Sample prayer

Kind Father, You are the Giver of all good things. You long to be gracious to me (Isaiah 30:18). I thank you for Your generosity in granting me the desires of my heart, answering my prayers, and making me glad with the joy of Your presence (Psalm 21:1-7). You pour out unending blessings, far beyond what I deserve.

Please help me to recognize that nothing I own is really mine; it is a gift from you. When I reflect on my attitude toward food and possessions, I see how often I satisfy my own desires rather than considering the needs of others. I confess that I think nothing of spending money on little extravagances, knowing full well that others elsewhere are in need of water, food and clothing. I give generously to various causes, but never to the point of significant sacrifice.

According to Your Word, selfishness and greed rank alongside sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, drunkenness, envy, murder, deceit and malice (Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 1:29). Lord, I pray that You would forgive me for the ways I have been inconsiderately selfish with the resources You have given me. I want to be generous with these blessings so I can be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:1-3). In Jesus’ name, I ask that You would put to death in my life the things that belong to the sinful nature, especially greed (Colossians 3:5).

Lord, from birth I have observed in my children the human tendency to be self-centred. Please show me how I can encourage ________ and ________ to be concerned about the needs of others instead of hoarding the things You give them. Thank you that my children showed a spirit of generosity when they ________. As they are tempted to be selfish, remind them of 1 Corinthians 10:24: “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” Teach them the truth of Psalm 112:5 that “Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.” I pray Your grace would abound in ________ and ________, so they would be “. . . rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18).

My prayer is that generosity and grace will be hallmarks of our family so others may see You in us. Please show us who the poor and needy are in our community so we can share our wealth with them. May our generosity result in others giving thanks to You (2 Corinthians 9:8-11).

May we find joy in refreshing others by being generous with our possessions (Proverbs 11:25). You modelled true selflessness when You died on the cross. You gave Your life away. May our generous kindness to others be a testimony that You are living in us. Amen.

Scripture-guided prayer for parents

Read and pray through one or more of the selected scriptures under each heading. Focus on listening to God and allowing His Spirit to direct you as you pray.

Character focus

Begin by letting God know how much you appreciate His generosity and grace.

Psalm 103:1-5 | Psalm 104:10-15, 24-30 | Psalm 140:12 | Psalm 145:3-9 | Acts 20:35

Heart search

Acknowledge the areas where you tend to be selfish.

Isaiah 58:5-8 | 2 Corinthians 9:6 | Colossians 3:2, 5 | James 2:14-17 | 1 John 3:17-18

Gratitude

Thank God for ways you have seen generosity exhibited in your family.

Family requests

Ask God to help you and your family to be generous.

Psalm 112:5-9 | Proverbs 11:24-26 | Proverbs 28:27 | Isaiah 58:9-11 | Matthew 25:37-40