Day One: 30 Day Giving Challenge // Prayer is Essential

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Day One.

I know many of you are excited over the Giving Challenge.

I am near bursting with the prospects of what God is doing and will do in the coming days.

I believe the most important aspect of this entire Challenge is prayer.

Pray for God to put people in your path.

Pray for ways to help and encourage others (many of you are already doing this!).

Pray for opportunities to share the love of Christ.

Pray for healing, for wisdom, for guidance.

Pray for soft and receptive hearts.

Pray with intention.

And, while I invite you to join us, I know some of you may be uncomfortable publicly sharing your testimonies. This is fine! Please, do not feel discouraged, and please DO join us, in your own way.

There are no rules or regulations with this Challenge. It is not about that.

After all, giving and helping others is not about standing on the street corners proclaiming our greatness.

I would like to say, that the 30 Day Giving Challenge is not about what any of US are doing.

It is to raise awareness that people are in NEED.

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:26-27

I will give you ideas, but I will in NO way put these things up to highlight anything I have done.

For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 1 Corinithians 5:6

Any tweets or facebook status updates I post will be to raise awareness or to help those struggling with ideas, etc.

It is about extending grace to others, showing the love of Christ to those who need Him.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

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.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their 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 enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

It is not to show the world what I have done. After all, I would not even be in this world if not for my Lord.