A Prayer to Freely Give of Ourselves this Christmas
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give” – Matthew 10:8
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Oh, the Christmas season, filled and overflowing with activities to do, gifts to buy, and events to plan and attend. All in all, it can be overwhelming and time-consuming. Still, in the midst of it all come countless opportunities to freely give of ourselves. As the Apostle Paul gently reminds us, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’’’ (Acts 20:35). Likewise, Jesus calls us to freely give as we have freely received.
God Shows Us How to Freely Give
Giving is a God characteristic. It definitely didn’t originate in humans, but is a quality that reflects the greatest giver the world will ever know. As John 3:16 explains, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Like the popular saying goes, “No one can outgive God.” He definitely has outdone anything we could possibly ever hope to give in what He freely gives to us.
“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
What Freely Giving Gives to Us
At Christmas, we have much reason to freely give of ourselves. It’s a time of year when holidays seem to inspire even people who ordinarily are too busy to offer themselves an extra incentive to do so. And with good reason, as the Bible is filled with the whys to freely give of ourselves, not just for others but for what it does in our own lives when we do. Although we don’t want to be freely giving for the purpose of attaining things for ourselves, the following are three of the benefits we receive when we give to minister and serve others.
1. Those who freely give gain more than they give away.
Proverbs 11:24 explains how “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”
Being stingy and unwilling to freely give of ourselves isn’t just withholding from others but even more so from ourselves.
2. Those who freely give prosper and receive refreshment.
Like Proverbs 11:25 describes, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
Prospering in life is a good thing and is not just about fiancés and possessions. In John 10:10, Jesus emphasizes that He has come so we might have life and have to the full. So prospering is more than making money and buying stuff; it’s about living well in every area of our lives, including our health, relationships, work, and more.
3. Those who freely give receive a generous harvest.
2 Corinthians 9:6 reminds, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
Freely giving of ourselves may seem and feel at times like it’s costing us more than we can afford. But instead, it’s adding up to more than we thought was possible to receive. It’s a spiritual truth that works supernaturally in our lives, where through freely giving, what we have is multiplying and providing for all our needs in life. It’s something that doesn’t make sense to worldly ways of reasoning but makes perfect sense in God’s kingdom.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father,
Lead us this Christmas to freely give to others what we so freely receive from You. Tune and refine our hearts to see and hear where we can freely share You with those You put before us. Soften and move upon our hearts to be ready, willing, and available to give of ourselves to others by listening and lending an ear to those who need someone to talk with and being there for those who need a helping hand or shoulder to lean on. Free us from the things that restrain us, such as selfishness, self-centeredness, greed, pride, and uncaring and withholding attitudes. Help us to submit to Your will over our own, with a willingness to let You reach out to others through us, despite our weaknesses and frailties. Strengthen us and give us courage to be the hands and feet of Jesus this Christmas and to love those around us like You love us.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/SeventyFour
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Editor’s Note: We’re proud to announce we’ve just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You’ll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it’s a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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