Promise for Today - When It Comes to Giving...

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT)

When it comes to giving, God cares much more about what’s in your heart than what’s in your wallet. You may think you don’t have a lot to give. But what he really wants is your willingness—not your wealth. God cares about your heart in giving because your heart reflects him. He wants you to grow to be more like him and reflect a heart of generosity.

This verse offers four key heart attitudes you should have when you give.

1. Give thoughtfully. Don’t give impulsively. The most spiritual kind of giving is when you think about it, pray about it, and then make up your mind about it. God wants your giving to be important and meaningful in your life—so he wants you to plan for it.

2. Give enthusiastically. Don’t just think, “I have to give.” Give because you know God’s going to do something big in your heart when you become a generous person.

3. Give voluntarily. Any time someone pressures you to give, don’t do it. God’s not going to bless that kind of giving anyway. But when you feel God challenging you to give, that’s the time to give generously and voluntarily.

4. Give cheerfully. Give with joy! One of the Greek words for “offering” has the same root as the word “hilarious.” God wants you to enjoy giving to him and to others.

Next time you’re considering whether to give or how much to give, remember that God’s greatest concern is your heart. When you give thoughtfully, enthusiastically, voluntarily, and cheerfully, then you know that’s a gift God will bless!

Talk It Over

God wants you to give thoughtfully, enthusiastically, voluntarily, and cheerfully. Which of these attitudes is most difficult for you? Which is easiest for you? Why?

What is a healthy, proper way to respond in situations when you feel pressured to give?

What is God doing in your heart through your current giving habits and choices?

- by Pastor Rick

********************************

Prayer:

Father,

        We come before You today with grateful hearts, asking that You shape our giving to be mindful, intentional, and aligned with Your will. Help us see every blessing — whether it is time, resources, talents, or love — as a gift from You, entrusted to us for Your glory and to help build Your kingdom.
      Remove from us any reluctance, fear, or selfishness that might hinder true generosity. Teach us to give not out of obligation, but from a place of joy and love for You. Let our giving reflect Your heart, marked by compassion, kindness, and patience. Guide us in how, when, and where to give, so that our acts of generosity are wise and purposeful, meeting needs without causing harm or imbalance. Whether it is through material support, time, encouragement, or acts of kindness, may our giving overflow with blessing for others and for You.
      Help us to give with a cheerful spirit, knowing that You are our Provider. May our lives become a channel of Your grace, bringing comfort, hope, and encouragement to those around us. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Promise for Today - Keeping Record

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5 (NLT)

If you want to be financially strong, you need to start writing down what you spend until you know where all your money is going. This is the principle of accounting. You’ve got to keep track of your finances!

Have you ever made it to the end of the month and wondered, “Where did all my money go?” Ignorance of your financial condition plus easy credit equals disaster.

You’ve probably heard this phrase: “Money talks.” It does not. It just walks away quietly, and it doesn’t tell you where it’s going. To know what you’re spending your money on, you have to keep good records.

When it comes to your finances, you need to keep good records of four things: what you own, what you owe, what you earn, and where it’s going. This kind of record-keeping is the framework for budgeting.
There are several ways to budget, and you need to figure out which one is best for you. You need to get online, get to your bank, get to your accountant’s office, get into your books—whatever it takes for you to get on track and understand your money so that it works for you and not against you.

Proverbs 23:5 says, “Your money can be gone in a flash, as if it had grown wings and flown away like an eagle” (GNT). That’s a pretty descriptive picture. If you don’t know where your money is going, it’s just going to fly away like an eagle. Fortunately, for those of us in the US, our government is kind enough to remind us of this by putting an eagle on every dollar bill!

The financial plan that God blesses starts with recognizing that he is your source of income and your security. Then, by keeping good records, you can more easily see how God is providing for you and blessing your good stewardship of his gifts.

Talk It Over

How can budgeting your money give you more freedom financially?

What steps do you need to take today to be able to better track and allocate your money?

How do you want God to bless you financially? In what ways are you being faithful to him with your finances?

- by Pastor Rick

*******************************

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for every resource You have placed in our hands. We acknowledge that all we have comes from You, and we are merely stewards of Your provision. We ask for wisdom in managing our finances—to make decisions that honor You, avoid unnecessary debt, and prepare for the future. Teach us to distinguish between needs and wants, to budget faithfully, and to invest wisely. Forgive us for, and protect us from, greed, pride, and scarcity thinking. Help us cultivate a spirit of generosity, trusting that You provide for all our needs. Let every financial choice bring stability, peace, and blessing. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen

Promise for Today - Time Delayed

Let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest.

Galatians 6:9 (GNT)

I talk to people all the time who say, “One of these days, I’m going to . . . ” They promise to serve more or give more when they retire, or when they get a raise—one of these days.

But “one of these days” is none of these days. You can’t wait for things to get better; you need to start planting now. Why? Because the sooner you plant, the longer you’re going to enjoy the harvest in your life. But the harvest is not always going to come in your expected timeframe. There’s always a delay between sowing and reaping. You plant in one season, and you harvest in another.

You have to be patient and not give up!

This is one of the principles that the kingdom of God operates on. In Mark 4:26-28, Jesus says, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head” (NIV).

The results will come, but they will come slowly and as part of a process. And because it takes time, you have to choose to be patient: “Let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest” (Galatians 6:9 GNT).

Choose to forget about last year’s crop failure. Instead, start focusing on the long-term harvest in your life. If you’re in financial difficulty, you didn’t get that way overnight. You took years to mess things up, and it’s going to take a while to put things back together. There is a time delay between sowing and reaping.

The Bible says in Psalm 126:5-6, “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest” (NLT).

What loss have you been grieving over? Maybe you’ve lost your job. Maybe you’ve lost your health. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one. Maybe you’ve lost your savings. Maybe you’ve lost half of your retirement in the last few years. Maybe you’ve lost your dream.

Mourning is okay; moaning is not. Instead of moaning, get moving!

Today is the day to plant the seed.

Talk It Over

If you could give financial advice to your younger self, what would you say? What can you learn from your financial mistakes that you can apply to your current situation?

What past mistakes and financial failures do you need to let go of? What do you need to start doing today to move forward with your finances?

What do you want to receive more of in your life? How can you plant that seed so that you will one day reap your own harvest?

- by Pastor Rick

********************************

Prayer:

Father,

          Just as the farmer waits patiently for the precious fruit of the earth, so we wait for the harvest of Your promises. Teach us to be like the husbandman—faithful in our labor, trusting in the early and latter rains of Your provision
      Thank You for the seasons You have given us, for the growth You have allowed in our lives, and for the foundation You have laid. We place our hope in You, knowing that if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently. Strengthen our hearts so that we do not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.
       Lord, calm our anxious thoughts and fill our souls with peace. Let our patience be a reflection of Your goodness, and may our waiting be an opportunity to grow in faith, trust, and gratitude. We trust in Your sovereignty, for to everything there is a season, and we accept Your timing in every matter. Thank You for the harvest You have already begun to gather for us, and we look forward to the fullness of Your promises. May our patience be a light to others, showing them the beauty of waiting on You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Reflection of the Generous

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.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NIV)

If a farmer goes out with a trailer load of beans and plants them in a barren field, what fruit does he expect to bear? Watermelon? Cucumbers? No, he’s going to get beans. He doesn’t doubt or question that outcome, because whatever you plant is what you’re going to get back.

This is the law of reproduction, and it applies to every single area of your life, especially your finances. Another way to explain the law of reproduction is this: You reap what you sow.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “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” (NIV).

This can work either positively or negatively in your life. If you’re planting seeds of kindness, people will be kind to you. If you forgive others, they will be forgiving of you. If you’re generous, people will show generosity to you.

But if you are angry all the time, people will respond in anger. If you cheat other people, people are going to cheat you. If you gossip about other people, guess what? People are going to gossip about you.

The law of reproduction says that you reap what you sow. But the principle of multiplication says that you also always reap more than you sow.

When you put one kernel of corn in the ground, you don’t get one kernel of corn back. You get a cornstalk with multiple ears and hundreds of kernels. This is the exponential power that God has established in the universe. You always get more out of it than you put into it.

It’s why, when people verbally attack me, I never attack in return. Why? I don’t want to get caught in the chain. No matter what anyone says to me, I don’t want to say anything bad back to them because if I do, I’m going to reap more than I sowed. Instead, I choose to do the exact opposite of what they’ve done to me. I choose to bless them and pray for them. Why? Because that’s what I want to receive, and I always reap more than I sow.

The Message paraphrase says, “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller” (Proverbs 11:24).

Talk It Over

How have you seen the principle of multiplication active in your life?

What do you expect from your investments? How are you sowing so that you can receive what you want to reap?

How do you want God to make your world larger (Proverbs 11:24)? What do you need to change about your finances so that he can increase your influence and giving?

- by Pastor Rick

*****************************

Prayer:

Father,
           We come before You with humble hearts, asking for Your grace to be more generous. Teach us to see giving not as a burden, but as a privilege that reflects Your abundant grace. Open our hands and our hearts to share Your blessings freely, without hesitation or expectation. Remove selfishness, fear, and reluctance that may hold us back from truly serving others.
      Help us to give not only with our resources, but also with our time, our words, and our love. May our generosity overflow into acts of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, bringing healing, unity, and hope to those around us.

     Teach us to trust You fully, knowing that when we give, You will meet our needs and bless us in return. Let our giving be joyful, sacrificial, and in faith, so that it may glorify Your name and make Your light shine brightly. Father, we pray that our generosity may be a reflection of Your heart — open-handed, selfless, and full of love. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Promise for Today - For Your Good

As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (TLB)

There’s nothing in your life that you can’t learn from if you’ll just respond with the right attitude.  Instead of saying, “God, why is this happening to me?’ learn to say, “God, what do you want me to learn from this?” Every situation in life will either make you bitter or better. It’s your choice because you CAN choose how you respond to it.

Every problem has a purpose, and the purpose is to help you grow up spiritually and become more like Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:5 says, “In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus” (ICB). If one of God’s purposes for your life is to grow up spiritually and to become like Jesus, then what is Jesus like?

The Bible calls Jesus’ character the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 GW). These are the qualities God wants to build in your life. He wants your life to overflow with love, joy, peace, and all of these attributes.

God often produces these qualities in your life by putting you in the exact opposite situation. 

He teaches you how to love by putting you around unlovely people. It’s easy to love people who are cool, people who are like you, people you get along with. But God will put you around seemingly unlovable people to show you what his unconditional love looks like.

He’ll teach you joy not by giving you everything you want but by showing you in adversity and grief that he is still enough.

He doesn’t teach you peace when you’re out fishing by the lake or wherever you choose to rest and relax. God teaches you real peace in the middle of chaos, when everything in your life is falling apart and you learn to trust him more.

God teaches us patience in traffic jams and waiting rooms and the thousand different ways we have to wait in life.

Becoming like Christ is a lifelong journey. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 in The Living Bible paraphrase, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.” God’s Spirit will be working on you the rest of your life to help you grow up spiritually.

When he uses ways to help you grow up that seem uncomfortable or inconvenient, remember that they are producing in you God’s best fruit.

Talk It Over

Think about a recent situation or circumstance that was difficult or stressful. How might God have intended to use it for your spiritual growth?

Why does adversity often teach us better than prosperity?

What do you think God wants you to do when you’re faced with adversity and you can’t see how God is using it for good in your life?

- by Pastor Rick

*****************************

Prayer:

Father, 

          Holy Spirit, we come before You with humble hearts, asking You to cultivate Your fruit in us. Let Your love flow through us, touching everyone we meet. Fill us with joy that overflows, peace that surpasses understanding, and patience that endures through trials.
           Lord, we ask for kindness and goodness to define our interactions, faithfulness to guide our commitments, and gentleness to reflect Your tender care. Grant us self-control to walk in righteousness and to resist temptations that seek to lead us astray.
          May love permeate our actions and words, joy radiate even in trials, and peace reign even amidst storms. Foster in us patience towards others, kindness in our dealings, goodness in our actions, faithfulness in our commitments, gentleness in our responses, and self-control in our desires.
         As we abide in You, we will bear much fruit, glorifying Your name and being a blessing to others.
We trust You, Father, to change us into the image of Your dear Son, and it's in His Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - The Essence of God

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

Hosea 6:6 NLT

The Bible says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8 NLT). It doesn’t say he has love. It says he is love. It is the essence of his character. It is the nature of his being. God is love.

The Bible says that you were created as an object of God’s love. The very reason you’re taking a breath right now is this: God made you simply to love you. He thought you up and created you as the object of his love because he is love. 

God didn’t need you. He wasn’t lonely. But he wanted you! The number one reason you were made was simply to be loved by God.

When you grasp this truth and let it shape your identity and purpose, you will never again have a problem with low self-esteem. Because when you realize how valuable you are—that God created the entire universe just so he could create the conditions so that human beings could exist so he could create you and love you—it will take away all those feelings of insecurity.

Unlike animals, we’re made in God’s image. That gives us the capacity to know and love God back.

One day Jesus was walking down the street when someone asked him, “Lord, what’s the most important command in Scripture?” And Jesus says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV). The most important thing in life is to know and to love God.

God says in Hosea 6:6 in The Living Bible paraphrase, “I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t want your offerings—I want you to know me.” The most important thing you can KNOW in life is that God created you to love you. And the most important thing you can DO in life is to know and love him back.

When you get up in the morning, before you do anything else, sit on the edge of your bed and say, “God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I want to get to know you better, and I want to love you more.”

That’s the start of living with purpose.

Talk It Over

How do you love God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 NIV)?

If your life focused first on loving and knowing God, what would change about your other priorities?

Why is it important to start your day by speaking truth like the one in today’s devotional, but also spending time with God and in his Word?

- by Pastor Rick

******************************

Prayer:

Father,

           Let no distraction steal our focus from You. Open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds to comprehend the depth of Your teachings. May Your Word become our daily bread, sustaining us in every aspect of life. We ask a hunger and thirst for Your Word like never before—may it be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Help us to apply Your Truth in practical ways, to live it out in our daily life, and to share it with others who seek the Truth.
          Lord, draw us close to Your heart. Take away anything that stands between us. Help us to love You more than the world, to obey Your commandments, and to reflect Your love in all we do. We surrender our will to Yours. Lead us, guide us, and draw us closer to You with each passing day. May our pursuit of a deeper understanding of Your Word bring glory to Your Name and transform our lives for Your purpose. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Seasons In His Time

Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

The Bible tells us that there are seasons in life. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (NIV).

The fact that life is made up of seasons means that life also includes times of waiting. Between the “then” and the “now” (or the “now” and the “what’s coming next”), there is always a delay. This irritates most people. It can be frustrating to make a deposit, investment, or plan and not have it instantly come to fruition.

But fruit ripens slowly. Would you rather eat a vine-ripened tomato or one that has been picked green and ripened later in storage? There’s no comparison between a vine-ripened tomato, which was allowed to grow slowly, and a tomato that was picked prematurely. If you pick too soon, you miss the flavor.

In money management, you always reap in a different season than you sow. And, by the way, not all fruit ripens at the same time. When you grow peaches, they’re not all ripe at once. They come in little by little; you pick a few a day. When you start planting and following God’s money management principles, you’re not going to see all the results tomorrow. It’s going to come in over time. You’re going to have to wait to reap in a different season.

But while you’re waiting, God is working. When you’re waiting for the fulfillment of the efforts or money or energy that you’ve put into something, you may think nothing’s happening. But, oh, it’s happening! While that seed is hidden in the ground, it is slowly germinating. And when that seed bursts with God’s blessing on it, it will continue growing and growing. One day a little shoot will stick up out of the ground, and then you will see that it’s working.

But until then, you need to trust that God is working, even when you can’t see the fruit of your labor.

Plants take time to grow. There’s no such thing as instant maturity. No farmer goes out, plants the seed in the ground, comes back an hour later, digs it up, and expects it to have grown. You’ve just got to let it be, and let God grow it in his time.

Talk It Over

What have you been waiting on God to bring to fruition in your life?

How have you grown spiritually as a result of having to wait for that harvest? What has God taught you as you’ve been waiting on him?

Why do you think God makes you wait to reap what you sow?

- by Pastor Rick

*******************************

Prayer:

Father,

       Lord, we know You are good, and Your timing is perfect. Even when we cannot see the full picture, we trust that You are working all things together for our good. Help us to let go of our own timetable and to wait with patience, knowing that You are never late and that Your plans are good. If impatience begins to stir in our hearts, remind us that You are faithful and that Your provision will come at the right time. Give us the strength to remain steadfast, even when progress seems slow, and to trust that Your protection may be keeping us from something that is not right for us.
      Teach us to be patient like the farmer who waits for the harvest, knowing that in due season, blessings will come. Renew our strength and courage so that we do not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we will reap when we don't give up.
     We come before You with a heart full of hope and trust, surrendering our plans, desires, and unanswered prayers into Your hands. Thank You for the peace You give, and for the hope that fuels our patience. Help us to be grateful for what we have now while trusting in what You are preparing for us. Keep our hearts from comparing our season with others, for each of us walks our own path. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen