Ex25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.KJV
I have experienced some funny things along this line of giving and receiving. I have also heard several stories. I remember a true story that went viral on the internet years back. A prophet told a distressed woman to submit the papers of her landed property to him or else evil would happen to her. That's pure manipulation. If I'll have to give to God or to you, it shouldn't be in response to manipulation and craftiness but that's common today. In the opening text, God commanded Moses to accept offering that was given willingly. In other words, if it was not given willingly, it shouldn't be accepted.
From my study of the Bible, I discovered that it is not all offering or giving that is acceptable to God. There are scriptural guidelines for giving which if followed, would make our giving to be acceptable before God. In the wilderness, when they wanted to execute a project, God demanded for an offering from a willing heart not by compulsion. Throughout the scriptures, I'm yet to see where God where God forced His people to give.
One of the reasons why people give and do not get blessed is because they are not giving from a willing heart. As a reader of this devotional, if you're in the position to give, don't give in response to pressure because it has no blessing. Let your giving flow from a willing heart. Understand that your giving is part of your worship to God and to meet needs. If you're in the position to make people give, teach and preach about biblical giving without manipulation and allow the people decide, you will get result that way. As Iong as you let your members or congregation realize that they are stewards of God's resources, giving wouldn't be a problem.
Father, I receive the grace to give willingly in Jesus name.