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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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.Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee 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.And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have 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.But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee 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.After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Give us today our daily bread.Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.And forgive us our debts, as we 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.But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing 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.And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by 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;For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto 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:I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
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.And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man 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,And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and 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.And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, 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 when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee 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.But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Give us today our daily bread.Give us this day 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.But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing 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;For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
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