, remind him/her of 1 Corinthians 10:24: “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” Teach ________ the truth of Psalm 112:5 that “Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.” I pray Your grace would abound in ________, so he/she would be “. . . rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18).
My prayer is that generosity and grace would be hallmarks of our family so others may see You in us. Please show us who the poor and needy are in our community so we can share our wealth with them. We ask that our generosity would result in others giving thanks to You (2 Corinthians 9:8-11).
May we find joy in refreshing others by being generous with our possessions (Proverbs 11:25). You modelled true selflessness when You died on the cross. You gave Your life away. May our generous kindness to others be a testimony that You are living in us. Amen.
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