Mission Trip Prayer & Devotional PlanSample

"The Power of Generosity"

The apostle Paul believed in a generous lifestyle, and he tried hard to teach it to those he had won to Christ. One way was to sponsor a collection for the poor in Jerusalem. In many of his letters, he advances this collection, but never at more length than in 2 Corinthians, where he lays out much of his thinking about generosity.

Remember where we started in this devotional series? In the first chapters of Genesis, we get a picture of the world as God made it — a place of justice, where each creature can flourish. The key point in this Corinthians passage is that generosity furthers human flourishing, both for those who receive and for those who give.

Generosity is a gentle and natural way to set the world right. Notice Paul’s words that emphasize abundance: “reap generously,” “cheerful,” “abundantly,” “abound,” “enriched.” These happen when God’s people do something small and simple: they give cheerfully.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see that when I give I am not truly giving anything up. You bring a wonderful harvest for every act of generosity. Make me see this; help me live it.