Devotional – Preparing for giving (Day 3)
“and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it. Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.” Neh. 2:5-6
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,” 2 Corinthians 9:7a
When Nehemiah spoke to the king, he did not go with empty ideas; he had a plan: “Send me to Judah, and I will rebuild the city of my fathers.” We can see how precise Nehemiah’s plan was when he pointed out exactly how long his journey would take (v. 6). He knew what he wanted, and nothing took him by surprise.
After your prayer time, we encourage you to plan your offering:
With conviction: It is important that you already have in your heart how much, what, or how your offering will be. To “purpose in your heart” is to have clarity within yourself; it is your starting point for taking practical steps.
Clearly: If you have already purposed something in your heart, you need a plan of action. Don’t underestimate the importance of planning. Do you need to set aside money daily or weekly? What practical steps do you need to take to reach what you have set in your heart? In Nehemiah 3, we see how they divided the work of rebuilding the walls; each family was assigned a specific section to maintain order.
With actions: After deciding in your heart and planning, don’t stop at words—do it! Be faithful and fulfill what you have purposed; let it become a reality. And you will see the hand of the Lord working in your life, supporting the plans you made for His glory.