Ignatian Prayer For Generosity
When I was a boy, my father was an extremely generous man. He gave to all who needed it, and he gave with great joy. His generosity was not accompanied by any sense of obligation but rather came from his belief that he had been blessed with more than enough for himself and his family. He never missed an opportunity to share the bounty that God had given him—not because he felt guilty about having so much or because others had less than he did; rather, a sense of gratitude flowed through him as freely as the blessings themselves.
Generous God, you pour out the fullness of your blessings upon us.
God is generous. God gives freely of his gifts to us and expects nothing in return. God’s generosity is a gift to us, not something we can earn or deserve. We must be careful not to take this grace for granted, lest we squander it with our own self-centeredness and greediness.
We are grateful for all that you have given us through our lives: food on the table, clothes on our backs, friends who care about us and make us laugh when things get tough—however great or small these blessings may seem they are gifts from your hand. Help us remember always what you have done for each one of your children as individuals so that we may show gratitude through charitable actions towards others too; especially those who are unable to provide basic needs such as food or shelter themselves
You grant us the ability to recognize and embrace our gifts,
You grant us the ability to recognize and embrace our gifts.
Thank you for recognizing that we have gifts, and giving us the opportunity to use them to serve others. Thank you for recognizing that we have received gifts from God freely and generously, so that now we may give of ourselves freely and generously in turn.
and you freely call us all to use them for the benefit of others.
God’s gifts are not just for us. We must use them to benefit others, especially those who are most in need. Our lives may be filled with many blessings, but they are not complete unless they contribute to the common good of all people and help build up the Church.
Help me see in my own life the goodness and grace you offer me.
To be generous is to give freely, without limit. God has given us so much. He has given us the gift of life, and he has given us all the good things of this world to enjoy. He also gives us his love in prayer and the sacraments.
God wants us to be generous like him. That means that we should not hold back anything from others; instead, we should share our gifts with them: what we have, what we know how to do well, our time and attention… even our money! We are all called by God to live in a way that reflects his own generosity towards us (2 Corinthians 8).
So let’s look at some ways you can practice this virtue of generosity:
Give me the courage and confidence to share what I have received with others.
Give me the courage and confidence to share what I have received with others.
In other words, give me a sense of generosity about my own talents and abilities—so that when I know something is good for others, I can share it with them without hesitation. Give me the ability to recognize when there are needs in your life or when another person may benefit from my help, so that I don’t hold back on giving what you’ve given me. May we always act generously toward one another!
Gracious God: You call us to be generous with our time, talents and possessions. Help us to remember that these are gifts from you; they belong to your kingdom first before we take ownership over them for ourselves. Use us today as channels of blessing for those around us who need help with their lives or situations; especially those who do not know Christ as Savior yet! We pray this through Christ our Lord who gave himself up for all humankind
Remind me that you give generously and ask only that I do likewise,
God is generous and gives to us generously. We should give to others generously, as well. God asks us to give to others generously, knowing that we have received much from him already and that it is only appropriate for us to give back some of what he has given us.
God gave himself up for our sake, so that through his grace we might experience the transformation of Christ within ourselves. God’s generosity toward us grows out of his love for us – a love which knows no bounds or limits because it is infinite in scope and power! Your generosity towards others also grows out of your love for them – another manifestation of this same infinite source: God’s Spirit dwelling within you! As such, there are no limits whatsoever on what you can accomplish through your generosity!
so that your gifts may be multiplied through me.
Sometimes we give because we want to help others. Sometimes we give because it’s the right thing to do. Sometimes we give because of what it will look like on our resume or in the eyes of others. That last reason is not so good.
The best gift you can give is one that was given freely, without thought of what it looks like for you or for anyone else. Your gifts should come from your heart, offered with generosity and love for God and others — not with an eye towards how they will be perceived by other people or yourself (even if no one but God ever knows).
God wants to use you as a channel through which His gifts can flow: His gifts of mercy and healing, justice and peace — all given freely by Christ Himself!
You have a lot to give because God has given to you too.
When you consider the depth of God’s fidelity to you, it becomes difficult to deny the call to generosity. God has given you so much: your life, your family and friends, time with loved ones and even the very air you breathe. In return for these gifts, how can we not share what we have been given?
The first step in developing a generous heart is gratitude. It is always important to remember our blessings by thanking God for them daily (see “Gratitude”). However, this habit must be cultivated further if it is going to lead us into generosity with others in tangible ways (see “Generosity”).
The Lord has given us so much, and we must respond with gratitude, generosity, and love.