Matthew Chapter 6: Self Righteous, Approved Prayers & Rapture
Our Lord And Savior Jesus Gave Advice On God Approved Christian Behavior, Prayer And The Christian (Godly) Life. This Article Will Examine Matthew Chapter 6 To Deepen Our Desire To Please God In All Things (1 Corinthians 10:31-33).
Let's Begin With Matthew 6:1 In The Authorized King James Version:
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. Matthew 6:2 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.
"Alms" Included Doing Things For Others And/Or Charities. Jesus Advised Christians Not To Do Things To Be Noticed Or Hailed By Onlookers. Father God Will Not Honor Those Who Do Things For Self Serving Reasons. Jesus Also Told His Followers That Those Members (And Leaders) Of Religious Building Only Perform "Acts Of Righteousness" To Obtain Human (Earthly) Glory And Recognition. Father God Would Not Reward Such Persons For These "Self Righteous (And Self Serving)" Actions.
Matthew 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: Matthew 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:3-4 Encourages God's Followers Not To Boast, Brag Or "Make Aloud" Their Acts Of Charity And Righteousness.
The Prophetic Meanings Behind Matthew 6:2-4
During The Rapture God Will Sound His Trumpet Voice. Heaven's Door Will "Open" And Bible Obeying Christians Will Immediately Appear At The Right Hand Of God "In The Clouds". God's Presence Is His Heavenly Secret (Hidden) Place. God's Servants Who Did Not Obey God's Word Will Be Left Behind. Those "christians" Will Suffer The "Time Of Trouble (Great Tribulation) (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Matthew 24:29-34; Exodus 19:9-17; Matthew 25:1-12; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54; Matthew 26:60-64; Daniel 7:13-15; Psalm 18:11; Daniel 12:1-10).
Read Daniel 7:15- I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
"Spirit In The Midst Of Body"- Bible Believing Christians Are God's Church. They Are His House, His Building And His Heavenly Temple. Bible Believing Christians Can Only Enter Heaven In Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Corinthians 3:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; John 3:1-8; John 4:24; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).
Grieved The Spirit-God's Servants Who Disobey His Biblical Word Grieve The Holy Spirit. These Servants Will Be Left Behind During The Rapture. God Will Judge His Earthly "House (These Disobedient Christians)" At That Time Of Great Tribulation (Ephesians 4:30; Revelation 2:10, 22; Revelation 7:17; Revelation 17:1-16; Matthew 23:37-39).
My Head Troubled Me- The Rapture (Entrance Into Heavenly Jerusalem) And Great Tribulation (Satan's Hell On Earth) Begin When The Pharaoh Dragon Controlled AntiChrist Beast Suffers A Head Wound (Revelation 13:1-15; Daniel 12:1-10; John 19:30; Matthew 27:50-53; Acts 12:20-26; Ezekiel 29:3).
Let's Continue With Matthew 6:5. Jesus Teaches His Followers How To Pray God Approved Prayers
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.
Our Prayers Should Always Be Personal Communications With Father God Through His Son Jesus Christ (John 14:13; John 16:26). We Will Sin If We Pray To Gain Recognition Or Impress Others. Any Form Of Praise And Worship Should Always Be To Glorify God. Christian Artists And Musicians Who Become Celebrities Are Shaming Themselves Before Jesus. We Are Not To Make Our Godly Devotions Or Righteousness Known Before "Men (Humans)". It Is God Who Is To Be Lifted Up And Praised Always (John 3:14).
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.
The Motive Of Any God Approved Prayer Is That It Is A Personal Conversation With God. Whether In Public Or In "Secret" This Must Be The Sole Motive Of Any Said (Or Thought) Prayer.
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.
Jesus Exhorts Christians That There Is No Need To Pray To God With Many Words (Much Speaking) Or Saying The Same Thing(s) Over And Over Again (Repititions).
Many Religions Say The Same Prayers Over And Over Again (To Invoke). Many Ministries Play The Same Songs Over And Over Again To Incite Emotions. Christians Must Shun Such Invoking And Inciting Activities. They Do Not Belong In God's House Of Followers.
Jesus Said That These Invoking, Inciting And Repeating Activities Are For The House Of The Ungodly (Heathens) Where Satan Dwells (Revelation 2:13).
Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
We Humans Often "Fill" God's Throne Of Grace With Our Wants, Needs And Concerns. Jesus Warns Humans Not To Approach God In This Manner. God Already Knows What We Want And Need. God Knows Everything Occuring In Our Lives (Job 37:16).
Jesus Exhorts His Followers That They Do Not Have To "Fill" God's Throne With Such Things. Christians Are Not To Be Like The Ungodly, Unsaved Heathens. These Heathens Approach God In An Earthly, Carnal, Material And Fleshly Way. They Shame Themselves By Doing So. They Also Reproach God's Holy Nation Before Onlookers. Thus God Does Not "Hear (Consider)) Their Prayers. Jesus Said That They Have Fully Received Their Reward Here On Planet Earth. Planet Earth Is Satan's Kingdom (Luke 4:4-7).
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
No Matthew What Is Occurring In Our Lives We Must Praise God First Before Addressing Anything Else Concerning Us. "We Praise You Father. We Bless Your Holy Name. You Are Worthy And Faithful. We Thank-you For Loving Us. We Thank-you For Jesus Christ. We Give You All The Glory, Honor, Praise And Worship".
Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.
Most Humans Don't Realize That When They Pray For God's Kingdom To Come That They Are Praying For The Regeneration Which Is The Rapture. God Will Come First To Secretly (Privately) Raptue Bible Obedient Christians Into Heaven. God Will Then Allow Satan ( Pharaoh Leviathan The Dragon) To Judge Planet Earth In Great Tribulation. This Is What The "Book Of Job" Prophetically Points To. The Great Tribulation Will Cause God's Disobedient Servants To Repent.
God's Will Save His Repentant Followers. We Will Then Have God's Will In Earth And In Heaven (Matthew 19:28; Titus 3:5; Matthew 17:1-15; Exodus 24:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Matthew 26:60-64; Matthew 24:29-34; Job 1:1-10; Job 2:1-10; Job 41:1-34; Isaiah 27:1; Ezekiel 29:3; Revelation 17:1-16; Revelation 7:14; Revelation 21:1-5; 2 Peter 3:7-12).
Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Jesus Made Perfectly Clear That Christians Are Not To Plan Or Strive For The Future. They Are To Trust In God Who Promises To Provide Their NEEDS (Only) Each Day. The Moment We Begin To Worry About The Future Or "Evil" Reports We Have Sinned. That Sin Is Lack Of Faith In God's Authority And Love For Us (Matthew 6:25-34; Proverbs 3:5-7; Psalm 112:7; 1 John 4:8; John 3:16). We Should Praise And Thank God For Daily Providing For Us. We Should Not "Gripe" About How He Provided.
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Christians Should Daily Forgive Others And Seek God's Forgiveness Of Their Own Sins. Lack Of Forgiveness Will Keep Such Ones Out Of God's Kingdom.
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.
Matthew 6:13 Is A Prophetic Prayer Concerning The Rapture. Bible Obedient Christians Will Not Experience The Hour Of Temptation (Tribulation). They Will Be Raptured (Delivered) From Earth's Evil "Time Of Trouble" (Revelation 3:10).
Matthew 6:13 Also Encourages Christians To Take All Their Concerns (Including Their Tempations) To God. God Will Help Them Overcome Any And All Evil(s) (Matthew 11:28-30; Revelation 12:11).
Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Christians Must Be Forgiving People. If They Fail To Forgive Others, God Willnot Forgive Them And They Won't Enter Heaven.
Matthew 6:16 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. Matthew 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; Matthew 6:18 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.
Jesus Commanded Christians To Fast. We Should Not Tell Others When We Fast. We Should Anoint Our Heads With Oil During Our Fast (Psalm 23:1-5). They Should Act "Happy" And Not "Hungry" Or "Sad". Noone Is To Know That They Are Fasting. God Will Then Deliver Them And Hear Their Prayers (Matthew 17:19-21).
Thy Father In Secret Will Reward Thee Openly-At Rapture Heaven's Door Will Open And Such Bible Obedient Christians Will Be Reward With Heaven's Entry Into God's Secret Place (Psalm 18:11; Matthew 25:1-12; Luke 23:43-46; Revelation 2:7; 2 Corinthians 12:1-7).
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: Matthew 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Christians Who Are Seeking Worldy Riches And Fame Are Disobedient. They Will Not Rapture With Bible Obeying Christians (Matthew 25:1-12; Matthew 7:13-29).
Christians Must Obey God (John 15:10-15; Luke 6:46; Exodus 20:5-6).
Christians Must Love God With Their Whole Heart, Sould, Mind, Strength And Person (Matthew 22:36-38). God And God's Will Is To Always Come FIRST (Matthew 6:25-34).
Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Satan Tempts Humans With Their Eyes And Desires (Genesis 3:1-16; 1 John 2:15-17; Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus Commands Christians To Be Single Minded. A Christian Focus Must Be "Singled Out" On Jesus Christ (God) (Matthew 14:24-33).
Matthew 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness!
Christians Must Cancel Out Any And All "Evil(s)" From Their Lives. Satan And His Kingdom Have Been Overthrown By The Blood Of Jesus Christ. Christians Are Not To Focus On "Evil" Reports Or Loud Boisterous Winds. They Are To Focus On Loving, Praising And Obeying God (Psalm 112:7; Matthew 14:24-33; Matthew 22:36-38; Colossians 1:12-15).
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Christian Must Seek Time Each Day To Grow With God And Worship Him. If We Let Anyone Or Anything Else In Our Lives Cancel Out Meaningful Time With God He Will Cancel Us Out (Matthew 10:32-33).
Christians Must Make Growing With God, Worshipping Him And Obeying Him TOP PRIORITY In Their Lives (Matthew 4:1-11).
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Jesus Exhorted Christians Not To Overly Worry About Things In Their Life. God Is Faithful And Will Care For Them. He Already Knows Their Needs (1 Corinthian 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Matthew 6:8).
Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Humans Never Hear Of A Bird That Starved To Death. Jesus Said That God Ranks Humans High About The "Fowls (Birds) Of The Air". A Christian Must Cultivate Faith That God Will Provide For Their Needs Each Day. Open Hearted Prayers, Trust, Bible Study, Praise And Worship Will Move God To Provide For You Daily. This Is Not About You. It's About God's Promises To You Through Jesus Christ (Proverbs 3:5-7; 2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 119:105; John 14:13; John 16:26).
Matthew 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Jesus Wisely Reminded Christians That Their Thoughts Can't Change Anything. It Is God Who Gives Favor And Grace With God, Man (Humans) And Circumstances (Luke 2:40, 49; Matthew 14:24-33; Genesis 19:19).
Matthew 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: Matthew 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith?
Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? Matthew 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Christians Must Shun Pride (1 John 2:15-17; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-11; Genesis 3:1-16). God May Use A FoodBank Or Shelter To Provide. Christians Must Humble Themselves And Submit To God's Provisions. They Must Also Be THANKFUL (Kings 17:8-17; Psalm 100:4).
A Humble, Thank-ful Christian Attitude Coupled With FAITH Will Cause God To Exalt Such A Person (James 4:1-10).
Christians Are Not To Overly Worry About Any Of These Things. God Has Promised To Provide Their "NEEDS".
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.
Jesus Concluded Matthew Chapter 6 With This Admonition: Each Day Will Have It's Own Concerns And Problems (Evils).
Christians Are To Seek God's Presence And Direction (God's Kingdom) In Their Daily Lives FIRST. Christians Are Also Commanded To Strip Off The World's Way Of Viewing Matters And Cultivate God's Righteouness. A Christian Must Ask God For His Holy Spirit To Help Them Become More Like Jesus Christ. No Human Can "Walk In The Spirit" With Out Having God's Holy Spirit Leading Them.
When A Christians "Walks In God's Spirit" And Is Approved By God As "Righteous" God Will Then Ensure That "All These Things They Worry About" Will Then Be Added To Them (Galatians 5:1-25; John 3:1-16; John 14:26; Acts 2:1-30).
May We Christians Obey Jesus Commandments At Matthew Chapter 6 And Prepare To Rapture With Jesus Christ (John 15:10-15).
This Article Can Be Freely Edited And Utilized As Long As Credit Is Given To Its Author (Gary Colin).
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