Malachi 3:8-18

⁸ Should a person deceive God?
Yet you deceive me.
But you say,
“How have we deceived you?”
With your tenth-part gifts and offerings.
⁹ You are being cursed with a curse,
and you, the entire nation,
are robbing me.
¹⁰ Bring the whole tenth-part
to the storage house so there
might be food in my house.
Please test me in this,
says the LORD of heavenly forces.
See whether I do not open all the windows of the heavens for you
and empty out a blessing
until there is enough.
¹¹ I will threaten the one
who wants to devour you
so that it doesn’t spoil the fruit
of your fertile land,
and so that the vine doesn’t abort
its fruit in your field,
says the LORD of heavenly forces.
¹² All the nations
will consider you fortunate,
for you will be a desirable land,
says the LORD of heavenly forces.

13    You have spoken harshly about me,
says the LORD;
but you say,
“What have we spoken about you?”
¹⁴ You said,
“Serving God is useless.
What do we gain
by keeping his obligation
or by walking around as mourners
before the LORD of heavenly forces?
¹⁵ So now we consider the arrogant fortunate.
Moreover, those doing evil are built up;
they test God and escape.”

16    Then those revering the LORD,
each and every one,
spoke among themselves.
The LORD paid attention
and listened to them.
Then a scroll of remembrance
was written before the LORD
about those revering the LORD,
the ones meditating on his name.
¹⁷ On the day that I am preparing,
says the LORD of heavenly forces,
they will be my special possession.
I will spare them just as parents
spare a child who serves them.
¹⁸ You will again distinguish
between the righteous and the wicked,
between those serving God
and those not serving him.

Listening to God:  If you are going to walk with me, I must own your possessions.  If I do not own them, they will own you.  I gave them all to you in the first place.  Do you understand that?  Or is there still a corner of your soul where you hide the idea that you got them for yourself?  If you let go of these things, I can use them to bless you.  If you hold onto them, they will strangle our relationship.  Obey me in giving me one tenth of your income.  If you can’t do it all right now, start with one percent a year and work toward the tithe.  Put my promise to the test; I dare you!

Journal or lift up your prayers and reflections to God.

*Our season of prayer guide comes from Joan Gray’s book, Sailboat Church: Helping Your Church Rethink Its Mission and Practice.