What is the relationship between prayer and giving?
Prayer and giving are the two hands of dependence on God: prayer receives from Him, giving returns to Him and passes His gifts to others. Jesus teaches them side by side in the Sermon on the Mount with the same warnings, the same secrecy, and the same reward from the Father who sees in secret. Both begin with God's generosity; both guard against performing for people.
This question arose from studying How do I pray? and What does the Lord's Prayer teach?.
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What the Scripture says
Jesus teaches them together
In the Sermon on the Mount, merciful deeds and prayer sit in the same paragraph with identical structure: 'don't sound a trumpet before yourself' when you give; don't pray 'that they may be seen by men.' Both done secretly meet 'your Father who sees in secret' who rewards openly. Whatever prayer is before God, giving is meant to be the same thing.
Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.
so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.
But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Both start with receiving from the Father
The Lord's Prayer holds them together: it asks 'Give us today our daily bread' and then pledges 'Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.' We give because we have first received; we forgive because we were forgiven. Generosity is not a substitute for prayer, it is prayer's answer put into action.
Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
Giving is worship that ascends like sacrifice
Paul calls the Philippians' financial gift 'a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.' Their money never reached Paul's hands without passing through heaven's first. That is why he says the Macedonians gave themselves 'first... to the Lord': giving is directed at God, which makes it kin to prayer rather than mere logistics.
But I have all things, and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.
This was not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.
Giving turns answered prayer into thanksgiving
'This service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through many givings of thanks to God.' A gift multiplies prayer: needs met become thanks returned, and the recipients bless the givers' Father. Prayer asks for the supply; giving distributes it; gratitude completes the circle back to God.
For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through many givings of thanks to God;
Scripture keeps pairing them in practice
Paul exhorts that 'petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men,' pairing intercession with its practical cousin. The Jerusalem church 'continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer' while selling possessions to share with any who had need. And the great intercessors prayed with their bodies engaged: Nehemiah fasted and wept, Daniel set his face to seek God 'with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.'
I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men:
They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.
All who believed were together, and had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need.
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
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Verses to meditate on
But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Give us today our daily bread.
But I have all things, and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.
For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through many givings of thanks to God;
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