Father,
You show us that a giving church is one whose hearts are
united as one; one in which each person in the body allows your grace to
powerfully work through them. I praise you for a giving church at FRC. Each
person hops on the chance to serve the poor, feed hungry children, and reach
beyond our community to the ends of the earth. It’s beautiful to see so many
serving and loving others through your grace.
Even still, I lift up our church finances. We are
dangerously behind our budget, which limits the impact we can have on the
discipleship of those that come to our church. While we are a giving church to
the community, we need to be more giving inside our church family. The
ministries are suffering. I pray for hearts to be burdened for the ministries
we have that disciple adults, teens, and children in the Lord. We have new
opportunities coming forth in the fall – divorce recovery, children’s musical,
children's renovation, next-steps classes, etc.
You have called us to minister to those inside as much as those
outside. Not much different than our own families. We feed our children in the
home as well as feeding those poor out of the home. Give us a balance in
giving, so that just like the first church in Acts, “there are no needy persons
among us.” With one mind and one heart the disciples brought the money earned
from their sales to the Apostles feet so that it could be distributed to anyone
in need. While we may not be tangibly giving food and clothing to those in need
that attend our church, we have a great responsibility to disciple them within
the ministries you have called us to provide. It takes resources to keep these
ministries alive. Please provide as you have promised you would.
Give us pause for our church family. You are the great
Provider for each person in our church and for our church family as a whole.
Burden us with your heart to give. Holy Spirit, teach us the value of tithing
and giving to our church family. Teach us why, teach us how, and give us wisdom
in what we are to give. You are the owner of all we have; you are the potter of
our souls; mold us and make us into your servants of grace inside the church as
well as outside.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Acts 4:32-37
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