Matthew 6:1-18

 

Finding Eternal Purpose in a Temporary World

 

Have you ever had a close call with death? Nothing else makes you think about eternity quite like it. In my early years as a commercial fisherman off the East Coast of England, I faced many near misses where death felt right at my side. There’s nothing quite like having a twelve-foot-long unexploded German magnetic mine lying on the deck to trigger such thoughts! That was when I first began to consider what might happen to me when I die. Contemplating eternity changes your perspective. When I became a Christian, I fully and wholeheartedly surrendered my life to Him, and I discovered that my life goals shifted. After my conversion, the lure of money, possessions, and success as a fisherman no longer appealed to me. What’s the point of working six days a week, fifteen hours a day? Chasing after money is as pointless as chasing the wind. I wanted my life to have real purpose.

 

That’s the big question for many today—What’s the point? What is the meaning of life? When one critically examines creation and the natural world, a logical person concludes that there must be a God, a Creator. If there is a Creator, He must have a plan that is being carried out on Earth. The plan is to train and transform individuals who will walk with Christ to go against the flow and the status quo of this world. God desires for His people to work with Him to influence and invite others to become part of His people.

 

There will come a time when God completes the training of the Bride of Christ—His people—and He will reward all those whose character has been shaped into the image of Christ by the Spirit of God. In the following passages of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasizes the rewards that will be given on the day when this evil world ends (chapter 6, verses 1, 4, 5, and 6). We only have one life to live on Earth, and we should make the most of our opportunities to glorify God rather than ourselves or others. This reminder about rewards encourages us to focus on eternal things rather than seeking rewards in this life. Living for eternity shifts our perspective and values, and if we are following Jesus, it can even transform our desires.

 

Giving with Pure Motives: Escaping the Trap of Human Praise

 

¹ “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. ²“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. ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:1-4).

 

Our hearts are “deceitful above all things and desperately sick,” the prophet Jeremiah told us (17:9 ESV), and our inner desire for the approval of others can deceive us away from the reward that God gives. The Fall of Man has corrupted our souls, leading us to seek human praise rather than God's. Jesus warns us to "Be careful" (v. 1) about our inner motivations when sharing our acts of righteousness. Why are we like that? The Lord provides an example of what He has seen happening in Israel. He calls those individuals hypocrites — a word meaning stage actors—people who wear masks and pretend to be someone they are not in real life.

 

At a specific time in the temple courts, trumpets would sound to call people to give. Those within earshot would stop what they were doing, put on a solemn face, and walk to the offering boxes. Yes, they received a reward, but it was not for storing up treasure in heaven; it was wasted because of the motivations of their hearts. They were not giving sincerely but buying influence. The hypocrites sought some worldly gain in return for their giving. When the desire to give arises, Jesus said, “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” What does that really mean? How can that happen? Most people give with their right hand, so Jesus uses the humorous image of being so secretive about our giving to God that the left hand remains unaware. He explains this because our inner motivations can be so deceitful and influence us more than we realize. The Lord truly wants us to receive a heavenly reward fully and to focus on what is eternal rather than fleeting.

 

How does one live their life to make the most significant impact on those around them? We should not live driven by rewards; our hearts should always focus on the glory of our God. However, it is our Savior who wants us to know that there will be a reward for a life lived with Christ at the center. "What’s in it for me" will always be part of us, just as it was with Peter the Apostle.

 

“See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:27-29).

 

In Matthew 6:1, Jesus warns against "performing" our faith. When are you most tempted to let others see your "righteousness"? How can we protect our hearts from seeking human "likes" over God’s approval?

 

After hearing the above words, Peter asks, “What then will we have?” He had made significant life changes and left behind the life he once knew. He was questioning what he would receive for his decision, and he wasn’t afraid to ask. Peter was always quick to speak his mind! Jesus reassures Peter that he will receive a hundredfold for what he has given up and that he will inherit eternal life. Although we can only imagine it now, just as the sun will rise tomorrow, the Day of Christ will come, and He will sit on His glorious throne. It will then be that God rewards all those who are faithful to Him.

 

Some of us have experienced loss because of following Christ, and some have even been rejected or lost friends or close relationships due to their Christian faith. Do you think Jesus is referring to rewards in eternity only, or does He promise rewards in this life as well? (Matthew 19:29).

 

The Secret to Effective Prayer: Connecting with Your Father

 

The Lord continues to speak about how to live free from hypocrisy and maximize their rewards in the eternal kingdom.

 

⁵“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. ⁶But 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. ⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:5-8; emphasis added).

 

In the passage above, Jesus is not condemning public prayer; instead, he highlights the motivation to be seen by others—the Lord uses a strong word: they love to pray to be seen by others. They will receive their reward, but that reward is not from God; it is the desire to influence people. The person who is rewarded by God keeps their prayer life private. Prayer can become rote, and the heart can be removed from the sincerity and transparency that truly impact God. Today, in every culture, some believe that God answers prayer based on how many times it is repeated. But how often is your spouse influenced by requests made without thought? Can you imagine trying to influence others with countless repeated requests? Why do we think the Holy God, who knows everything and sees everything, can be influenced by mindless, heartless prayer? The Lord reminds us that He already knows what we need before we even ask (v. 8). Brothers and sisters, when we pray without sincere hearts, we are likely praying to ourselves.

 

In my ministry of teaching small group leaders, I often demonstrate how to pray publicly by modeling one-sentence prayers, since prayers can sometimes become focused on using fancy words to impress hearers. This desire to look good and show off vocabulary doesn't impress God. I remember when we invited a young, newly converted couple to dinner at our house. They were so grateful for the invitation that they wanted to return the favor. When we arrived at their home, they had taken the time to clean and prepare a beautiful meal. Just as we had modeled, they waited until the food was in front of us before asking me to pray and bless the meal. I explained that in England, it is customary for the host to offer a prayer of thanks and bless the food. The young man gulped and said, "Thank you, God, for our friends and this food," then quickly added, "And…See you Sunday." I truly believe that God was blessed by that prayer. Heartfelt, sincere prayers touch God's heart more than eloquent ones.

 

The Lord clarifies His teachings on prayer by providing us with an example of prayer:

 

Understanding the Lord’s Prayer as a Daily Model

 

⁹“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹Give us today our daily bread. ¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ ¹⁴For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:9-15).

 

What is commonly referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer” is not a prayer that Jesus would have prayed, for He never had to pray for God to forgive His sins (v. 4). It should be called the “Disciples Prayer,” and even then, I believe it was not a rote prayer to pray over and again but a model prayer. It is not wrong to pray with the exact words, but we should understand that any prayer we address to God should be grounded in the principles of this model prayer.

 

Jesus began the model prayer by turning our faces toward heaven and addressing God with the very personal term "Father." This way of calling God was uncommon at that time. Although God was called the Father of Israel, no individual had ever spoken to Him in this way. Many Christians today are so used to it that we don’t realize how surprising this was and is to people from different cultures, who had always seen God as distant. The following story illustrates the unique nature of this close approach to God.

 

Former Egyptian Muslim Daniel Massieh tried to persecute a church in Egypt and planned to imitate what Christians did so he could infiltrate the church and destroy their testimony. He asked a Christian friend if he could share a prayer for him to pray aloud and gain the trust of those in the Egyptian church he aimed to subvert. The Christian friend wrote out the prayer Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew, the one we are now studying. Daniel went into the bedroom to start memorizing it, but he struggled to get past the first two words— "Our Father." Here, in his own words, is what happened:

 

“I sat on the bed to read and memorize the prayer. The first two words, “Our Father,” grabbed me! “Our Father? Our Daddy?" I asked myself incredulously, wondering if I had read correctly. Muslims would never dare to address God in this way! As a Muslim, I was taught that Allah was my master, a frightful and distant overseer who would never allow me to approach him in such a familiar way. How disrespectful and foolish for Christians to address God like this. Surely this was blasphemy! Shaking my head, I casually opened the window, gazed out, and addressed the night sky in a mocking whisper: "God, did you marry my mother? Are you my father? Suddenly, an inexplicable and overwhelming Presence filled the room. It was a powerful yet comforting Presence that reached into the very core of my soul. The response to my question was nearly audible: "Yes, I AM your Father." I was completely overwhelmed by God's Presence, surrounded by an indescribable Love. This was God's love for me—a fatherly love, the love of a daddy! God was introducing Himself at that moment, saying that He was my heavenly Father!

 

I felt like a little child who, after being estranged from his Daddy for twenty-three years, had finally been found. The love I experienced was so overwhelming that I wanted to shout it from the rooftops: God is my Father! God, the Creator of everything, the All-Powerful, the Lord of Lords—He is my Father!” All through the night, I sensed God's love embracing me, and I desperately clung to Him in return. I began to realize all the wrongs I had committed and how they grieved the Father. I confessed every sin I could remember. I also expressed my remorse for entering the church under false pretenses to mock the Christians.

 

Realizing my sins and how they grieved the Father overwhelmed me with gut-wrenching sobs. I cried so intensely that Mamdouh [His friend] heard me from the next room. When he later asked why I had been crying so loudly, he couldn't believe that the Lord's Prayer had such a powerful impact on me. That night, I slept very deeply. When I woke up the next day, I felt as if I had shed the weight of a heavy camel that had been burdening my shoulders. Peace and comfort filled my heart. I learned later that this is what the Bible means when it says, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).[1]

 

Mohammad Kamel, once an adversary of the Christian faith, changed his name to Daniel Abdul Massieh (meaning Daniel, the servant of Messiah), and he now preaches the Gospel of Christ in many countries, including the Middle East and the Arabic-speaking nations, and in the USA.

 

The Father Heart: Daniel Massieh was transformed by the words "Our Father." How does viewing God as a "Daddy" versus a "Distant Master" change the way you approach Him this week?

 

5 Steps to a Powerful Prayer Life

 

It is possible that the disciple’s prayer acted as a model or outline for our own prayer life. The prayer consists of five parts. They are as follows:

 

1)Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

 

2)Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.

 

3)Give us today our daily bread.

 

4)Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

 

5)And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

 

One can reach out to God by exploring each part of this prayer, such as the following:

 

1) Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.

 

All prayers to our God should begin by looking upward. Entering His presence starts with focusing on the Lord Himself.

 

a) Imagine yourself approaching a loving Father who has loved us with an everlasting love.

 

b) Consider the fact that He has drawn us into a close, personal relationship with Himself, calling us His sons and daughters; there should be a sense of wonder that He is our Abba, our Daddy.

 

c) Our Father is in heaven, and He has called us into this relationship with Him for eternity, and the glories of heaven are ours!

 

d) His name is to be hallowed, set apart as consecrated and sanctified. To hallow means to regard as holy or to reverence Him as the Creator of all things. Just as there is a sense of awe when walking in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem or visiting the site of the Twin Towers destroyed on September 11, 2001, similarly, His name on our lips should be hallowed. We feel a deep sense of sorrow when His name is spoken in vain.

 

e) There should be a feeling of thankfulness and praise for Who God is and what He means to you. You may want to sing to Him as you enter His presence.

 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name (Psalm 100:4).

 

2) Your kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

 

The second part of the prayer again looks upward with a petition for the Kingdom of God to come to Earth, emphasizing God’s will to be done rather than ours. During this part of our prayer time, we focus on the following:

 

a) Pray for the growth of the Gospel in your country and for missionary efforts in other nations. Pray that Satan’s kingdom and influence over people and nations are broken.

 

b) Pray that God’s kingdom will come to everyone around you. Take time to pray for the individuals God has placed on your heart—specifically those you sense He wants to work in, especially those with needs such as healing.

 

c) Pray for your spouse, children, and other family members.

 

d) Pray for your pastor and for those who lead you within your church or house group.

 

e) Pray for God's kingdom to come to you personally, asking to be filled, controlled, and led by the Spirit of God. This involves offering ourselves on the altar, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). God can only use us to the extent that we surrender ourselves to Him.

 

f) Pray for the leaders of your country, that they would allow the Gospel to be communicated freely without obstacles.

 

¹I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone– ²for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

 

 

 

3) Give us today our daily bread.

 

a) At this point in your prayer time, thank Him for His provision to you and your family. Then, pray about your work, which God uses to provide for you and your family. Ask for guidance and wisdom regarding what you do for Him.

 

b) Use this time to remind God of His promises of blessing. Ask Him to expand your sphere of influence and to open doors of blessing.

 

c) Request specific guidance in managing your time, energy, and money for His kingdom purposes. Be receptive to the Lord speaking to you about providing material support to others.

 

4) Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

 

Our prayer time now emphasizes maintaining a proper relationship with God and others. The Lord makes our forgiveness dependent on our willingness to forgive others. Grace has not truly touched our hearts if we have not forgiven others. The overflow of God's forgiveness in our lives should motivate us to forgive others and release them from any obligation to us. If we have not genuinely forgiven others from our hearts, we have not fully understood what it cost God to forgive us.

 

a) When asking God to forgive us our debts, we should open our lives to His inspection and be completely honest with Him about our sins. David prayed for God to 'Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23).

 

b) Confess your faults to God and ask Him for specific strategies to overcome your sinful nature. Job expressed his plan to conquer his lower, sensual nature: 'I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl' (Job 31:1). Think through specific strategies to overcome and then act! c) During this time of introspection, ask God to reveal anyone you have not forgiven, such as someone who may have hurt you. Pray that He works in your heart so you can genuinely forgive from the bottom of your heart. Pray for God’s blessing on those you remember.

 

5) And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

 

a) Ask God to deliver you from any occult influence or curse directed at you.

 

b) Pray that God's armor be upon you. You might want to ask Him to fasten the belt of truth around your waist and for His righteousness to be like a breastplate over your heart. Ensure your feet are fitted with readiness to walk out the Gospel of peace, so you have a shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one, a helmet of salvation to protect your mind, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to be wielded powerfully in you and through you (Ephesians 6:13-17).

 

c) Pray that when temptation and trial come to your faith, you may stand firm and not fall into compromise.

 

End your prayer time by acknowledging the One you live for and are committed to. Finish with a song or psalm of praise.

 

The Model: Look at the five parts of the Disciple's Prayer. Which of these five areas is currently missing or weakest in your daily communication with God?

 

Spiritual Breakthrough Through Biblical Fasting

 

¹⁶“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. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so 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 6:16-18, Emphasis added).

 

Jesus has assumptions about how we live as believers in this world system. The first was: “So when you give to the needy…” He did not say if you give, but when you give. He continued with his assumptions by saying, “And when you pray…” Those who trust in God and walk with Him will pray. The third assumption wasn't about if you fast, but when you fast. He assumes that if we live in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25), our walk will lead us into fasting.

 

Prayer and giving are both spiritual acts we are very familiar with, but for many of us, fasting is not. There is still a need to fast today. If you are physically able and it is medically safe for you, consider adding this to your spiritual devotional life if you're not already doing so. Ask God to teach you how to develop the discipline of fasting. When combined with prayer, it becomes the most potent tool to practically demonstrate our spirit's mastery over physical needs and cravings. It’s a hard-to-understand mystery, but in some ways fasting tips the scales toward the spiritual side of our nature and releases power over the enemy that prayer alone cannot. If we incorporate fasting into our spiritual lives, we will be better prepared for situations that require great faith. Many difficult situations involving spiritual darkness are best addressed with prayer and fasting. If Jesus needed to do it, how much more do we need this essential spiritual tool?

 

Fasting offers spiritual benefits. The Book of Isaiah, chapter 58, discusses the "fast that God has chosen." This passage shows us how to fast to break strongholds.

 

The Lord says that fasting would "untie the cords of the yoke" and “set the oppressed free” (v. 6). He also said that “light will break forth like the dawn” and “your healing will quickly appear” (v. 8). Another spiritual benefit is that people will experience hearing God's voice when they cry out to Him for help (v. 9). There are also promises of God’s guidance, provision, and strength. He said we would be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail (v. 11). If you are feeling depressed, joy will flow over you instead (v. 14). All this happens through fasting!

 

The Fast: Jesus says, "When you fast," not "If." What is one "appetite" (food, social media, entertainment) you could set aside this week to focus more intently on God’s presence?

 

There are different types of fasts. Daniel and his three friends went on a vegetable-and-water fast (Daniel 1:12). Later, he fasted for three weeks without eating any tasty food, meat, or wine (Daniel 10:2-3). Decide for yourself how you will fast. Ask God to show you what kind of fast you should undertake. If you are under a doctor's care for a medical condition, make sure fasting is safe for you and obtain your doctor's approval. You might be able to do a partial fast or a Daniel fast.

 

The words in Isaiah 58 teach us that during fasting, we should not withdraw as an act of piety but instead serve others and show kindness. This is the fast that God has chosen. These thoughts remind us once again that our spirituality is connected to how we treat others, not just the devotion we offer to God. We also demonstrate our devotion to Him through how we treat others.

 

Through prayer and fasting, we can break down strongholds and see seemingly impossible mountains move! Consider making the Lord’s prayer a personal part of your prayer routine and combining it with fasting. Call out to Him, and He promises to answer. If you'd like to learn more about fasting, I recommend God’s Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis, a very practical book that will strengthen you spiritually and motivate your fasting journey.

 

May everything we do for Christ be motivated by a desire to exalt our God, not ourselves. And may you be richly rewarded by God, not by people.

 

How to Apply This Study This Week

 

To live out Matthew 6, try the "Secret Three" Challenge:

 

• Secret Giving: Find a way to meet a need this week—whether it’s a financial gift, a meal, or a chore—without telling a single soul. Experience the joy of a secret shared only between you and the Father.
•  
• The "Closet" Connection: Set a timer for 10 minutes. Go into a room alone, close the door, and use the 5-part model prayer. Focus specifically on "Hallowing" His name (praising who He is) before asking for anything.
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• Identify a "Yoke": Is there a habit, a fear, or a difficult situation (a "yoke") that hasn't moved? Commit to a partial fast (like the Daniel Fast) for one day this week, specifically asking God to "untie the cords" as promised in Isaiah 58.
•  

Prayer: Father, will You help us deepen our faith through fasting and prayer? Our world needs people full of the Spirit and empowered by You through these spiritual disciplines. We recognize that Your ways are higher than ours and Your thoughts are greater than ours. Lord, reveal Your ways to us. Please show us Your strength and deliverance as we turn to You.

 

Keith Thomas

 

Website: www.groupbiblestudy.com

 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@keiththomas7/videos

 

Email: keiththomas@groupbiblestudy.com