In The Word
Read: Matthew 6:1-18
Charitable Giving to the Poor and Prayer
6 “Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
5 “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
The Lord’s Prayer
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’
14 For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.
Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth
16 “Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Our King continues to explain how we should live in His kingdom. When it comes to giving, praying, and fasting, beware of practicing these spiritual disciplines before men. For if we feed our pride by flaunting this kind of devotion before men, then our reward is lost from God. Many people would rather have the praise of men than the praise of God because it makes them feel more important and significant. However, they don’t recognize that it only makes them foolish in the eyes of God, and they lose far more than they gain. As a matter of fact, God will actually begin to fight against us if we walk in pride. Remember, man will always fail you, but God never will. It’s really a matter of faith to know that God will reward us for what we do for His glory and not our own.
Don’t pay much attention to the amount you give. You must be very careful not to look at the amount, for it will draw your heart to think of the other things you could have done with it. If you think that way, you could lose the joy of giving, which would be losing a part of God’s reward. When praying, find a private, quiet place to spend time with the Father. Follow His model prayer realizing that the power is not in the amount of words we speak but in our faith in the God we speak to. Hold no unforgiveness, or it will rob your reward of prayer. When you are desperate for God to move in your life, you should fast. Fasting is humbling yourself before the God who will reward and give grace toward your attitude. It’s really a matter of faith. Do you trust that God will reward you?