Matthew Chapter Six

Seek God's Approval

^1-4Take care not to do your good works before men, to be seen by them; or you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. When, then, you give money to the poor, do not make a noise about it, as the false-hearted men do in the Synagogues and in the streets, so that they may have glory from men. Truly, I say to you, They have their complete reward. But when you give money, let not your left hand see what your right hand does: So that your giving may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will give you your reward.

Jesus Teaches about Prayer

^5-8And when you make your prayers, be not like the false-hearted men, who take pleasure in getting up and saying their prayers in the Synagogues and at the street turnings so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, They already have Their complete reward. But when you make your prayers, go into your private room, and, after shutting the door, say your prayers to your Father in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will give you your reward. And in your prayer do not make use of the same words again and again, as the people of the nations do: for they have the idea that God will give attention to them because of the number of their words. So, be not like them; because your Father has knowledge of your needs even before you make your requests to Him.

^9-13Let your prayer then be this way: Our Father in the heavens, may your name be made holy. Let your kingdom come. Let your pleasure be done, as in heaven, so too on the earth. Give us the bread for this day according to our needs. And free us of our debts to others, as we also have freed those who are in debt to us. And let us not be put to test, but keep us safe from what is bad.

^14-15For if you let men have forgiveness for their sins, you will have forgiveness from your Father in heaven. But if you do not let men have forgiveness for their sins, you will not have forgiveness from your Father for your sins.

True Fasting

^16-18And when you go without food, be not sad-faced as the false-hearted are. For they go about their way with changed looks, so that men may see that they are going without food. Truly I say to you, They already have their complete reward. But when you go without food, put oil on your head and make your face clean; So that no one may see that you are going without food, but your Father in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will give you your reward.

Don't Trust in Money

^19-21Make no store of wealth for yourselves on earth, where it may be turned to dust by worms and weather, and where thieves may come in by force and take it away. But make a store for yourselves in the heavens, where it will not be turned to dust and where thieves do not come in to take it away: For where your wealth is, there also will be your heart.

Be a Light for the World

^22-23The light of the body is the eye; if then your eye is true, all your body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, all your body will be dark. If then the light which is in you is dark, how dark it will be be!

Put God's Kindom First

²⁴No man is able to be a servant to two masters: for he will have hate for the one and love for the other, or he will keep with one and have no respect for the other. You may not be servants of God and of wealth.

^25-32So I say to you, Do not take too much though about your life, about the food you eat or about what you drink, nor about clothing for your body. Is not life more than the food you eat? and is not the body more than the clothing you put on? See the birds of heaven; they do not put seeds in the earth, they do not get in grain, or put it in store-houses; and yet your Father in heaven gives them food. Are you not of much more value than they? And which of you by taking too much thought is able to make himself a inch taller? And why are you troubled about clothing? See the flowers of the field, how they come up; they do no work, they make no thread for their clothes: But I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God gives such clothing to the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is put into the oven, will he not with more reason give you the clothing, oh man of little faith? Then do not be troubled, saying, What have we for food? or What have we for drink? or With what are we to be clothed? For the peoples of the nations are the ones troubled in looking for all these things: but your Father in heaven has knowledge that you have need of all these things:

^33-34But let your first care be for his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these other things will be given to you as an addition. Then do not trouble yourself about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself, Take the troubles of the day as they come..

Continue with Matthew Chapter Seven