Give unto the Lord I

Thursday 1 October
READ: 1 Chron. 22: 6 - 19
MORE LESSON: 2 Sam 7: 1 - 16

David was called the man after God's heart. He loved God so much that He always gave. When David wanted to raise an altar to God and the owner of the land offered to give him the land for free, he said, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 2 Sam 24:24 KJV. David also decided in his heart to build a house for the Lord. Though God didn't permit him to build the temple because he had shed too much blood, he still went ahead to provide everything that needed to be put in place for the temple to be built. He told Solomon his son, I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. 1 Chron 22:14 NIV. When you study the heart of love and giving that David exercised towards God, you will not wonder why God blessed him and chose him as an eternal dynasty on the throne of Israel.

As the saying goes, 'Like begets like’. Solomon grew up seeing his father give, so he took after him well taught by his father to give to God. Solomon gave God a thousand burnt offerings and God was so impressed that God came down personally to bless him. (2 Chron. 1: 6 – 12). Solomon went ahead to become the greatest, wealthiest and wisest king in history. His father laid the foundation for him to build on. Parents should not undermine the place of giving and teaching their children to give. Let your children see you giving and instruct them to do likewise. From giving offering in Church, giving to servants of God to helping people, be deliberate in teaching your children to give. Don't let them grow up to become tight fisted like dry bones.

Right from infancy, give them offerings in Church and walk them to the altar of God to drop it. Let them see it when you give the last food left in the house to a prophet of God like the widow of Zarephath did. (1Kings 17: 12 - 13) and also tell them the testimony when God shows up with a miracle of provision in response to that act of faith. As you give and your children continue in it, God will make you great all round and your children will become even greater than you: your roof will be their own basement in greatness, in the name of Jesus. In addition to all other teaching you give your children, teach them the act of giving because it secures their future in abundance.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that you will be a practical example of a giver like your father God.
* Pray for God’s wisdom to raise a generation of givers for God’s kingdom.
* Pray that the blessing of a giver will not cease in your life and generation.
* Give God thanks for the privilege to give.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Thank You Jesus for the gift of the tenth month. Every form of shapelessness and void in my nation and life shall begin to take shape and order, in the name of Jesus.