Encountering God increases a person’s desire and ability to give. This ability is the supernatural power that makes a person’s giving fruitful. The most meaningful giving relates to God-given purpose. “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Being led by the Spirit in giving to support purpose is fruitful for God’s kingdom. In this study, you will discover how to increase the fruitfulness of your giving.
Introducing Fruitful Giving
God’s kingdom operates by giving and receiving. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). Show mercy and you will receive mercy. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Sowing by the Spirit creates a supernatural harvest.
In the midst of a famine, the Lord instructed a widow in Zarephath to feed the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:8-16). Even though she had only a handful of flour and a little oil, she obeyed the Lord and he sustained her and her household. Her flour did not decrease and her oil did not run out throughout the famine. Her giving was supernaturally fruitful.
Doing the work of the kingdom involves seeing what God sees and doing what he wants done. Believers operate in God’s kingdom by displaying his purpose. God makes provision for those who accomplish his purpose. When we ask God for those things that are consistent with his plan and purpose, we know that we have what we ask from him (1 John 5:14-15). As you are led by the Spirit, you are able to discover your purpose and have provision to fulfill destiny.
Hindrances to Fruitful Giving
Why do people give without seeing the anticipated returns? Not all giving is fruitful. Its fruitfulness is hindered by any form of disobedience. “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes” (Haggai 1:6). Following the doctrines and traditions of men make giving unfruitful. Those who do not produce fruit from their giving lose the rewards of the kingdom, which could be substantial. The kingdom of God will be given to a people producing its fruit (Matthew 21:43).
Any giving that is carnal or fleshly is unfruitful. Giving out of the flesh comes from obligation, control, and/or manipulation. There is nothing good dwelling in my flesh for I want to do the things that are right, but I cannot do them (Romans 7:18).
Once, Sherry and I gave all our money to a particular minister, expecting an abundant harvest. It was a lot of money to us. Soon thereafter, I received a letter from this minister which explained that his building program had stalled because I had not given enough. Since I had given all I had, I was offended by the things written in the letter. Looking back on the offering years later, I realized that my offense and unforgiveness limited the fruitfulness of the offering. I repented and did not want to make the same mistake again.
Preparing the Heart for Fruitful Giving
Fruitful giving involves the power to give an offering of the heart with purpose. The funds have to be released from the heart to profit the kingdom. The power to give operates freely through a believer’s heart filled with joy, forgiveness and hope.
Power of Joy
Jesus gave himself; he gave his all. It was the joy of seeing the family of God on the earth and in eternity made possible by his crucifixion that empowered Jesus to offer himself as a sacrifice. Keep your eyes on Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). A joyful heart has a continual feast (Proverbs 15:15). It is supernatural joy that empowers believers to give generously for they see the results of their giving before they are manifested.
Power of Forgiveness
Forgiveness empowers people to give extravagantly. A woman anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive oil to express her love for him (Luke 7:36-50). It took courage for her to do this because Jesus was sitting among men who recognized her sinful reputation. She showed humility because the best oil for her head was only good enough for his feet. She knew the best she could give could not match the great things he did for her, so she wept over his feet and wiped the tears away with her hair. She had been forgiven much, so she gave extravagantly to him. Have you been forgiven little or much? Being forgiven will affect your giving.
Power of Hope
A person with hope can give everything to the Lord. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19). Hope anchors your attitude, thinking and will. True hope, not mere wishing, carries a gift into the supernatural realm where its impact is multiplied.
Jesus watched how people put money in the Temple’s treasury (Mark 12: 41-44). The rich gave large sums, but a poor widow gave only two copper coins. The rich gave what they did not need, but the widow gave everything she had. Jesus told his disciples, “This poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury” (Mark 12:43). She received power to give all that she had because of hope, and hope multiplied the impact of her gift. The impact of her gift was greater than all the gifts of the rich.
Supernatural Transformation
Sowing and reaping can be either natural or supernatural. Supernatural sowing and reaping are far more fruitful. Many believers operate only in the natural realm with their sowing and reaping without ever tapping into the supernatural benefits. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers are able to transform whatever they give the Lord into a supernatural force, multiplying its impact.
Jesus demonstrated this supernatural transformation many times. He blessed the little boy’s lunch, and “there were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children” (Matthew 14:15-21). Jesus spoke a coin into a fish’s mouth to pay taxes for Peter and himself (Matthew 17:27). This was a supernatural manifestation of the Spirit’s power operating through him. At the Last Supper, Jesus blessed the bread and supernaturally transformed it so that the disciples were able to partake of his body by eating the bread. Even though it still looked like bread in the natural, Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26).
Believers are able to supernaturally transform natural things. Paul supercharged ordinary cloths with healing power causing sicknesses and demons to flee (Acts 19:11-12). With communion, believers can bless a cup containing grape juice or wine and partake of the precious blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:16).
Hearing the Spirit
The power to supernaturally transform a believer’s offering comes from hearing the Spirit’s voice and obeying his instructions. Through the Spirit, believers can find out who to give to and how much to give. This approach is far different than giving out of tradition or routine. Operate according to the living word which is brought to life by the Spirit, not a dead letter. It is God who qualifies believers to administer the new covenant of spiritual promises, not the letter of the law. “For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
Spiritual Declarations
Nothing happens in the kingdom until first there is a declaration. Jesus spoke to the wind and waves in a deadly storm, and immediately the storm ceased (Mark 4:39). Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead when he “cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth’” (John 11:43). Believers are being prepared to reign in this life with Christ Jesus and have dramatic impacts on situations and people. In order to reign with Christ Jesus, believers are to follow his example and declare what they hear the Spirit speak. Then they will reign over lack, poverty, and debt.
God is watching over his word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). His angels are assigned to perform his word, as well as the voice of his word which believers speak after hearing the Spirit (Psalm 103:20). God is looking for those people who make courageous declarations so he can invade a situation and create opportunities that did not exist beforehand.
When the Spirit speaks, there is energy in his words. As believers declare the words they hear from the Spirit, they release the energy and supernaturally change what is possible. New realities are created when believers speak what the Spirit is saying.
An Application
Faith to give arises when believers hear the Spirit. Then they can supernaturally transform and activate the offering by obeying the Spirit and declaring what they hear from the Spirit. “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). Some declarations over the offering of first fruits are described in Deuteronomy 26, but this passage would have to be modified for the New Covenant. Below is an example of some verses which I heard by the Spirit for me to speak over an offering.
First, I acknowledged who God was to me. “Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and because of your will they existed, and were created” (Revelation 4:11). Second, I embraced whom God says I am in Christ Jesus. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Applying this verse, I declared I have been chosen by God to be a royal priest. As a royal priest, I can administer a spiritual offering to the Lord. Third, I released the offering with my words. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Ephesians 3:20). I declared this verse over my offering, believing that I released the offering from my heart and expecting God to do more with it than I could imagine.
This is not a formula to be followed by others but simply an example to help people understand how to start the process of supernaturally transforming an offering and making it more fruitful. An individual could adapt this process by including a declaration specifying the outcome they are expecting, such as getting out of debt.
Personal Story on Fruitful Giving
Over 40 years ago, I received revelation on how to release my giving into the supernatural realm with my words. I adapted the declarations provided in Deuteronomy 26 to the New Covenant and applied them to my giving. I was not consistent with the declarations because I did not have further revelation on the matter until more recently. God’s living word, which comes alive by the Spirit, is the most powerful thing in the universe. In fact, God created the universe with his words. I recognize the power of speaking the words which I hear by the Spirit and blessing people and natural things such as gifts which transform the natural things into something supernatural.
Conclusions
God gives the power to be fruitful to those who sow into his kingdom as they purpose in their heart. He wants to bless them so they can be a blessing to others. Keep your heart filled with forgiveness, hope, and joy for God to bless you abundantly. Give as the Spirit leads and declare what the Spirit says, and your giving will be fruitful. Give generously, and you will reap generously. Be a vessel continuously pouring out blessings to others, especially to the body of Christ. Your joy will be full of the glory of God, and your health will spring forth speedily. This is his desire for you.