The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Matthew:6:5-15

kjv@Matthew:6:5 @ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

kjv@Matthew:6:6 @ But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

kjv@Matthew:6:7 @ But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

kjv@Matthew:6:8 @ Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

kjv@Matthew:6:9 @ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

kjv@Matthew:6:10 @ Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

kjv@Matthew:6:11 @ Give us this day our daily bread.

kjv@Matthew:6:12 @ And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

kjv@Matthew:6:13 @ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

kjv@Matthew:6:14 @ For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

kjv@Matthew:6:15 @ But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Today's notes: When Ye Prayest.. Pray

Context:

Before - Alms
After - Fasting

What is man believing/doing?:

Hypocrites - praying to be seen by men in synagog and street
Gentiles - praying vain repetitions
(implied) Disciples - from here after praying in this manner

What is making man to believe/do as he is doing?:

Scribes and Pharisees - all their works are done to be seen kjv@Matthew:23:5
repeated that they might be heard
manner = thematic form or outline

Notes:

dict:all prayer dict:all Will dict:all forgive

If the sermon context holds true, He is talking just as much about a group prayer as He is an individual prayer if not more so. Even as lone individuals at home this prayer can be prayed as a group. Whose bread? Our bread. Forgive who? Forgive us. Lead/deliver who? Lead/deliver us. Why? For thine is the kingdom (where many serve God as one), power (for man by his own resource could not do this as a group as observed in the Pharisees and others), glory for He He is unlike any other and is making Himself known through His Son and by extension through us to the unbelieving word, glory because they will see His mighty work in/on/through us as a "city on the hill". Why? Because as a group the temptation is great for us to pray in a vain repetitious way or to pray to the appearances/attention of men.

Within this same sermon Jesus earlier expressed the need to pray for our enemies. The unified body has every enemy in the world. He also will later speak that where two or three are gathered in His name. Gathered how?

Does this not suggest that God is waiting to answer what He knows that we need and will be asking for so that we would come to the same conclusion regarding these spiritual necessities? That He is righteous in waiting? Perhaps if we came to practice these conclusions we wouldn't have as many occasions to ask for so much, we'd be coming to Him for who He is instead. The problem is that we cannot come to these conclusions without His constant work upon us.

How are our secret prayers openly rewarded? Guess we'd have to try this in this manner in order to see.

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

The Father's righteousness is much more about the unified body for whom His Son died and was raised than anything we would likely consider in private and corporate prayer.
The Father's righteousness and perfect knowledge are often the farthest things from our mind even when we seek Him for His favor and answers. Often it is rather the ritualism and symbolism and ceremony, the proving of ourselves to others, the inclusion of other mens' righteousness interceding for ours (or religious objects).
Deliverance from our evil and temptations is the farthest thing from our minds as we seek God to work within our present state, to continue/bless our course as is only to make it better, to serve our sorted needs rather than us serve His righteous will.
Forgiveness of debt/trespass is the furthest thing from our mind because we consider not His righteousness neither His delivering us out of our sorted nature. We have such little understanding of the depths and need of His forgiveness given to us that we see little depth and need for our forgiveness toward others.
We are most prone while in prayer to God to be more focused on what others may be thinking both inside our religious centers and in public sectors. Rather we are to pray in these places just as we pray at home alone, as if secretly in a closet one on one directly to God regarding the accomplishment of His most righteous will.

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Matthew:6:5-15
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Matthew:6:5-15 rwp@Matthew:6:5-15 mhcc@Matthew:6:5-15
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

< Matthew:6:1-4

Matthew:6:16-18 >