Prayers

#671 - Help Me Humbly Receive Gifts
Volume 2 - Prayers to Love Our Neighbor

Dear Father, someone has given me a gift. It has triggered guilt. It has triggered a mini-crisis in my heart. Oh no, I owe them. Now I must give back to them. Tit-for-tat. How much was that gift? I've got to give them back something of comparable value. Father, I cannot give gifts to someone out of compulsion. If so, they are not gifts at all. I must receive a gift without any thought that I owe the person in return. I cannot feed the mindset that I am to receive a gift in return for a gift I give to someone else. If I want to give in a godly manner, not expecting anything in return, that means I must receive in a godly manner, not feeling compelled to give them a gift back. Father, accepting a gift thankfully and without strings attached gives the giver the opportunity to enjoy their touch with heaven, experiencing for themselves giving without expecting anything in return. Father, sometimes I am offered gifts that I want to give back. I don't like the person. I don't like the gift. I'm not worthy of the kindness. These attitudes are not of You. They express my sinful heart. I am to love the gift-giver. I am to be focused on the person's act of giving and not on the gift itself. It matters not what they have given to me. It only matters that You moved them to give me a gift of any kind. You have told me of my great worth in Your eyes. If I don't feel worthy of a gift, I am calling You a liar. If I don't feel worthy of a gift, I am most likely being my own god, deciding for myself what my worth is. Father, sometimes guilt for receiving a gift is masked pride - I manipulate the gift-giving into a vignette about poor me, the person who doesn't have a good self-esteem. Father, forgive me for that kind of attitude. Help me to receive gifts with joy, thanksgiving, and gratitude without having one thought that I owe the person anything. If they think I owe them for their kindness, they have work to do with You. Amen.

Listen to this prayer on audio.
Data charges may apply for mobile devices.

The audio for this prayer has not been uploaded yet.