"The first step in receiving is giving.” – Catherine Ponder
Think about it:
There is a Chinese legend that nicely illustrates the necessity to give before you may expect to receive:
On a certain street in a Chinese city there was a poor beggar who held out his cup all (lay begging for rice or whatever the passers-by chose to give him. One day the beggar saw a great parade coming down his street headed by the Emperor riding in his stately rickshaw and freely handing out gifts to his subjects. The poor beggar was filled with delight.
"Now," thought Woo, "my great opportunity has come. For once I shall receive a worthy gift," and he (lanced with joy.
When the Emperor reached him, Woo held out his cup with great earnestness, but instead of the expected gift from the Emperor his Majesty asked Woo for a gift. Poor Woo was greatly disappointed and vexed, so he reached in his cup and with much grtirnbling handed the Emperor two of the smallest grains of' rice he could find. The Emperor passed on.
All that day Woo fumed and grumbled. He denounced the Emperor, he berated Buddha, he was cross to those who spoke to him and few people even stopped to speak to him or drop grains of rice in his cup. That night when Woo reached his poor hut and poured out his scant supply of rice, he found in his cup two nuggets of gold just the size of the grains of rice he had given to the Emperor.
You have to give to get.