You can pray to any length; but prayer will not make you rich. Paul was sent by God and the Philippians were ministering to him; they were sending materials, cash to him to pursue the assignment. Even Jesus; people ministered to his ministry. So, when God ask us to give, it is not because God is in need, it is a designed pattern or channel for the things of God to flow to us. And until that is obeyed and respected, it will be impossible to enjoy supernatural supply. For example; when Isaac asked his son (Esau) to make soup for him, was he in need? No! Before they were born he was a billionaire. So when God asks us to sow; it is not because God his hungry, it is because that is the lay down rule. Paul was saying God will supply all their needs but we need to do what we need to do.
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Gen 8:20-22.
Noah offered (he gave God something) and the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and God said in his heart I will not again curse the land anymore for man sake. Noah received the blessing as a result of the covenant been activated. How did he activate the convevant? He activated it by sowing. And the bible says in verse 22, the covenant of seed time and harvest time will never cease.
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
2 Corin 9:6.
He says he will multiply your seed sown, not your bread. There is difference between bread and seed. Paul was quoting Isaiah 55, where it said; God gives the seed to the sower and bread to the eater. Bread is meant to be eaten, seed is meant to be sown, if you eat your seed; you are not going to have bread soon. How do you get bread? It is by processing the wheat that you have harvested. He gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater. Whatsoever you have eaten is bread, don’t eat your seed. If you don’t sow, you won’t reap. What have you sown? The bible says he minister seed to the sower and bread to the eater.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
Isaiah55:10.
What are you sowing? Financially, or being kind to people; if you hate people, they will also hate you. God sees us as the real distribution for his wealth, he wants to feed the fatherless, he wants to finance the orphanage, he wants to build churches, he wants to expand his kingdom through you; but you are the one that will decide that by your faithfulness. If he gives you a small seed and you eat it; he won’t give you more, because he doesn’t want you to starve the people to death. So who decide the amount of resources that heaven will channel to you? You decide by creating the space so that you can become the real distribution centre for heaven. God wants to build his church, but the money, window, glass, iron. . . will not come from heaven, somebody has to give the seed through which they will buy it. (what he gave you the last time, what did you do with it? did you eat all?) or did you separate the seed; so that you can plant it and multiply. The law or covenant of sowing is so vital when it comes to supernatural supply.