Prayer Tip--Jesus and The Generous Life
November 16, 2025
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Daily Scripture
Matthew 6:21 (NRSV), Luke 12:15 (NIV) and Luke 10:33-34 (CEB)
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.
A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Most of us don’t think of ourselves as greedy, and I think we strive to be generous in all areas of our lives. The world we live in, though, is constantly challenging our desire to be generous, telling us that we need this, that we want that. It’s not just our money the world wants. The demands on our time, our efforts, and even our thoughts are a constant challenge. Our possessions, our money, our time, our efforts and our thoughts all make up the treasure Jesus was talking about in Matthew 6:21.
An important way to guard our hearts from all kinds of greed is to stay close to God by spending time in prayer. The more we talk to God, the closer we are and the more we will feel directed towards generosity in all areas of our life. Set-aside devotion time of prayer and reading Scripture grounds us and guides us, but it isn’t the only way to keep God’s voice in our minds and hearts. All prayer doesn’t have to be alone in a quiet place. (Though we should never short ourselves when it comes to taking advantage of the blessing of quiet time with God.)
Prayer–conversation with God–can take many forms. It can become an ongoing conversation that brings the Holy Spirit into all parts of our day. Prayers of thanks and gratitude can be as simple and natural as thanking God for the beauty of the sunrise, the soothing warmth of our morning coffee, or the generosity of a friend. Praying for others as we see them, or think of them, moves our focus away from ourselves. A prayer practice I inherited from my grandmother is praying whenever I hear a siren, that those in trouble would be helped and know that God was with them, and for the safety and skill of the responders. Prayers of frustration and requests for help count, too. Every prayer we say pulls us closer to God and helps us see our world and our treasures the way God does.
Prayer
Jesus, you told us to examine our treasures so we would know where our hearts are truly focused. Help us bring our thoughts and concerns, praises and thanks, to you in an ongoing conversation, so that we may treasure what you treasure and care for each other as you care for us.
Amen.
Amen.
GPS Insights
Jennifer Creagar
This week's Prayer Tip is by Jennifer Creagar, who serves as the Community Assistance Coordination Director in Resurrection's Congregational Care Ministry. She is married and loves spending time with her family, and she enjoys writing and photography.
