What is the relationship between prayer and giving?

¹“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

²Therefore 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.

³But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does,

⁴so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

⁵“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.

⁶But 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.

⁷In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

⁸Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.

⁹Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

¹⁰Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

¹¹Give us today our daily bread.

¹²Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

¹³Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. ’

¹⁴“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

¹⁵But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

¹⁶“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

¹⁸so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

¹Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia;

²how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality.

³For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord,

⁴begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints.

⁵This was not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

⁶So we urged Titus, that as he made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace.

⁷But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace.

⁸I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

¹⁰I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing.

¹¹But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability.

¹²For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.

¹³For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed,

¹⁴but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack; that there may be equality.

¹⁵As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

⁶Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

⁷Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.

⁹As it is written, “He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor. His righteousness remains forever.”

¹⁰Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;

¹¹you being enriched in everything to all liberality, which works through us thanksgiving to God.

¹²For 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;

¹³seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all;

¹⁴while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you.

¹⁵Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!