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Matthew 6:1

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.

2

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.

3

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4

That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

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.

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.

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.

8

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

9

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11

Give us this day our daily bread.

12

And forgive us our debts, as ° we forgive our debtors.

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.

14

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16

Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17

But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18

That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Matthew 6:7

6:7 vain repetitions. This principle could apply both to ritualistic prayers and also to the modern idea of repeating several times the sentiments sung in worship choruses. All prayer—whether verbalized, sung or silent—should come from the heart and be addressed to God, not an audience.

Matthew 6:9

6:9 After this manner. This prayer is not technically “the Lord’s prayer” as it is commonly called, for He never prayed it Himself (note Matthew 6:12). Rather, it serves as a model prayer for His followers. It was not intended as a ritualistic prayer for regular recital, but rather a guide for praying “after this manner.” The Lord Jesus gave many other commands to pray (e.g., Matthew 7:7-11; 9:38; 17:20-21; 18:19-20; 21:21-22; 26:41; Luke 18:1,7; John 14:13-14; 15:7,16; 16:23-24)—all of which give further instruction on the vital subject of how believers should pray.

Matthew 6:10

6:10 Thy kingdom come. Note the principle of beginning our prayers neither with personal thanksgiving or personal requests, but rather of acknowledging our Creator’s purposes for His creation. Focus on God’s will is of primary importance (far more so than our personal needs).

Matthew 6:11

6:11 Thy will. This is the first occurrence of the word “will” in the New Testament, and it is noteworthy that it refers to God’s will—not man’s. The last occurrence is in Revelation 4:11, there translated “pleasure,” but again referring to God’s will.

Matthew 6:11

6:11 daily bread. This is the only occurrence in the New Testament of the Greek word here translated “daily” (except for the same sentence in Luke 11:3), but the Lord does note here that we should ask for our physical needs one day at a time.

Matthew 6:13

6:13 Amen. The remarkable word “amen” closes this model prayer taught by Christ, as well as the Bible itself (Revelation 22:21). Its meaning is “so it will be;” it is thus an expression of faith in God and His promises. It was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into Greek and then into most other languages, so that it is practically a universal word, especially among Christians in every nation. It is even one of the titles of Christ (Revelation 3:14). In Hebrew it is almost identical with the Hebrew word aman, meaning “believe” or “faithful.” All of God’s promises in Christ “are yea, and in Him Amen” (II Corinthians 1:20).

Matthew 6:16

6:16 when ye fast. There is no commandment in the New Testament requiring fasting and only one in the Old Testament, assuming that the command to “afflict your souls” on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29) refers to fasting. However, voluntary fasting is appropriate on special occasions of great concern or need, provided that the motivation is not just to appear spiritual to other people but to pray more single-mindedly to God.

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