For His Eyes Only
Giving to the Needy
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, 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 men. I tell you the truth, 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.
Prayer
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 men. I tell you the truth, 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.
Bee's Thoughts:
Dear Lord,
Let me be real and true to myself and to people all around though this world is full of hypocrisy and politics, sadly even amongst Chrsitians sometimes.
Sometimes I don't even know what to ask of You. But You know what I need even before I open my mouth.
Sometimes I know what I should do, but I don't have the strength to do it. Help my feeble soul.
I am weak but You are strong,
Jesus keep me from all wrong.
I'll be satified as long,
As I walk, let me walk close to You.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Tommy's Thoughts:
God doesn’t forbid us to pray for a same concern over and over again; in fact Jesus encourages persistent prayer. But, what was meant in verse 7 is that of shallow repetition of words that are not offered with an honest and sincere heart. Instead of just voicing out a typical set of words repeatedly daily in our prayer, take a step in thinking what we are praying and ensure we really do mean what we say.
Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to pray; to clearly know what I’m asking for and to pray them with an honest and sincere heart. Teach me and guide me through the Holy Spirit to pray for others effectively with genuine care and love. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
