I ask for prayers

[Vance2335]

I ask for prayers for my wife's grandfather who is not doing well, I ask for prayers for what I describe is a tight finacial matter, I ask for prayers for myself as I battle old demons and try to kick a habit.

Thank you

[threedogsandacat]

I agree to disagree with you brother. I believe in paying God my first fruits, which is money, because that is our provision this day and time. I believe in offerings and in giving. To me these are three separate things. We could debate the word of God all day and all night and not accomplish anything except possibly offending one another. I don't think that would be very Godly. I just wanted to share with you what I know worked and is still working for me. You can take it or leave it, that is up to you.  My prayers are with you!!

[Vance2335]

Who's to say that giving has to be $? When Jesus walked he walked with people with no money. I think it is not how much you give or what you give. It's about the desire to give and more importantly your love for Jesus. Belief, love and devotion to Jesus is not about $ and his blessings do not come because you give $1 or $10,000.

A sinner could walk to a church and give them $1,000,000 but if this sinner does not follow Jesus and does not confess his sins what is he going to get?
A man who is down on his luck could gve nothing but confession and undying love and devotion to Jesus what does he get?

I think the man who follows Jesus will get his blessings for his loyality. While the sinner will get nothing because his act was selfish,

I still give in terms of other things to certain missions we have at our church.

[threedogsandacat]

I am glad you are faithful to the house of God. I understand where you are coming from concerning your finance's. I was a single mother trying to make it off of $150.00 a week with no other help.There were nights where I would watch my child eat his dinner and I would pray that he left some on his plate for me. Sometimes he did and I would keep it in my mouth as long as I could before I had to swallow.Other nights I would drink water to curb the hunger before bed. I was so thin people thought I had an eating disorder. I made sure my child had clothes on his back, a roof over his head and food in his belly. I would look at my financial situation and think there was just no way I could pay my tithes when I can barely provide the basic necessities. I just didn't see it happening. I was so tired of living this way. I couldn't sleep for worrying. God forbid if my child were to get sick or hurt.
I started seeking answers in the word of God. I don't just take another persons word for it anymore, no matter how close to God they are. I want God to give me a revelation. I have learned that he esteems is word above his name. If you live by his principles he has to bless you because his word says he will and he is not a man that he should lie. I have listed a few scriptures for you. Why not give it a try. Ask yourself this question: is what you've been doing working?
Mal. 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Mal. 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse (I take this to mean the Church), that there may be meat in thine house (yours), and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, If I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall  not be room enough to receive it. ( try him and see if he will honor his promise)
Luke 18:2 I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Gen. 28:22 And this Stone, which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house; of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
My personal favorite:  Luke 21:3-4 And he said, of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than all. For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God; but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
I wonder how desperate this poor women must have been to give all that she had, just hoping God would see her sacrifice and give her a miracle. Do you think he let her go home and die after showing such great faith? I bet he blessed her beyond her dreams for this one act of obedience. Dear Brother, I mean no offense. It's my hearts desire to see families come out from under this type of bondage that I was once in. God gives us the blueprint to do it with. I know you don't think you can afford it. But seriously, You can't afford not to. You believe in your heart that the Lord wants you to put your family before anything else; and in some ways you are correct; But the bible tells us in Mat. 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these other things shall be added unto you. You are the head of your home and Jesus is your head. Just like your family is trusting you to take care of them, Jesus wants you to trust in him, and more so. Why not give him a chance. I can't change the way you view things but please seek God's word and his will in everything.  I love you Brother and I ask the Lord to bless everything you do to provide for your family.

[Vance2335]

I do attend church and our church doe snot talk about 1st 10%, they are give what you can, and while we do we can no longer do so because if we continue to give on a weekly basis something like car payment, mortgage or food will fall short. I know not to worry but I do have to make sure my family is provided for and I believe that God would want that 1st and foremost. We have started to cut back in many areas with the hope of continued giving at church but we are not sure.
Taxes in my state have taken me from a comfortable living to a tight living.

[threedogsandacat]

I will take your petitions before the Lord and thank you for asking for prayer. Also it's none of my business, just wanted to share what I know about God's faithfulness. I don't know if you are paying yours tithes or not but I have found out that as long as I am faithful to give him a tenth of what is already his anyway, then he will be faithful to bless me financially. Give it where you are spiritually fed. If you don't attend a Church then ask God where he would like you to give. What they do with it after that is between them and God. When I first started I didn't see how I could get my bills paid as it was,let alone pay tithes. I decided you can't take nothing from nothing so I gave my tithes before anything else. Some how, some way, the bills were always paid. Then I started learning about being a good steward and making wise choices. I began giving offerings as well. If I see a young mother short on cash and unable to by milk I would pay for her groceries. If I new someone was in need of food or clothing I will give what God leads me to give or buy.
This is really when God begins to bless. You just can't out give him. He will honor his word.
I don't know what your personal demons are but I had a prescription drug addiction and I smoked cigarettes for 26 years. One day I made up my mind and told the Lord I wanted deliverance. I began a  consecrated fast on two separate occasions. One for each addiction. I fasted the pills first. I had just filled my prescriptions. I had 90 nerve pills and 120 Loritabs among a few other things. I prayed and resisted. I prayed and resisted. I cried over and over again. I became very ill. I just trusted God to see me through. I got really weak at one point. I had the bottle in my hand. I looked at the pills and told Satan NO! I will not be defeated! I threw all the pills away. I did the same thing a few months later with the cigarettes. I bought a whole carton the day before I started fasting them. This kept me from having that panicky feeling of running out.
I pray the the Lord will make you an over comer. God Bless you and Keep you.