Matthew 6
6
Do Good to Please God
1“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2Therefore, #Rom. 12:8when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret #Luke 14:12–14will Himself reward you openly.
The Model Prayer
5“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6But you, when you pray, #2 Kin. 4:33go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7And when you pray, #Eccl. 5:2do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. #1 Kin. 18:26For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father #(Rom. 8:26, 27)knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9In this #Matt. 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4; (John 16:24; Eph. 6:18; Jude 20)manner, therefore, pray:
#(Matt. 5:9, 16)Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your #Mal. 1:11name.
10Your kingdom come.
#Matt. 26:42; Luke 22:42; Acts 21:14Your will be done
On earth #Ps. 103:20as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our #(Job 23:12); Prov. 30:8; Is. 33:16; Luke 11:3daily bread.
12And #(Matt. 18:21, 22)forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13#(Matt. 26:41; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 3:10)And do not lead us into temptation,
But #John 17:15; (2 Thess. 3:3); 2 Tim. 4:18; (1 John 5:18)deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14#(Matt. 7:2); Mark 11:25; (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13)“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But #Matt. 18:35; James 2:13if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting to Be Seen Only by God
16“Moreover, #Is. 58:3–7; Luke 18:12when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17But you, when you fast, #Ruth 3:3; 2 Sam. 12:20; Dan. 10:3anoint your head and wash your face, 18so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19#Prov. 23:4; (1 Tim. 6:17; Heb. 13:5); James 5:1“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20#Matt. 19:21; Luke 12:33; 18:22; 1 Tim. 6:19; 1 Pet. 1:4but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Lamp of the Body
22#Luke 11:34, 35“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
You Cannot Serve God and Riches
24#Luke 16:9, 11, 13“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. #(Gal. 1:10; 1 Tim. 6:17; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15)You cannot serve God and mammon.
Do Not Worry
25“Therefore I say to you, #(Ps. 55:22); Luke 12:22; (Phil. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:7)do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26#Job 38:41; Ps. 147:9; Matt. 10:29; Luke 12:24Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But #1 Kin. 3:13; Luke 12:31; (1 Tim. 4:8)seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
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Matthew 6: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 6
6
Giving to Needy People
1“Be careful not to do good deeds in front of other people. Don’t do those deeds to be seen by others. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.
2“When you give to needy people, do not announce it by having trumpets blown. Do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They announce what they do in the synagogues and on the streets. They want to be honored by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. 3When you give to needy people, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4Then your giving will be done secretly. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly.
Prayer
5“When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They want to be seen by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. 6When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly. 7When you pray, do not keep talking on and on. That is what ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. 8Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.
9“This is how you should pray.
“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be honored.
10May your kingdom come.
May what you want to happen be done
on earth as it is done in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12And forgive us our sins,
just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.
13Keep us from sinning when we are tempted.
Save us from the evil one.’
14Forgive other people when they sin against you. If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive the sins of other people, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Fasting
16“When you go without eating, do not look gloomy like those who only pretend to be holy. They make their faces look very sad. They want to show people they are fasting. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. 17But when you go without eating, put olive oil on your head. Wash your face. 18Then others will not know that you are fasting. Only your Father, who can’t be seen, will know it. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly.
Gather Riches in Heaven
19“Do not gather for yourselves riches on earth. Moths and rats can destroy them. Thieves can break in and steal them. 20Instead, gather for yourselves riches in heaven. There, moths and rats do not destroy them. There, thieves do not break in and steal them. 21Your heart will be where your riches are.
22“The eye is like a lamp for the body. Suppose your eyes are healthy. Then your whole body will be full of light. 23But suppose your eyes can’t see well. Then your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light inside you is darkness, then it is very dark!
24“No one can serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one of them and love the other. Or you will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and money at the same time.
Do Not Worry
25“I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than eating? Aren’t there more important things for the body than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? 27Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?
28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothing. 29But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all his royal robes was dressed like one of these flowers. 30If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won’t he dress you even better? Your faith is so small! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. 31So don’t worry. Don’t say, ‘What will we eat?’ Or, ‘What will we drink?’ Or, ‘What will we wear?’ 32People who are ungodly run after all those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them. 33But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you. 34So don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.