Matthew 6
Teaching about Giving to the Needy
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Jesus, I guess this means I shouldn’t “keep score”. Again, for me, this is so much harder at home with my family than when I write a check to a charity. It is pretty easy for me to not tell anyone about the little bit I give to charities. It is much harder to do something for my wife and not get bothered if she doesn’t notice or takes it for granted.
But it is all the same isn’t it Lord. Whenever we do good for anyone, whether the person is starving in Africa, or they just need help with the dishes, we can choose to be rewarded by a person, or by You.
Jesus, You know what is best for me in this life and in the next. Help me stop worrying about being noticed and being treated fair. Give me a heart that just wants to help and serve and love, and do it all from the shadows, where only You can see. Change me Lord.
Teaching about Prayer and Fasting
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Jesus, there is way too much here for one day, but I can’t divide it up either. Guide me Lord. Teach me as You want, not as I want.
First Jesus, I need to pray more. My work and ideas so often get in the way of my prayer. This is timely. You know the decision I am struggling with. Perhaps I could make a lot of money, but it does cut into my time with You and my time with my family. But I know You are telling me to let it go. It is time to pray more, not work more.
How can I be alone with You and pray to You for others, if my mind is on investments and money? It is such a job that I can’t seem to “close the door behind” me and pray in private. It is always there with me. Even now, I have a calculation on my mind that I want to make really bad. Help me Jesus to put it all aside and pray.
7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:
Jesus, recently I heard Adrian Rogers say, “The prayer that gets to heaven in the prayer that starts in heaven.” You know hat I need far better than I do. You know what my loved ones need far better than I do. Prayer is not me convincing You to give me what I want. Prayer is the time for me to be changed so I want what You want.
Lord, so often my days are filled with chasing after my desires. My prayer time is nothing more than me reading off a list of my wants. Change me Lord. Help me to by changed by the time I spend with You. Help me to want what You want. Help me to thank-you for what You give. Help me to trust You Father, for You know what I need.
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Father, I am almost lost with this. I am afraid to really read this prayer. I have said it so often without thought. What if it says things that shake the Earth, as I’m almost sure it does. Guide me, strengthen me, and change me Father.
Just to think for the God who holds billions of stars in place as my Father makes me tremble. But even worse, the God who should cast me in hell is my Father! How bold of me to say You are my Father when just last night, just a minute ago, I sinned against You. Will I never be humble? I should be afraid! If You are my Father, I am so ashamed of myself. If You are not my Father, I am destined to eternal agony.
I am so sorry. I have not been anything like Your perfect Son Jesus. I am the prodigal son who has lost Your blessings and comes back to beg for mercy. But I am worse because You give me mercy, and take me back, and I leave to sin again and again. Please Father, I don’t know how You do it, but never let Your mercy end, or I am lost forever.
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Father, when will Your kingdom come and Your will be done in my life? As soon as you choose it! Yes that is the truth. I say I want it. My mind tells me it is best. I pray for You to take every part of my life, but I don’t really make that decision every minute of every day. I choose to live outside Your kingdom a lot. I choose my will over Your will over and over.
Why Father? Holy Spirit help me to understand. What is wrong with me? I am a hypocrite and fool and I know it, but I choose sin over and over. Why Lord? Let me see the truth of my life and Your love.
When My kingdom comes to earth the temptation will be gone. But now, You live in a fallen world. It is full of sin and temptation and failure. It is definitely not an excuse for sin, but You must learn to be kind and tender to all others who fall. It is a harsh world you are traveling in.
But if I loved You with ALL my heart, I would not fall. True! Teach me to love You Lord. Change me.
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Father, only You can give us the food we truly need. The world offers us cars and sex and money and booze and entertainment, and it all just leaves us thirsting for more. I need to turn to You and You alone.
I have desires for all kinds of stuff, and am never satisfied. If I turn to You, and You alone, You will give me the physical food I need today, and the spiritual food that will truly satisfy me.
Jesus help me to want only the “stuff” I need for 1 day at a time, and be happy with that so I have room for the mountains of spiritual blessings You intend me to have which will truly fulfill me.
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Father, forgive me my many sins. This part of this prayer is so scary, because I know sometimes I have not been forgiving to others. If I am not forgiving, I am doomed. Jesus, help me to see my own sin, know the price You paid for my sin, and then forgive everyone one who has ever let me down in any way, from my heart, with Your love.
Lord, no one could possibly come close to sinning against me as I have sinned against You. How could I ever be so proud as to not forgive others immediately and completely. Yet that type of total forgiveness can only truly happen with Your grace. Bless me with a forgiving spirit Lord. Change me. Forgive me.
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Father, free me from sin. You know how weak I am. You know You are my only hope against temptation. It seems the more I try to “resist”, the harder the temptation is. Yet, when faced with temptation, if I run to You in prayer, and run to Your Word, then it passes.
The devil is real, and alive, and working to capture me and my family God. You are my only hope, and You are faithful to me. Keep us Father. Remind me to run to Your protection. Lift us up from the lives of sin and despair we may fall into. You are my only hope. Keep me.
Teaching about Money and Possessions
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Jesus You know how I and my family have so much “Stuff”. Perhaps in America we are considered “middle class”, but from Your view of the world with its starving millions, we are very rich. I have way too many treasures here on earth. I’m sure my heart is still too much in love with these earthly treasures.
Help me Jesus to hate my earthly treasures. Help me to not see them as mine at all, but only as Yours to be used as You would like. Please, let You be the desire of my heart so I can easily give away or lose my “stuff”, if that is Your will, and be filled with joy just to be following You. Make my change complete Lord. Make my heart pure. Make me desire only You and use the stuff You have loaned to me as You will.
22 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
Jesus, I’m not sure what You really mean by this, but I know what it means to me. How I see things effects everything about my life. I can see things they way You see them (light), or I can see things the way the world sees them (darkness). And the worst case is if I think the world’s view is enlightened.
Lord, open my eyes to see things as You do. It is easy to see things with worldly eyes. To see other’s faults and sins, and to be arrogant and harsh. To see sin in myself, and ignore it or rationalize it. I can so easily look past the poor, the imprisoned, the despairing, and the sick. So many people needing Your love, and I don’t notice.
I also see problems in my life as much bigger than they are. When You see my life, I doubt You see my mountains as little more than ant hills! Why do I worry so when I am in the hands of almighty God?
Lord, please, help me to see myself, my family, and the world around me, as You do. Be the light of my eyes Jesus. Change me.
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Lord, is it true? I fear I like money. I like people thinking I have money and I like not worrying about how I will make ends meet. Does this mean I will end up hating You? Must the money go? I can rationalize almost any sin in my life, so don’t be vague or soft with me here Jesus. I need You to be brutally honest with me.
Perhaps I do not love money. I love to give to charity, and would give much more if my spouse agreed to it. I do like people to think I am doing well though, and that is not good. I do want to have enough money to quit my current job early, but I want to do something else that is more of a service to others.
I am rambling Jesus. If I love money and am a servant of it, take it away from me. I don’t say that lightly, I know it would change my life radically. If I can use my money and my ability to make money in a way that serves You and helps the poor, teach me Lord. Whatever is Your will Jesus, let it be done as You say. I put my wealth in You hands.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Jesus, how long will I worry about the wrong things? It seems the more we have, the more we have to worry about. Your command is simple: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else”. Everything else is such a distant second. It is so obvious and so simple, yet I don’t do it.
When I seek money, things, or to look good, I am sinning because that is the exact opposite of seeking You first. And all these things just make my mind race with anxiety. You created the entire universe. If am close to You and seek You first, how can I be in need of anything else? My children trust me, a weak human being, to provide for them. They do not worry about the necessities of life. But I can’t just safely rest and have faith in an all powerful God who loves me!
Lord, change me so I truly do seek FIRST the Kingdom of God. Change me Jesus. Change me Holy Spirit. Change me Father.
Footnotes:
- Matthew 6:11 Or Give us today our food for the day; or Give us today our food for tomorrow.
- Matthew 6:13 Or And keep us from being tested.
- Matthew 6:13 Or from evil. Some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
- Matthew 6:33 Some manuscripts do not include of God.
