Do you know what your rights are as a tither? If you’re suffering any setbacks in life, you can put a stop to them! Learn about 3 tithers’ rights every Christian should know.
God wants you blessed! There’s no question about it—God’s will is for His people to prosper and enjoy a life of “always having all sufficiency in all things” (2 Corinthians 9:8, KJV). Why don’t Christians always live this way? The answer is often a lack of obedience and a lack of knowledge. However, when you’re in obedience to God’s Word, as a tither, you are a candidate for prosperity!
But you’re going to have to protect your rights because you have an enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy everything that belongs to you. Here is something you need to know: Satan has no authority in your life—but he’s an outlaw, so he sure is going to try anyway. Your job? To enforce your rights according to the Word of God.
There are promises in His Word reserved for those who act on it through tithing. Yet, most tithing Christians have not learned how to claim those rights! Malachi 3:10-11 is clear about what a tither can expect to receive from the Lord:
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of Hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of Hosts (NKJV).
This verse covers a lot of spiritual ground. There’s a world of revelation waiting to be discovered within these powerful words. And it all starts with the tithe.
What Is Tithing?
Tithe simply means “tenth.” To tithe is to give 10 percent of your gross income to the Lord. It is God’s design to increase and prosper His people through the principles of giving and receiving return on that giving (Luke 6:38).
When did tithing begin?
It is amazing how many believers waste their energies arguing whether or not tithing is a New Testament doctrine. Tithing didn’t begin with the Law! According to Genesis 4:2-4, before the Law was ever given to Moses, Abel and Cain brought the firstfruits of their labor to God. Again in Genesis 14, we find that Abraham tithed—before the Law.
But Old Testament tithing was just a shadow of what was to come. Although the Old Covenant saints were blessed through their tithing, we enjoy even greater blessings through our tithing today, because we bring our tithes to a High Priest who is greater than Melchizedek or any other Old Covenant priest (Hebrews 4-8)!
But above all else, tithing is giving honor to God. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (NKJV). It is such an honor and privilege to respect and honor our Provider with such a small gift as the tithe.
That’s why tithing isn’t just a matter of the pocketbook. It is a matter of the heart. So, if you’ve been tithing as a religious routine, out of compulsion or without faith—that’s just bucket plunking. That’s not tithing. One who gives cheerfully is a true tither in the eyes of God (2 Corinthians 9:7). If you’re not a tither, repent and get in on the tithing blessing!
When you are a tither, you have special rights and protections that you can put to work every day! You don’t have to tolerate attacks on your finances, possessions, family or health, and you can expect to walk in favor on every side. Here are three tithers’ rights every Christian should know.
Tithers’ Right No. 1: God Rebukes the Devourer for Your Sake in Finances “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes….” –Malachi 3:11 (NKJV)
If you’re not actively engaged in acting on the Word of God in tithing, you’re missing out on the devourer being rebuked for your sake. It won’t matter how loud you holler and scream at the devil, if you refuse to tithe, then God is not obligated to rebuke the devourer on your behalf.
As one preacher said, tithe money that isn’t devoted to the Lord will just blow up in your pocket. You’ll have to spend it on one crisis after another until it’s all used up. Right after the refrigerator needs repair, the car will break down. Or you will have unexpected medical bills, and on and on it goes.
But the tither has privileges.
One of those is protection from the devourer. He comes to steal your money, your seed, your job and your possessions. And he’ll often get away with it—unless you put a stop to it. So, when lack tries to come in your life, you say “No, you don’t, lack!”. If you get laid off you say, “Lord, where’s my better job? Show me where to find a better job. I never go without. I am prosperous. I am blessed. I am a tither. The windows of heaven are open to me.”
Tithers’ rights cover every economic situation—they put you above and not beneath the economy. No recession is going to shut the tithers’ windows of heaven—not even something as severe as the Great Depression.
That’s what Kenneth Copeland’s parents found out when they were first married. Their commitment to tithing delivered them out of what could have been deep financial trouble. They had such a deep understanding of the importance of tithing that they included a commitment to tithe in their wedding vows. Then the Great Depression hit. People all around them were unemployed, struggling and suffering. But Kenneth’s father always had a job. He was blessed and protected. God took care of them through the Depression, and they never experienced the hurt, shame or agony of those difficult times like so many others. They were “always having and always abounding” (2 Corinthians 9:8; 1 Corinthians 15:58) under their tithers’ rights.
That’s the kind of protection you should expect in your finances as a tither. Sometimes, you’ll have to contend for it. If Satan attacks your job or your business, you support God’s rebuke and remind the devil, “You are rebuked for my sake. You’re a liar and the father of it. Now take your hands off my money, my job and my possessions!” Take those tithing check stubs and knock him in the head with them. You show him that receipt from your heavenly account and tell him to turn tail and run the other way. You have tithers’ rights!
Those rights cover your possessions, too. Pastor George Pearsons shared a story about the time when the microwave in his kitchen went out. The clock was going, but it wasn’t working on the inside. It went on for a while until revelation came on the inside of him. He walked up to it, slapped it and said, “Tithers’ rights. In the Name of Jesus, we are tithers, and our stuff works.” And it began to work again!
You should replace your possessions when you want to—not when they try to tell you to. Everything you own should last longer and work stronger than it would in the natural. That’s favor—and that’s your right as a tither.
Tithers’ Right No. 2: To Receive an Outpouring of Blessings “[I will] open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” –Malachi 3:10 (NKJV)
God is talking specifically to tithers in this verse. The windows of heaven are open over tithers. And God says He will pour out such a blessing, you won’t have room for it! That’s the purpose of abundance—to be living in so much overflow that you keep giving it away and furthering the kingdom of God.
The blessing of the tither is what puts us over financially.
That’s why it is so perplexing why some Christians will fight tooth and nail against the principle of tithing. It’s for their benefit! Jerry Savelle warns, “Don’t let Satan’s excuses keep you from faithfully honoring God with your tithes. The ‘windows of heaven’ represent an outflow of God’s blessings showering you in every part of your life. It’s God responding to our obedience to His Word. Why would anyone want to close those windows in their life? That really doesn’t make sense.”
Does tithing really open the windows of heaven?
There was once a farmer who was determined to find out. He decided to see how much he would increase when he tithed 10 percent of every harvest. His plan was to sow 1 cubic inch of wheat, which is 360 kernels. He committed to the Lord that, for a period of six years, he would tithe 10 percent of the harvest and sow the rest. In the first year, it took a 4-foot by 8-foot plot of land to sow 1 cubic inch of seed. At harvest time, he scraped the ground to get every kernel of wheat. Every precious seed counted. The first year produced a fiftyfold harvest. He tithed 10 percent.
In the second year, it took a 24-foot by 60-foot plot of land to sow the seed from the harvest of the first year. He tithed 10 percent. In the third year, it took three-quarters of an acre to sow. He tithed 10 percent. In the fourth year, it took 14 acres to sow. He tithed 10 percent. In the fifth year, it took 230 acres to sow. He tithed 10 percent. By the sixth year, it took over 2,600 acres to sow 5,000 bushels. Three hundred sixty kernels had turned into 55 billion.
The farmer made $288,000 in six years, compared to the other farmers who only made an average of $21,000. The experiment worked. Just like He did for this farmer, God will bless your harvest when you tithe!
Tithers’ Right No. 3: The Devourer Will Be Rebuked in Your Family “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes….’” –Malachi 3:11 (NKJV)
Did you know when God said He will rebuke the devourer for your sake, it includes more than money? As a tither, you have rights that extend beyond the financial realm— you have the promise that God will rebuke the devil from devouring anything in your life.
The family of Pastor Mark Barclay learned this truth a few years ago when tragedy tried to strike. The family had gathered at Mark’s daughter and son-in-law’s home for a party and picnic. After a time, they noticed that Mark’s 9-year-old granddaughter had not been seen in quite a while. As they looked for her, they saw her at the bottom of the pool. Her hair had caught in the suction drain and she couldn’t get loose.
Her dad jumped in and pulled her out, but she had drowned and wasn’t breathing. The paramedics came and began to declare her deceased. But before they could speak, Mark’s son-in-law, the little girl’s father, shouted at the top of his voice, “No you don’t! I claim my tithing rights! The devourer has been rebuked for my sake! You take your hands off my child!”. He continued walking around the pool shouting, “Tithing rights! Tithing rights!”
Within minutes, the little girl sat up and was completely fine. The paramedics insisted on taking her to the hospital. When they arrived, the doctor said, “Where’s the patient?” The paramedic pointed to the little girl. He said, “You?” She said, “Yes! Jesus just raised me from the dead!” Hallelujah! Tithers’ rights.
The devourer has been rebuked by God for our sake in every area of our lives—including our health, our unborn children or our right to bear children (Malachi 3:11). All we have to do is enforce it.
So, when the devil comes and tries to steal anything in your life, you enforce your rights and shout, “You’re not taking my healing, children or finances away from me! I’m a tither! Satan, you’ve been rebuked. Healing belongs to me, the windows of heaven are open to me, and I receive it!”
Conclusion:
These 3 tithers’ rights every Christian should know are powerful! If you haven’t been claiming your tithers’ rights, meditate on these truths and begin to make them part of your daily life. If you aren’t a tither—you can change that today! Don’t let the devil whisper lies to keep you from the blessing and protection that comes from tithing. There is no faster or surer way to break the curse of lack and poverty because when you get God involved, He’ll begin to multiply you.
Don’t ever settle for second best, don’t settle for financial setback or your possessions breaking, don’t settle for attacks on your family—you are a tither and you have rights!
Kenneth Copeland Ministries