Sunday: The Left & Right Hands — Matthew 6:1-4
Not only are we not to announce our acts of charity to the world, we shouldn’t even let our left hand know what the right hand has done. This really means that we aren’t to keep score, or mark our alms-giving down in a ledger so we can go back to it and pridefully regard our good works. It’s hard for some to do good without being noticed for it, but it’s even harder not to pat ourselves on the back when we’ve done good things. Everything we do, we should strive to do well as unto the Lord, but never work for self-appreciation or the commendation of others. Take care of the things dear to God; He’ll take care of you.
Monday: Discreet Prayer — Matthew 6:5-6
We are so corrupted by sin’s nature that it will follow us right into the very presence of God. It may be inconceivable to us that the manner in which we pray may be entangled in iniquity, but it’s true. Even on our knees, speaking in a pious tone, we may be worshiping self rather than God. One death blow to this religious pride is to pray in secret, for there it is impossible to be seen of others. If He is the only One who sees, what does it matter how spiritual we appear? But discreet prayer also allows us to be real. We can tell Him just how we feel, for He knows already. And He cares.
Tuesday: Vain Repetitions — Matthew 6:7-8
True prayer is all about connecting with God. We shut out the world and by faith enter into His awesome presence. When we make prayer a thing of formulas, intensity, drama, duration, eloquence, or a thing we perform so that it can be checked off of some list, we’ve missed the entire point. Prayer isn’t about impressing others, ourselves, or even God. We can cry loudly and beat our chests with dramatic flair, or we can tearfully whisper our words, but no form is more spiritual than another. Prayer isn’t about prayer. Prayer is all about God. It is about being in His presence.
Wednesday: Our Father — Matthew 6:9-10
The Lord’s trademark prayer of the Bible is in John 17. But His model prayer is known as The Lord’s Prayer, and is by far the best known in the entire Bible. All the important aspects of prayer are found within it: approaching God reverently, hallowing His name, imploring His rulership over our lives and upon the whole earth, petitions for our needs, seeking His loving forgiveness and mercy, asking for His help against the power of evil, and a return to the acknowledgement of His sovereignty and glory.
Thursday: Praying for Our Needs — Matthew 6:11-13
Jesus prayed for the needs of man in a complete and concise manner. In these petitions the entire man, body, soul, and spirit, are covered. We pray for our daily bread. We pray for forgiveness and acknowledge our need to forgive. We pray for God’s strength in resisting temptation, for His help to deliver us from evil. It must be clear that in every way, we are totally dependent upon God. That we are to be so every day is clear, for we are to ask only for our daily bread. One who has received God’s blessings will relish the capstone: “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory!”
Friday: The Principle of Forgiveness — Mark 6:14-15
Bitterness and anger are a deadly poison to the soul. Not only do they enshroud our minds with negativity, they allow the worst kind of stress to reign within us. Even worse, unforgiveness leaves us in a terribly compromised position with the Lord. Life is devastating without His abiding forgiveness and acceptance.
Saturday: Discreet Fasting — Matthew 6:16-18
With fasting, we see again how easy it is to get sidetracked in doing a beneficial thing merely for its form, or for showing off how spiritual we are. If we aren’t to appear as the Pharisees when we fast, are we to make an effort “not” to be like them? True righteousness is not about trying to be or not to be something, for it is not about appearance, but only about our relationship with God.