Tuesday October 11, 2022

Today is Tuesday, October 11 and we are studying the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter six.

As I enter a time of prayer, I quiet my mind, slow my breathing and focus myself – body, mind and spirit on the God who loves me.

Pause and Pray

Blessed Lord, I long to hear your voice! Speak to me and help me comprehend the wisdom and guidance you want to share with my soul. Open the ears of my heart to receive truth and gain understanding. Amen.

As a new day dawns, I lift up my hands and pray to the Lord with the words of Psalm 5.

Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:2-3

Pause and Pray

This section of the Sermon on the Mount has to do with purity of intention. Jesus encourages the Christian to be righteous but for the right reasons. I am not to do righteous deeds to gain the approval of other people, receive recognition or garner applause. My motivations are to be pure. Today, I consider my incentive for praying. Why do I pray? Insincerity is the first thing I am to guard against in prayer. Prayer is to be a sincere uplifting of my heart and soul to God. My ultimate intention is to commune with the God of all holiness. In secret, I lift up my heart and pour out my soul before Him.

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

Jesus tells His followers that motives matter. If I am doing something, even a good thing, to get the attention and approval of others, whether that is likes on my Facebook page, retweets of my tweets, or shares of my daily posts, that is not a good thing. If I am trying to draw attention to myself for my goodness, if I am living out my prayer life for others to see and take notice, if I am doing good deeds to be admired by or impress others, if I am trying to gain a reputation for my righteousness or receive a reward for my holiness, that is not a good thing. Facebook friends may give me a “thumbs up,” but I should not expect God to be impressed. I have received my reward in full, Jesus says.

Ask: When have I enjoyed recognition or gained approval for doing good deeds in front of others? What is my motivation for acts of piety (like prayer) and holiness?

Pause and Pray

Blessed Lord, make me aware of my need for recognition and desire for the approval of others. Remove any traces of hypocrisy or insincerity. Give me a heart of holy intentions and a sincere desire to spend time with You in prayer. I go into my room and close the door to be alone with You in secret. I read Matthew again, listening for the message You have for me today.

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

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

God wants to speak fresh words and help me gain awareness of my deepest motivations and intentions. I consider the acts of piety I accomplish in my day to day world – like prayer, studying scripture and fasting. Is my time of daily devotion and prayer something I announce or keep private? I consider why that is. Maybe God wants me to slow down and spend more time in silence with him – in my room behind a closed door and offline. Perhaps God wants me to practice more time listening and less time talking and/or reading what others have to say. Maybe God wants to remind me that He knows exactly what I need before I even ask Him.

Pause and Pray

Holy and loving God, I want to spend more quality time alone with you in silence and solitude. Come into the hidden recesses of my heart and give me the joy of Your company and conversation. Point out every impure intention and false motivation that mars my soul and put a pure heart and right spirit within me. Let me seek no reward, but You. Amen.

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-1

I leave this time of solitude in the joy of God’s presence, I go to share His amazing love with a hurting world.

Amen