Everything in life begins with a seed. God said in Genesis 8:22, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest…, shall not cease.” God gave His Son, Jesus, as a seed for all mankind in order that He might bring, through salvation, “vast multitudes of God’s people to heaven” (Hebrews 2:10).

Seed-Faith is a term my father, Oral Roberts, used to refer to our giving to God as a seed we sow, and not a debt we owe. God has a plan for your needs to be met. When you sow your seed – give of your resources – you can expect that God sees your giving, and will multiply back to you what you have given, just as he promises in His word. (Luke 6:38) You can talk to God about your specific need, as you give, trusting Him and releasing your faith for that need to be met.

Here are three major keys to exercising the principle of seed-faith (giving and receiving) and seeing it work in our lives:

1. Look To God As Your Source.

He may meet our needs through other people, but they are just instruments. God is the one who meets your need. Put Him first, then He will supply… and He will do it His way…not our way…and not depending on whether the economy is up or down. It boils down to trust and going along with God’s agenda, His plan, and His timetable… His biblical principles concerning giving and receiving (Malachi 3:9-10, Matthew 6:33 & Galatians 6:7).

2. Give First Or “Seed For Your Miracle Or Need.”

You apply your faith as you give your seed…seeds of whatever you have to give…time, talents, love, forgiveness, financial resources…and God causes the mountains of need in your life to move (Matthew 17:20). You’re no longer giving out of a sense of obligation to God, as something owed, but you become a seed-sower. You’re giving God opportunities to meet your need and He in turn, multiplies your seeds back to you in the form you need most (Luke 6:38).

3. Expect A Miracle.

When you give, or sow your seeds of faith, you are expecting to reap the benefits (Mark 11:24). Just as when a farmer plants his seed, he doesn’t just throw his seed on the ground and walk away. He cultivates the ground and He expects a harvest to grow. But the farmer has a “due season” for his harvest to come in. So trust God’s perfect timing for your harvest. Expect Him to multiply every seed you sow and to supply all your needs, just as He promised in Galatians 6:9 and Philippians 4:13.

God is not looking at the amount you sow; He’s looking at your heart—your motive—and your faith. No matter how little you think you have, sow it in joy and faith, expecting your seed to reap God’s miracles!