How to approach the act of Giving.
Do not think of giving just from the perspective of what God wants you to do. Think of it from the perspective of what God wants you to become.
Giving can transform you, altering your perspective on life, changing your priorities. Giving can actually make you less needy, freeing you from a material bondage that you may not even realize exists.
When you write a check to your church or a charity, drop change in a Salvation Army bucket, donate a winter coat, volunteer at a soup kitchen, or whatever, allow the experience to be all that it can be; in addition to expressing your hope that your gift will make a difference, here's a prayer of giving you might try:
Father, thank you for providing me with many blessings, so that I may provide for others.
Transform my heart and mind through this giving experience.
Bring me closer to You.
Expand my worldview.
Diminish my material desires. Increase my appreciation for the simple pleasures of life.
Empty my heart of want. And fill my heart with contentment. Amen.
