6 Reasons Why Your Tithes and Offerings May Not Be Working

You keep giving…but nothing changes.

Whether you click “submit” on your church’s giving app or drop an envelope in the basket, the financial pressure remains.  The breakthrough you’ve prayed for still feels out of reach.

The truth is, there are often hidden blocks that can quietly short-circuit the impact of your giving. Unless you see them, you’ll keep wondering why your finances never shift.

Let’s pull back the curtain and uncover what could really be standing in the way.

Reason #1: The blind spot that seems small but could be silently undermining everything

You know how paying bills feels.

You write the check, click “submit” on the app, or set up the autopay, and it’s done… No thought, no emotion, just another task off your plate.

The tricky part is, without realizing it, giving can slip into that same category.

If that happens, the heart of it gets lost. Instead of being worship, it starts to feel like an obligation.

And when it feels like an obligation, the “fuel” of your giving fades away.

Why does this matter?

Well, God never called your tithes and offerings a payment. He called it worship.

The Bible says, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Hmm…under compulsion…giving because you feel you HAVE to…

If your giving feels like just another bill, it undercuts the very power God designed it to carry.

So next time you give, take 30 seconds before you hit the button or hand over the envelope and discern if you feel compelled to give, or if you feel privileged to give.

Thank God out loud for Jesus and the kingdom of God, or something that will shift your soul into a state of thanksgiving.

That small shift turns it from duty back into worship.

Because treating your giving like a bill keeps your finances stuck in routine.

But, giving your tithes and offerings as a demonstration of worship breathes life back into your financial life.

Try it.

Reason #2: The load that you were never meant to pick up

Imagine this…

Someone hands you a heavy box, and before you can even bend your knees, another person rushes over, takes it from your arms, and says, “I’ve already got this.”

You breathe easier, relieved.

But a few minutes later, you go chasing after them, grab the box back, and struggle under the weight all over again.

Does that make any sense?

That’s what it’s like when you put your trust in your giving instead of resting in what Christ has already carried for you.

As a New Testament believer, that’s the subtle trap for you, shifting your focus from Jesus back to you.

How?

Instead of trusting in His finished work, you start relying on your tithes and offering, almost as if the act all by itself is the proof that God owes you something.

This matters because God never intended you to carry the weight of proving yourself. The Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8–9).

When you lean on what YOU’VE done (self-righteousness) instead of what JESUS has done FOR you (Christ-righteousness), it excludes you from accessing the prosperity that He already secured for you by grace.

So, the next time you give, pause and pray: “Lord, I’m not trusting in this act. I’m trusting in You. My faith isn’t in what I do, but in what You’ve already finished.”

That simple shift puts the load back where it belongs — on His shoulders, not yours.

Try it.

Reason #3: It’s Not Just About One “Piece of the Puzzle”

Have you ever sat down with a puzzle, and you’re all excited because the picture on the box looks beautiful? You spread the pieces out, start working, and before long, you’ve got whole sections done.

But then, you realize some pieces are missing.

No matter how hard you try, the picture will never be complete.

That’s precisely what happens with money when you focus only on giving but leave the rest of your finances in shambles. The picture God wants to build in your life is still there, but without all the pieces in place, it never looks the way it should.

It’s easy to think, “As long as I tithe, I’m covered.” But if the other 90% is being wasted, mismanaged, or never planned, that one faithful piece can’t fix the whole financial puzzle.

This matters because scripture says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). Stewardship of the whole puzzle tells God you can be trusted with more.

Take a simple look at where your money’s going. Write down four categories: Give, Save, Invest, Spend. Then ask yourself, “Am I being faithful in each of these pieces, or am I letting one or two run wild?” Even small adjustments bring things back into balance.

This shift keeps your giving from being undermined by chaos in the rest of your finances. It makes room for God’s blessing to multiply instead of leak away.

Try it.

Reason #4: Insisting on Flying Solo

You invite God to the altar but lock Him out of the spreadsheet.

What does that mean? It means this…

You whisper, “Lord, this belongs to You,” when you give… then sit down with the bills and switch to autopilot.

That’s what happens when giving is a moment with God, but the financial planning is done without Him. It looks responsible, but it quietly puts all the weight back on your shoulders.

It’s like silencing your GPS because you already picked a route—fine until the fog rolls in and you’re flying by guesswork.

Real blessing doesn’t flow from solo control; it flows from partnership. “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). If He’s not in the blueprint, the structure won’t hold.

Before your next money decision—big or small—pause for two minutes. Pray: “Holy Spirit, what’s wise here? What’s peaceful? Show me the next right step.” Then act on the first clear, peaceful nudge.

This helps you move beyond “white-knuckling” your finances.

It stops the cycle where giving feels powerless because the rest of your choices are made solo.

So, invite God into the financial plan, not just the offering.

Try it.

Reason #5: Forgetting There’s a Fight Over Your Finances

Think of buying a beautiful new house, filling it with everything you love, and then leaving the front door unlocked every night.

From the outside, it looks secure, but inside you’re wide open.

That’s what happens when you give but forget you have a very real enemy.

He doesn’t always barge in with force; most of the time he slips in quietly, whispering lies like, “You’ll never get ahead… Giving doesn’t work… God’s holding out on you.”

And if those lies go unchallenged, they eat away at your financial harvest before it ever breaks the ground.

Here’s what you may forget…the moment you said yes to Jesus, you became a target.

The enemy can’t steal your salvation, but he’ll do everything he can to devour your peace, your provision, and your confidence in God.

Ignoring that reality is like walking onto a battlefield with no armor, no sword, and no strategy.

The Bible says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

The enemy prowls with lies, but you don’t have to take the bait. Jesus Himself fought Satan in the wilderness by standing firm in His identity as the Son of God and declaring the written Word.

That same strategy still works—you fight lies with truth, and truth always wins.

So, when you give, cover your finances out loud with Scripture, just like Jesus did:

·        “My God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory” (Philippians 4:19).

·        “The Lord rebukes the devourer for my sake” (Malachi 3:11).

·        “I am a child of God, and His blessing makes me rich without sorrow” (Proverbs 10:22).

And practically, don’t just guard against financial leaks—guard against mental ones too. Catch every thought that says, “This isn’t working,” and answer it with the Word. That’s how you slam the door shut.

This breaks the silent frustration of giving while secretly doubting God’s goodness.

It equips you to fight back the same way Jesus did—by standing in your identity and using the Sword of the Spirit—so your giving is both protected and empowered.

The real fight over your finances is fought with truth. Stand in who you are, declare what God has said, and refuse to let the enemy’s lies write the story of your giving.

Try it.

Reason #6: Believing for Harvest With Nowhere to Store It

If you were to pray for God to give you the perfect job but…

Never update your résumé…

Never practice for an interview…

Never even check your email, etc….

You’ve made zero space to actually receive it.

That’s exactly what happens when we pray for financial increase but don’t prepare our finances.

Faith asks, but without action, the opportunity comes and goes, leaving you wondering why nothing changed.

Praying big prayers while assuming preparation is optional.

Expecting God to fill what you haven’t built…no accounts, no spending plan… no boundaries…means the blessing slips right through your fingers.

Faith without works really is dead (James 2:17).

Increase requires capacity. Scripture says, “Enlarge the place of your tent… lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2).

Translation: make room first, then the increase has somewhere to land.

Don’t wait until the raise, the bonus, or the refund shows up.  Set up your containers now.

Open a simple “Overflow” account or create digital envelopes, and name three categories: Seeds (giving/opportunities), Storehouse (savings), Stability (bills/debt).

Even if it’s just $10 into each one, you’re proving your faith by making space. When more comes, you’re already ready.

This ends the cycle of “mystery money” disappearing.

Faith without works leaves you waiting but preparation turns random windfalls into real progress, because now the blessing has a place to stay.

Try it.

Next Steps

If you saw yourself in any of these six areas, don’t take it as condemnation.

This isn’t about God withholding from you, it’s about Him showing you where the blockages might be so you can finally step into His flow.

Every one of these reasons is really an invitation: an invitation to align, to grow, and to let His promises work fully in your life.

Your giving matters. It’s more than dropping something in a basket or clicking a button online…it’s worship.

The best news? You don’t have to figure this out on your own. God has already provided the truth and the tools you need to move from frustration to freedom.

Recommended Resources

Here are a few powerful resources that will help you keep growing:

• Wealth With God Masterclass — A free training from my mentor that unpacks how to walk in financial overflow God’s way.

• Book: How Heaven Invades Your Finances by Jim Baker — A practical, Scripture-rich guide that shows how Kingdom principles apply to your everyday money life.

• Free Checklist: 6 Ways Your Tithes and Offerings Can Transform Your Finances — A simple tool you can use to spot roadblocks and take action. Download it, pray through it, and keep it handy as a reminder.