12 I WILL FULFILL MY VOWS TO YOU, O GOD, AND WILL OFFER A SACRIFICE OF THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.
13 For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light."
Psalm 56:12,13 (NLT)
• Sentiment should be set apart in your Giving. You do not seek the counsel of whoever would not encourage you to give as you had been impressed or stirred to do inwardly.
- What you pledge or Vow to give should be made personal between you and God. Except the case of husband and wife.
- Even in that, If through your experience, you knew your spouse would not encourage you either to pledge, Vow, or give, you rather make it an affair between you and your God—your Maker. And involved not any person.
- If you would need to go to someone for any counsel before you Give; a friend or an acquaintance, It means you are still shallow in your relationship with God.
- In most cases, the person you ask to counsel you wether to give or not, or about the amount to give, would usually mislead you; except the person is someone who walks in the Spirit.
- A carnal person would counsel you wrongly, either he or she tells you to give lesser than what God expected you to give, or counsel you not to give at all.
- Whatever you wanted to give to God, or to whoever He wants you to help, should be agreed upon and done between you and God:
1 "TAKE HEED THAT YOU DO NOT DO YOUR CHARITABLE DEEDS BEFORE MEN, TO BE SEEN BY THEM. OTHERWISE YOU HAVE NO REWARD FROM YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. 2 THEREFORE, WHEN YOU DO A CHARITABLE DEED, DO NOT SOUND A TRUMPET BEFORE YOU AS the HYPOCRITES DO IN the SYNAGOGUES AND IN the STREETS, that THEY MAY HAVE GLORY FROM MEN. ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD. 3 BUT WHEN YOU DO A CHARITABLE DEED, DO NOT LET YOUR LEFT HAND KNOW WHAT YOUR RIGHT HAND IS DOING, 4 THAT YOUR CHARITABLE DEED MAY BE IN SECRET; And YOUR FATHER WHO SEES IN SECRET WILL HIMSELF REWARD YOU OPENLY" (Matthew 6:1-4 NKJV).
• Giving, making of a Vow or a pledge, is a thing to be done privately between you and God.
- It should not be deliberated upon, except the person whom you are or wanted to share it with is a person of matured mind, who knows the importance and implication of it—that which you wanted to do, the Vow, or pledge, or the gift.
- When you are Giving, or pledging, or fulfilling a Vow or pledge, do not be sentimental, that you might be rewarded and prosper.
• A woman
A woman returned from her Base to visit her home country. She wanted to visit her pastor, who ministered to her before she left the country.
WHILST going to him, God inspired her to give a certain amount of money to the Pastor. But she decided to share it with one of her relations, and that person said, the amount she was inspired to give was too much, she should give certain amount and it should not be in foreign currency so that It would look valuable in the sight of the Pastor.
SHE went, and greeted the pastor, and gave the amount she was counselled to give.
SINCE the pastor did not know anything, whether God inspired her to give a certain amount to him or not. He blessed her, pray for her with all his heart and appreciated the gift she brought.
WHEN she left, in returning to her Base abroad, she had problem at the airport, she had to spend the exact amount she was stirred by God to give to the Pastor.
WHEN she got to her Base, she called the Pastor, repenting, and asked If she could send the exact amount God had inspired her to give in the first place. The Pastor said she should go ahead and do it If she wanted to.
• Do not allow sentiments in Giving.
- Whatever God inspires you to give as a Seed, or a pledge or a Vow; you should go ahead and do it without hesitation or deliberation with anyone, or being sentimental about it: "GIVE YOUR GIFTS IN PRIVATE, AND YOUR FATHER, WHO SEES EVERYTHING, WILL REWARD YOU" (Matthew 6:3,4 NLT).
• You will not fail in Jesus' name. - Should there be any ailment in your body, receive your healing now in Jesus' name.
- That hold of infirmity on your life is broken now in Jesus' name.
Peace!
STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).
- If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!