DAY 5: PRAY IT FORWARD by Kevin Williams

DAY FIVE: PRAY IT FORWARD by Kevin Williams

A couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to speak with a church member at Trace Crossing that had some money that he and his wife wanted to contribute as a designated offering to our church. They had prayed about the use of this money and wanted to either invest it in our worship ministry or towards a missional effort of the church. They didn’t want this money to be used as rent or for toilet paper or even to send the staff on a Hawaiian vacation. Can you believe that? Just kidding.

I encouraged him that the Ukraine mission effort was the way to go. Selfishly, I wanted to use the money for the worship ministry but was convinced, even in that moment, that the Holy Spirit wanted that money for Ukraine. I promised him that the money given would go completely to that trip and that the church was very grateful.

If the story ended with that gesture of giving, it would be incredibly encouraging. However, the story doesn’t end there. This man of God said something over the phone that the Holy Spirit has been turning over and over in my mind since our conversation. He said, “We thought about saving this money until one of us (he or his wife) could make a mission trip, but we wanted God to be able to bless someone else through this money now.” Wow, right? Just wait. It gets better. He continued by saying, “We know that when it’s time for one or both of us to go on a mission trip, God will use someone else to bless us.” My eyes tear-up every time I think about those words. I can’t even begin to tell you the story of how God is already using that money. There will be another day that we can tell you that story.

These are the people we sit beside each week in worship, folks…those who give so that God can be given glory for being our Provider, those who sacrifice because they know what Christ sacrificed for them, those who understand God’s heart in such a way that they know He is big enough to meet all of our needs. I have been humbled by that thought.

Sometimes, my god (little “g” intended) is too small to meet my needs. My flesh doesn’t allow me to think such grandiose thoughts about Him, that He might want me to sacrifice so that He can use it to bless others now. Then there is that next level of trust that knows God is capable now of using someone else to bless me later. I’m ashamed that my mind would have never gone there. I want to trust Him like that.

God’s math doesn’t work like ours. He asks us to give our five loaves and two fish and He feeds thousands. Then, for kicks, He leaves us twelve baskets of leftovers. I want to give my whole offering to the Master, not just my money (though that can be a challenge). I want Him to use all of my life in this way. I want my actions to match my words. I want to lay everything on the altar and give God full control…heart, soul, mind and strength.

My Prayer for Trace Crossing:

Oh God, teach us to trust. Teach us to believe that You are big enough, not just to handle our problems, but to handle our daily decisions. Teach us to bring every decision before You in prayer. Help us to understand Your math, Your plan and Your timeline. You have all the resources. Teach us to be good stewards of our time, energy, money and passion. May our lives be lifted high as an offering to You.