Matthew 6

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭8‬, ‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus tells us here that we should make sure that we have the right motives for giving, prayer and fasting.  We should do these things because we love God and we are thankful for all that He has done for us. We are not doing these things in order to make ourselves look good. Pharisees and hypocrites wanted to be “recognized and honored and praised by men,” according to Matthew 6:2. In Galatians 1:10, Paul wrote, “Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bondservant of Christ (the Messiah).”  In almost everything you do, you will be pleasing either God or men.  Do not be addicted to approval from people.  Follow your heart, and obey God’s principles. Do what you believe God is telling you to do.

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Lord’s prayer is a pattern that our prayers should follow, not necessarily a prayer to repeat, word for word (unless our heart is behind the words).  We should praise God, pray for His work in the world, ask Him to provide for our daily needs, ask for help in our personal relationships, pray for protection from temptation and evil, and then praise God again.  We don’t have to follow a strict pattern every time we pray.  Prayer is a private communication with God, and you should talk to Him like you are talking to your best friend.  In John 15:15 Jesus said this to His disciples, and He says it to us today: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.”