This page has four short sample prayers to use when blessing gifts and tithes to God in church services. We also consider how to pray for an offering, including the kind of things that are good to say and how to conduct a collection during worship. We also take a brief look at the characteristics of Christian giving, and feature an inspiring film to show whilst the collection is being taken:
Lord, we thank for Your faithfulness.
Thank you that we can always trust in You.
You are an abundant God and out of Your great mercy you have given us so much.
We give you this offering today.
With it we worship You and give our whole selves to You.
Please now take it and use it for Your kingdom and Your glory.
Extend and multiple its reach and influence we pray.
May it be a great blessing to many.
We ask all this in the powerful name of Jesus.
Amen.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Short Offering Prayer
Father,
As we lay before you our financial offering, we give you all that we are and everything that you have entrusted to us. Come bless these gifts for the sake of your Kingdom and glory.
(a prayer for blessing the giving from www.lords-prayer-words.com)
This is a short (two minute) film suitable for showing whilst the offertory is being taken during a church service:-
Lord God Almighty, we thank you for your endless provision to us your beloved children. As we offer you our tithes and gifts, we declare that we are nothing without you, for all good things come from you and our very breath is given by you. Please take these tokens of our love for your kingdom and glory. We offer them to you now with thankful hearts. Amen.
(prayer from www.lords-prayer-words.com)
Dear Father, you have entrusted us as stewards of this beautiful planet that you have made. As we offer you these gifts, please give us wisdom in how to manage everything that you have placed in our care. We pray this offering may bring great glory to your name and extend the reach of your Kingdom amongst us. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
(prayer from www.lords-prayer-words.com)
There are three elements to offerings during services – what we might say before the giving takes place, what the contents of a good offertory prayer are, and how the gifts might be received at the end.
Before taking an offering during a worship service, it is important to encourage the congregation in their giving. Here are some ideas of what you could say:
1. “God loves a cheerful giver” (1 Cor 9:7, ESV) - St Paul encourages us to give with thankfulness, not out of duty or obligation.
2. The Widows Mite (Luke 21:1-4) – It’s not the amount that is given that counts with God, but the sacrificial heart of the giver.
3. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” (Malachi 3:10, NIV) – It’s important to present all our gifts to God. This commands a blessing from Heaven.
When saying a good offertory prayer, there are three things to keep in mind. Remember to thank God for his goodness and provision – our giving flows best out of a thankful heart, not one that is resentful or reluctant to give. You might also want to pray for the ones who have given their gifts (e.g. the congregation or those in the meeting) and ask for God’s blessing and provision to be with them. And finally, in your prayer you will commit these gifts to God. Here you could mention a specific work that the offering is going towards or conclude more generally by presenting the tithes and offerings to the Lord.
Traditionally, collection baskets or bags are passed round the congregation, and then stewards bring the offering to the front for the minister or priest for blessing. People are often invited to stand at this point as the prayer takes place. With the advent of smartphones, card machine scanners and online giving, many church goers are not giving physical money anymore. The leader of the service may also want to acknowledge this and incorporate this into the offering prayer or allude to it before praying.
Good giving flows out of a heart full of gratitude to God:
What we give to God is always more than just our money or our finances. It demands our whole selves - our whole beings and everything that we do and say. There are many ways in which we can give of our money, time and energy to God, whether this be to serve the church or to work outside of it.
We should also consider Jesus words about the widows mite (Mark 12:41-44). What is important here is element of personal sacrifice that is involved in the giving, not the amount that was given. Here Jesus discerned that the widow gave of everything that she had. Her offering was also "put in" and not thrown in (unlike the rich givers) suggesting that she had carefully considered how much to give. This attitude parallels the words of the Apostle Paul, when he wrote to the believers in Corinth:-
"Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving."
(2 Cor 9:6-7, The Message)
"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving"
Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
For further reading • A large collection of offertory prayers exists here by GBOD (The General Board of Discipleship) an agency of The United Methodist Church:-
Discipleship Ministries prayers
• The Burma website has a thought-provoking article about the drop in real-term giving to Churches in the USA The article cites five different reasons why this may be happening and also suggests possible ways of addressing this challenge:-
Burma website
• Christian writer Mary Fairchild takes an in-depth look at questions such as how much should I give, is it right to tithe or not, and some general good principles behind Christian giving here:-
Mary Fairchild on giving
