Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed.

Proverbs 19:17

Dear Lord,

Although You were rich, for our sakes You made Yourself poor so that we might be made rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). We know that all who believe in You have all the riches of heaven. Yet on this earth it is a sobering fact that a great many people live in poverty, even in our own country and in our own communities. There are those who live this way because of their poor decisions, but there are also those who are born into poverty or are unable to find work to support themselves. Whatever their situation, Lord, be with those who are poor and who struggle to provide for themselves and their families, and move those of us who are blessed with abundant earthly assets to assist those who have less. You tell us that “whatever [we do] for one of the least of these brothers of [Yours], [we do] it for [You]” (Matthew 25:40). Your Word is full of exhortations to remember the poor, whether by providing food (Proverbs 22:9), providing clothes (James 2:15-16), lending money (Luke 12:33), defending their rights (Proverbs 31:9), or not discriminating against them (James 2:2-4). Lord, we confess that we have failed to care for our less fortunate brothers and sisters. We are too stingy with our money and possessions, and more selfish than we care to admit. Most of us could afford to give significantly more than we do to help the poor and fight poverty, but we do not. Grant us opportunities to give of our time in volunteer positions at food banks, homeless shelters, and other organizations. Send us people in our own communities whom we can help with power bills, grocery money, or other needs. Give us caring hearts to contribute generously to trustworthy organizations that care for the poor. Help us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven rather than treasures on this earth, for earthly wealth will pass away, but the treasures of heaven will endure forever.

Please bless the following organizations and people… 

Please grant me opportunities to help the poor in the following areas…

In Your name I pray. Amen.

Side note: If you would like to explore ways to donate time or money to help the poor, Orphan Grain Train is one organization you might consider. They provide domestic and foreign assistance, and opportunities are available to volunteer across the country, in addition to the option of contributing financially.

For a full explanation of this challenge, see the post 12-Minute Prayer Challenge. If you are just joining us, feel free to continue on with us from the current day, or if you prefer, you can go back and start at Day 1.