The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse reading–Matthew 6:1-18 (day seven)  “BE CAREFUL not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them” (vs 1)  If the Scripture tells us to “cast all of our care on Him” (1 Peter 5:7) what does the Lord mean when He tells us to be careful (care-full)?  The greek word in Matthew 6 is prosecho–“to pay attention due to danger or opportunity”.  It is not anxiety that the Lord is demanding.  It is concentration.  We are careful with prescription drugs. (hopefully)  We realize the dangers in misuse and/or benefits in exact compliance.  Jesus sees the same reality with the LIFE of the Spirit.  We are to pay attention to our choices and motives.  We are to carefully examine these in the presence of the Lord.  It is the opposite of being “casual”.  Friend, are you being careful about your obedience to Christ?  Are you honestly admitting your motives before Him?  Will you take time?  Will you take care?

Re:Verse reading–Matthew 6:1-18 (day six)  “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do” (vs 2)  Do you hear the assumption?  Jesus never considered whether His followers would help people in need.  He did not consider it an option.  His only concern was how we would do it– not spoiling this service to God through impure motives.  Do we always make the same assumptions about ourselves and our schedules?  The heart of Christ was tender toward people and pain.  He was constantly aware and completely surrendered to the task of alleviating human suffering.  “The poor you will always have with you” (John 12:8) is not Jesus being pessimistic about a battle that cannot be won.  It is Jesus declaring that so long as there are people who have needs, the followers of Christ will be actively and passionately involved in trying to help.  It is one of His assumptions!

Re:Verse reading–Matthew 6:1-18 (day five)  “Then your Father. . .will reward you” (vs 4)  My son is getting married this weekend.  Holly and I are pleased and proud of Alex and Laura for the people that they have become and the choices they have made.  As the weekend approaches, my chest is filling with powerful emotions.  Among them is a desire to give things to my son. . .advice, time, encouragement, money.  Whatever I have.  Whatever he needs.  Nothing is more predictable.  Jesus used to talk about the Father who would give bread not stones. (Luke 11).  Jesus was CONVINCED beyond any argument that the heavenly Father would reward His children in the same way.  It is just how fathers are!  The determined purpose of a perfect Father is to pour out His love, even on imperfect children.  Hmmmm. . .  God feels about me like I feel about Alex and Andrew (even more so).  It is a good reminder that I should have hope!

Re:Verse reading–Matthew 6:1-18 (day four)  “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites” (vs 5)  Jesus is (always) concerned about people who wear masks.  His word was hypocrite.  (Hupo=under, krites=decisions)  A hypocrite is  a person whose real decisions and thoughts are covered, hidden (often even from themselves).  Religion can be such a mask, deeds to do or words to speak in order to “connect” with God without the painful work of being honest and present.  A prayer closet is the only cure.  No one present to distract you.  No thought that your words will manipulate God or hide the truth from Him.  Get alone and talk with Him! Use the Lord’s prayer as a guide!  Talk about His character and His will!  Talk about your needs and sins and fears!  Talk about the future!  Take time to listen!  The Lord really wants to know you.  He really wants you to know Him. Please take that mask off!

Re: Verse reading–Matthew 6:1-18 (day three)  “If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (vs 1)  We hear the peculiar and powerful perspective of Christ in these words.  He viewed EVERYTHING against its eternal outcome.  Nothing had value in and of itself.  If an action or attitude brought no reward (or negatively impacted the potential for reward) it was to be avoided.  If an action or attitude led toward the recognition and approval of the Father it was to be embraced.  A simple system.  Simply life-changing.  I am convinced that this re-0rientation to eternity must still take place in our lives.  How would our lives be different if the promise of God’s approval and reward was our only concentration?  The Bible describes this forward focus in Abraham.  “He was looking for a city whose architect and builder was God” (Hebrews 11:10)  May the same be said of us!

Re: Verse reading–Matthew 6:1-18 (day two)  “When you pray, go into your room, close the door  . . . Then your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (vs 6)  Jesus is talking about LIFE in the Kingdom.  He has described it in the Beatitudes (and declared it blessed!)  He has shown its relationship to the Law (5:17-48)  Now He talks about its relationship to other people.  Our LIFE in God must have a secrecy about it.  It must be a private, personal relationship with God alone–far removed from the influence or distraction of other people.  In secret (only there) we learn who God is and who we are.  In secret (only there) we find His guidance.  Most of us are so influenced by the ideas of other people, so controlled by a need for their approval that we never find this secret place.  “How can you believe when you seek glory from one another and not from God? (John 5:44)

Re: Verse reading–Matthew 6:1-18 (day one)  Welcome to a New Year of reading the Bible together!  “Then your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (vs 4)  The Bible is clear on this point.  “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6)  Some struggle against the idea, as if the promise of a reward cheapens our love for God, reducing it to nothing but self-interest.  But God knows real love from false love.  One indication is secrecy.  Do we seek Him when no one else is watching or will ever know?  Another indication is diligence.  Do we serve without complaint even when the task is harder or more time-consuming than we anticipated?  The Lord keeps an account of such sacrifice. We are certain of it.  What a double blessing!  He gives us a LIFE that we do not deserve and then rewards us for living it!  Do these words give you hope?

RE Verse reading–Matthew 5:17-48 (day six)  “not the smallest letter. . .will by any means disappear. . .until everything is accomplished.” (vs 18)  I hear hope in the words of Christ!  I hear a deep confidence that God’s plan for the world will ultimately be accomplished.  It will take time, but Jesus is CERTAIN that a race of men will appear who do not hate/ live in constant conflict.  The Law will not just disappear, defeated and discarded.  Jesus is SURE that a day will come when marriage will be pure and permanent.  People will tell the truth.  We will love our enemies and conquer evil with good.  Utopian dream?  No!  It is the Kingdom of God!  Jesus taught us to pray for it to come.  To do so,  I must surrender my scepticism and embrace His confident vision of the future.  Friend, do you BELIEVE that the patient plan of God will be ultimately accomplished?

RE Verse reading–Matthew 5:17-48 (day five) “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court” (vs 25) Followers of Christ are often conflict avoidant.  We dislike conflict so much that we don’t deal with it.  Not honestly.  Not fairly. Not with a will to settle the matter.  The sad truth?  By avoiding it we prolong it.  Righteousness to Jesus did not mean the absence of enemies.  Conflicts come. . .in families, in churches, in friendships and businesses.  The life that fulfills the Law is characterized by a willingness to face conflict, put it to rest, and limit the damage done.  The goal is not to win an argument but to find a settlement.  “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out” (Proverbs 17:14)  It is not conflict that concerned Jesus.  It is unsettled conflict.  May the Lord make many disciples at the point of this wisdom!

RE Verse reading–Matthew  5:17-48 (day four)  “First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (vs 24)  Jesus is teaching the Law.  He is thinking about the 6th Commandment (murder).  He insists that God’s original (eventual) intent was to forbid hatred, contempt and malice.  His illustration is provocative.  A man is presenting an offering to God.  He desires forgiveness from God, an end to wrath.  While there, He remembers that his brother is also angry with him (and for equally good reasons).  What should he do?  He should, first, to be reconciled to his brother by apology or restitution.  Then he should come to God.  None of us would dare go to the Supreme Court before we straightened out the issues with the lower courts.  If we ignore the rights of others (whom God protects) we are certain to have difficulty before the throne.  God is higher, but (by His decision) our brothers are first.