I have been marinating this issue of giving and receiving in my spirit for a while now; in prayer and fasting. When I taught on the subject this month, I did so with meekness and withholding on the boldness that apostle Paul exudes while addressing the same issue in his letters to the Corinthians. I often bow my knees and tarry in His presence to receive more revelation on the subject for I desire to spur more grace in your life and not legalism. The ambiguity in the subject lies in the fact that, in Christ we have all sufficiency and are no longer under the law (a written code of ethics) but under grace (unmerited endowment of what we do not deserve). Furthermore, there is a perplexing narrow path between giving to get and honoring the Lord with our wealth and substance.
While seeking the Lord concerning this issue and other issues in the ministry last night, the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient to deal with all matters in the church and in every believer’s life. There is nothing that you need in your life that grace hasn’t provided. In the old covenant, the letter was written on tablets of stone while in our time, His word is written in the tablets of our hearts (Hebrews 10:16, Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 11:19).
          Derek Price once said, “The law is outside of me, something that I can point to and say that’s what I have to do. Grace is inside me, it changes me in such a way that it becomes natural for me to act in the way that God wants me to.”
His grace is not a list of do’s and don’ts in our hearts but an empowerment to ensure that our righteousness surpasses that of the pharisees (Matthew 5:20).Inside God’s grace is the power to heal all, the power to save, the power to live a prosperous life, the power to walk in all the gifts of the Spirit and the power to inherit every promise in His word. Grace is not a mysterious force but one that is visible in a believer’s life. In Acts 11:23, Luke mentions that when Barnabas went to Antioch, He saw the grace of God and was thrilled, and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with a heartfelt devotion. It is grace that enables us to love and obey the commandments of the Lord.
John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who Loves me. He will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” In other words, His grace for you to obey the written word accords you an open door to discover the Father’s love and the manifest presence of Jesus Christ.
Much prayer and fasting with little obedience leaves one with a feeling of being distant from God, and an obligation to do more to get where God wants them to be. Philippians 2:13 reminds us that it is He who works in you, giving you the desire to do what pleases him.
When the greater grace was upon the infant church in Acts 2, we see them giving all their possessions without hesitation to the work of the Gospel and to the needs of the community of believers( this is not required anywhere in the scripture). As a result, God added to their numbers the ones who were saved daily, with His promises manifesting first to their families. It is written that great miracles were wrought among the believers for great grace was upon them. Could it be that the way we have handle material possessions in our midst has something to do with the draught of supernatural manifestations?
His grace upon Lizzy and I has prompted us to give all we have to the poor or to other ministries numerous times and the results have been amazing. In one instance, an entire household was restored to God because of obeying the promptings of grace to bless them with our entire household items. In His Kingdom we are not owners but stewards. If you are faithful in managing the few resources to advance His kingdom, you will be entrusted with true riches (Luke 16:11).
The Lord said to me that “giving to get” is a mixture of the law and grace and is exemplified in the marriage between Ananias and Sapphira. In some of the derivatives of these names in etymology, Ananias means grace while Sapphira means law. A mixture of law and grace will always result in death and that’s why much of our giving has gone unfruitful. His grace in you will not only enable you to put Him first in your tithes, offerings and firsts fruits, but to also have His love overflow in you in every good work (II Corinthians 9:7).
 Here are seven promises that grace will enable us to inherit as we obey His leading to act, according to in His word:

1. Philippians 4:17 “Not that I seek the gift itself, but I do seek the profit which increases to your Heavenly account”…. Your gifts are the fragrant aroma of an offering; an acceptable sacrifice which God welcomes and delights in. Your giving is as much worship as the worship with songs and adoration to God.  
2. Philippians 4:17 as a consequence of their faithful support of Paul with their substance He says ….“ My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.” The word “need” here is “cheria”, meaning to eradicate lack of necessities of life.
3. Mathew 6:33, in reference to the needs that we have in this life, Jesus said that we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and ALL other things will be added. He said that Gentiles are driven by the desire to receive the “things”, but you will have them added in kingdom proportions (exceedingly abundantly above all).
4. Malachi 3:10-14 – As God’s Kingdom and His righteousness is restored in your life as pertaining to tithes and offerings, He guarantees to remove the devourer from your life and open the windows of Heaven to pour out a blessing (a divine way of life) that terrestrial measurements cannot accommodate.
5. Psalms 34:10 “Young lions lack food and suffer hunger but they who seek the Lord (first and on the authority of His word), will never lack anything GOOD.
6. 2 Corinthians 9:7 – In reference to sowing or giving alms to the ministry, Paul says, “Let everyone give as he has determined in his heart…and God will make ALL grace abound so that you may have an overflow of everything and abundance in every good work.”
7. Proverbs 3: 9 “As you honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of your crops (income), your barns will be abundantly filled and your vats will overflow with new wine.” Wine in the bible is a type of the Holy Spirit; our obedience to His prompting opens doors for greater realms in the Holy Spirit.

I decree that this week His grace will be visible in your life for others to see and glorify God.
I decree that as you have obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit to honor Him with your possessions, His grace will overflow in your life in all areas of need; a well of thanksgiving will spring forth from you innermost being.
I decree the words of John 14:21 that Like Cornelius, as you honor the Lord with your wealth, He will manifest Himself to you and your family.
I decree that as you have been diligent to support the work of the gospel, poverty and lack is broken over your life perpetually in Jesus name.
I decree that as you honor the Lord with the first fruits and with your wealth, He will open the heavens over your life and the devourer that comes in the form of sickness, court cases, fees etc. is rebuked over you in Jesus name.
May His grace towards you not be in vain but may it enable you to labor more than all, not you but the grace of God that is with you (1 Corinthians 15:10).