I want to focus on the fact that you always have a prayer to give. Let your generosity not be tied only to material things. Let your generosity also be about the blessing that comes from your mouth in the place of prayer to help people.

We know that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). So let the giving, let your thinking, let how you think about giving, go beyond what is natural. Let it also include what is supernatural. Be able to give something supernatural. And the basic way you give something supernatural is by praying for other people.

We see Paul asking people to pray for him. Specifically, in the book of Philippians, he says, “I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:19). He was in a difficult situation, but he was not banking on them sending an army. He was not banking on them banding together and saying, “Let’s create a rescue mission, let’s strategize, let’s see how we can use the arm of flesh to deal with these people that have imprisoned Paul.” He said, “I know that this will turn out for my deliverance because of your prayer.”

That is something I want you to begin to think about. That is something I want you to begin to prioritize and begin to reshape how you conceptualize generosity. Praying for others is, in my opinion, a way you are extending your generosity. One of the most powerful pictures of that is this story in Acts chapter 3. The normal routine was: everybody chips in a little bit here, a little bit there; they give to the man, and he will come back the next day, and then he will come back the next day.

But Peter looked directly at him: “Look at us.” So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold. I am not defining myself based on my bank account. I am not valuing myself based on what my credit is telling me. I am not valuing myself based on the materials. But what I do have I give you.”

You have something like that. You have it. It does not have to be a long prayer. And this was not a long prayer by any stretch of the imagination: “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk.” Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong.

You do not know the power of your prayer. You do not know the power of prayer. And we do not need to attach so many extra things to prayer. Just a simple sentence, just as we have here that Peter prayed—just a simple sentence. “That is what I have. I can pray for you in the name of Jesus.” That means I am drawing on not my silver or my gold. I am drawing on something beyond this world to give you.

We need to begin to think of generosity that way. You are being generous with your time when you pray. You are being generous with your concern, with your heart of love. You are extending a heart of love. You are being generous by mentioning that person’s name in the place of prayer.

Let us see our value beyond materials. Let us see what value we can add. You may not be able to add specific values in specific contexts, but you can always pray. And do not say, “Do I have to pray every day now? Do I have to pray every hour now?” No. We are adding too much into the mix and making it complicated.

No. Mention the person’s name. Paul says, “I thank my God every time I remember you” (Philippians 1:3, NET). “Always in every prayer of mine for you all I make my requests with joy” (Philippians 1:4, NET). He is not saying, “I am praying for you every single minute,” but when you come to his mind, he prays for you. And him saying that tells us that it is important, and having it written in the Scriptures tells us it is important. It is something that God values.

And Jesus Christ even told Peter, “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:32, NET), so that you will know that it is valuable. Not, “I want to give you a lecture,” but “I have prayed for you.”

God bless you.