By Seyi Gesinde
November 6, 2026
There is perhaps no more fascinating, revealing and occasionally amusing relationship in human existence than the relationship between human beings and GOD, particularly when money enters the conversation.
Imagine GOD answers your prayers today and places ๐๐,๐๐๐,๐๐๐,๐๐๐ (๐ข๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐) in your hands.
Not N1 million, not N10 million, not N100 million, but a full billion naira.
Now, pause for a moment and consider this question: ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐,๐๐๐,๐๐๐,๐๐๐ (๐ข๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐) ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐?
Or suddenly, that prayer for a billion naira will become a rather interesting examination of faith, gratitude, generosity and human nature.
When we are asking, we are often audacious.
We ask GOD for houses, businesses, contracts, political appointments, international opportunities, financial breakthroughs and extraordinary wealth.
We invoke His promises, declare His faithfulness and remind Him, sometimes repeatedly, that nothing is impossible with Him. We can even negotiate with heaven about what we intend to do when the blessing arrives.
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But what happens when the answer finally comes?
Does the enthusiasm of the prayer survive the arrival of the blessing?
Does the generosity we promised GOD remain intact when the money becomes ours to control?
Or does our theology suddenly become more complicated when obedience begins to have a substantial financial implication?
The irony is worth examining.
We want GOD to be unlimited in His generosity towards us, but are we equally willing to be generous in our response to Him?
We want heaven to remember our needs, but do we remember our commitments when those needs have been met?
๐๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐?
Truly, there is a wonderful relationship between human beings and GOD.
When we need a blessing, we remember every promise in Scripture.
When we are waiting for a breakthrough, we can quote ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ ๐ฏ:๐ญ๐ฌ without checking the page.
When the bank loan is due, we become prayer warriors.
When the business is struggling, we organise fasting.
When the child needs admission, we remind GOD of His faithfulness.
When we need a job, we declare that our appointed time has come.
But let us try a little experiment.
Suppose GOD blesses you with N1 billion.
Not N10 million.
Not N100 million.
A whole N1,000,000,000.
And you believe in tithing at 10 per cent.
Will you willingly give N100 million?
Suddenly, the conversation becomes interesting.
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You may have given N10,000 from a salary of N100,000 without much argument. You may even have celebrated yourself for being faithful.
But ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?
Now, the theologian in you wants to hold an emergency meeting.
You begin to ask whether tithing is still relevant.
You remember that the New Testament says giving should be cheerful.
You suddenly become interested in the difference between the Old and New Covenants.
You remember that Abraham gave a tenth once.
You begin researching whether the tithe should be calculated before or after expenses.
You remember that some churches have questionable financial practices.
You wonder whether the pastor is truly accountable.
You even begin asking whether GOD really needs your money.
Remarkable!
When you needed the blessing, you were not confused about the Scriptures.
Now that the blessing has arrived, you have discovered several theological complications.
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But let us be honest.
๐๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐?
We pray for financial increase, but sometimes our generosity refuses to increase with our income.
We ask GOD for a bigger business, then become too busy to serve Him.
We ask for influence, then use that influence without regard for righteousness.
We pray for promotion, then forget the values we promised to uphold when we were struggling.
We ask GOD to open doors, but when they open, we become too important to remember the One we prayed to.
We ask for a successful marriage, but become unwilling to practise patience, forgiveness and sacrifice.
We ask GOD for children, then become too occupied with making money to nurture them in the ways of GOD.
We ask for long life, but give little thought to how we use the days we have been given.
We ask for divine protection, but sometimes refuse to obey the wisdom that could protect us.
๐๐ญ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ.
And this is not merely about money.
Tithing is one expression of a much bigger question about our relationship with GOD.
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฏ:๐ด ๐ง๐ข ๐ญ๐ฌ challenges the people over their failure to honour GOD with their tithes and offerings.
But JESUS also made it clear in ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ญ:๐ฐ๐ฎ that religious people should not become so preoccupied with tithing that they neglect justice and the love of GOD.
And in ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐ต:๐ณ, Scripture teaches that giving should not be done reluctantly or under compulsion, because GOD loves a cheerful giver.
So let us not reduce faithfulness to a financial transaction.
๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ.
Our giving should reflect gratitude, obedience, love and generosity, not an attempt to purchase divine favour.
And if you believe that a tenth belongs to GOD, do not allow the number of zeros in your account to change your conviction.
If you believe in giving, let your giving be sincere.
If you believe in serving, let your service survive success.
If you believe in holiness, let prosperity not make sin attractive.
If you believe in GOD, let your faith remain when the answer to your prayer arrives.
Perhaps the real question is not whether you can give N100 million out of N1 billion.
๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐.
Because it is easy to remember GOD when you are asking Him for something.
The real test may begin when you receive it.
๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ.
