Honoring God...the Wayfarer 3/13/13

Honoring God
3/13/13

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest  thine alms,  do not sound a trumpet  before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men .Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

(Matthew 6:1-4)

We are, by nature, a creature that seeks the admiration of our fellow men.

This passage warns us of the tendency that we have to brag on ourselves, seeking an earthly reward for our efforts instead of seeking the approval of God, Whose opinion of us is the only one that really matters when we stand before Him in judgment.

The rewards given by our Father are far greater than those we could ever receive from any man. We are not to, “sound a trumpet”, or to do things merely for the glory given by those around us, but for the glory of God Himself!

 It is more than enough that God know of our contributions.

 If we seek glory for ourselves, it is sinful, and actually defeats the purpose intended for our gifts to Him. God will reward us openly and sound the trumpet for us if we obey this directive from Jesus!

“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.  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. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think they may be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

(Matthew 6:5-8)

Prayer is only acceptable to God if it is sincere.

God already knows our needs, even before we ask. 

In Jesus’ time, just as today, there were many who made a spectacle of their prayers, both in the synagogues and on the street.

 Christ, not I, calls them  hypocrites, play actors doing this for the glory given them by others for the lengthiness, loudness, and their ability to use the language.

We are to avoid the vain repetitions of the heathen.

Using the same words over and over do not get God’s attention, He hears us just fine if we use simple words that come from our heart.

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 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. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

(Matthew 6:9-15)

How precious are these words given us by Jesus! This model prayer teaches us how to pray.

Much like sending a letter, we need to address our prayers to whom we are speaking.

 The prayer will only reach Him if it is addressed to Him.

  We need to tell Him that we have respect for Him and no other.

 We need to pray for the coming of His kingdom,and that we may be a part of it and have our place in it.

 We need to pray that we conform to God’s will, and accept it, rather than asking Him to conform to our will.

We need to ask that the same things that are acceptable in heaven will be the only things acceptable here on this earth.

If we pray for someone, or something, it must be in the understanding that we ASK only if it be His will, and through HIM, our Intercessor, Christ Jesus.

 We are to pray only for our needs, not our wants, and even more specifically our spiritual needs.

God knows those needs , but he still wants us to ASK  for them thereby showing that we understand where we receive these things from!

We are to ASK forgiveness of our debts, (sins), and to forgive others theirs.

We are to ASK that God give us the strength to overcome any temptation that is put in our way by Lucifer, and that, He, our Father, deliver us from the evil that surrounds us daily.

We are to acknowledge that all things belong to God, that only He is all powerful, and only He is worthy of the praise and glory that comes of His creations.

 We are to acknowledge that this power and glory are, His, not just for today or yesterday, but beyond the realm of time as we humans perceive it.

Christ ends this model prayer with the admonition that our own forgiveness is contingent on our ability to forgive others rather than harbor negative feelings toward them and that any attempt to judge them is sinful.

.If we are to BE forgiven we must first FORGIVE!

God's GIFT of salvation is exactly that...a gift...unearned, undeserved  and incapable of being either earned or deserved.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

This is where I leave you with the salutation of a fellow sinner saved by HIS grace, through faith in the only acceptable intercessor to Him, and ask God’s blessing, and guidance for you. In the name of my most precious Savior, Jesus,

AMEN and AMEN   

        the Wayfarer