Slow down and help where you can. God will bless you for it.

Isaiah 59 is a very humbling chapter. God tells us that He is not impressed with our fasting and sacrifice when we allow people around us to suffer in need. If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. (v 10)

God promises to bless us, to turn our lives from weeping to joy, but He requires that we care for other people. Sometimes we can be block His blessing with a motive that seems right to us. We may fast and deny ourselves our favorite things to draw closer to God, but if we do not consider the need of people in our own circle of influence, then our prayers fall on deaf ears. God is serious about His requirement to help other people.

We are told over and over that we need to put others first, yet it is the hardest thing in the world to do. That’s why God is so pleased when we do it, and when He is pleased with us, He blesses. Slow down and pay attention to where you can be a blessing to others. Consider that you may need to change the way you think about giving your time and money. If heaven seems to be deaf to your prayers, check to see how generous you are.