LESSON 4:
PRAYING THROUGH
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
35. Forgive, in order to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14)
Jesus shows us that if we want to be forgiven by God, then we need to forgive others who have hurt or sinned against us. Fair enough? Why should God forgive us if we won’t forgive others? Unforgiveness hurts us and hurts those we have wronged, so we need to get rid of all the hurt and condemnation and bitterness and learn to forgive – just as God forgives us! How does God forgive us? Totally! He will “remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:33-34). Just as if I’d never sinned!
Pray that:
- God will help us to forgive others, freely, without holding back.
- We will be set free from hurt, bitterness, anger, resentment, etc., which other people’s sin may have caused us to feel.
- God will forgive us, freely.
- We will know the peace and freedom which comes from forgiving others and being forgiven ourselves.
36. If you do not forgive others … (Matthew 6:15)
One of the reasons why God forgives us is to show us that we need to forgive others. These are very solemn words: “If you do not forgive others … neither will God forgive you …!” Jesus wants us to follow His example – He prayed for those who tortured and murdered Him, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”. Whether other people’s wrongdoings against us were premeditated or not, we must forgive them if we are to be forgiven.
Let us pray that:
- We will follow Jesus’ example of forgiving.
- God will give us the grace to forgive, even when we have been deeply hurt, offended or wronged.
- We will show the love of God to others by the way we forgive.
- God will help us to forgive and forget.
37. Hypocritical fasting (Matthew 6:16)
Jesus had very little time for hypocrites and His strongest words were often about spiritual hypocrisy – directed towards those people who made a false show of their religion in order to impress other people. One of the purposes for fasting is to humble ourselves. How ridiculous it is, then, when we fast and are proud of our fasting, showing off to other people that we are fasting and we are therefore very spiritual! If we do things to earn the praise of people, we have had our reward, but if we do things to please the Lord, our reward in Heaven will be far greater.
Pray that:
- We will humble ourselves under God’s hand.
- God will help us to remain humble, even when other people praise us.
- God will help us to remain humble when we are fasting.
- God will be praised and glorified as we do what is pleasing to Him.
- We will always try to please God, and not man.
38. True fasting (Matthew 6:17-18)
Essentially, fasting is between us and God. It is not for public show; it is not to impress other people; it is not a time for spiritual pride. So when we fast we should carry on as normal and let God look on our hearts, our motives and our desires. Let God hear your earnest prayers as you fast and pray, and answer them as He, in His wisdom, sees fit. Fasting for show or for pride has its reward, but it will not be the reward God wants to give us!
Pray that God will:
- Speak to us about when we should fast, how we should fast and what we should fast for.
- Help us to fast for the right reasons and from the right motives.
- Help us overcome any pride we may have concerning our fasting.
- Hear our prayers, see our fasting, and answer us as He sees best.
39. Treasure on earth (Matthew 6:19)
Materialism is very much a god in today’s world. Driven by a desire for prosperity and monetary security, people work long hours to make more and more money. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with being prosperous, but it is what we do with our wealth, and our attitude towards our wealth, that are so important for the Christian. Jesus is saying that we should not set our heart on these things – they are worldly and will all pass away, not only when we die, but property can devalue, possessions can be stolen, company shares and money can devalue, our securities can be lost – even eaten away by moths or rust!
Pray that:
- Christians will not worship prosperity, wealth or possessions.
- God will always be first in our lives.
- Christians will hold lightly to the things of this world.
- Our hearts will be set on God’s eternal Kingdom, not this transient world.
- We will be generous with all God has blessed us with.
40. Store up treasure in Heaven (Matthew 6:20-21)
It is easy to think only of our immediate needs here on earth and to forget eternal issues. Jesus reminds us that it is more important to store up treasures in Heaven than it is to store them up here. Here on earth things perish – they only last for a time, but what we store up in Heaven lasts forever. The saving of people who are lost; the development of Godly character; the love and service we provide to those in need; all our good deeds, are treasures in Heaven. Our worship and serving the Lord; our love for Him and for others; our faith and Christlike attitudes, will not pass away but will last forever.
Pray that:
- Our eyes will be fixed on eternal things and not be blinded by the things of this world.
- We will develop Godly character and Christlike qualities.
- We will love and serve our Lord and Master.
- We will love and serve our “neighbours”.
- We will store up treasure in Heaven which will last forever.
41. Good eyes (Matthew 6:22-23)
What lets light into our bodies? Our eyes! If our eyes are healthy and open, we see light; but if we are totally blind we live in a physically dark world. Similarly, in the spiritual world, if our spiritual eyes are healthy and open we will receive good things into our lives, and we will be blessed by them, and we will be a blessing to others. But if we live in spiritual darkness, dark and evil things will enter our lives – and how great is that darkness! Let us not walk in darkness. Let us live in the light, walk in the light and receive God’s light into our hearts and lives.
Pray that:
- All Christians will truly live in the light of God’s presence, His Word and His Spirit.
- God’s light will bring blessing into our lives and, through our lives, bless other people too.
- All darkness will be expelled from our lives so that we will be filled with God’s light – body, soul and spirit.
- God will use us to help deliver other people out of darkness and into God’s glorious light.
42. One Master (Matthew 6:24)
No one can really serve two masters because in the end we will tend to favour one and not the other. The one to whom we are most strongly attracted, for whatever reason, will tend to direct our lives at the expense of the other. One of the applications of this is with regard to money and our devotion to Christ. Either Christ is our supreme Master and we are totally devoted to Him, or wealth, riches and prosperity can be allowed to take away our devotion to Christ and may end up ruling our lives. In the life of a Christian, Jesus Christ must be Lord of all, and everything else must be subject to Him.
Pray that:
- The Lord will be truly supreme in our lives, and everything else – including our money, possessions, wealth, prosperity, etc – will be totally subject to Him.
- We will not try to serve two masters, and in the end lose out to the wrong one!
- All we have (which God has given us) will be laid at His feet, to be used in whatever way God desires.
- Nothing and no-one will take the place of Christ in our lives.
- Anyone who is struggling in these areas will be set free to serve Christ and Christ alone.
43. Don’t worry! (Matthew 6:25)
Easier said than done! But Jesus here encourages us not to be anxious about our lives – what we eat, drink or wear. After all, life is much more than food and drink and clothes, necessary though they are. There are some things which are really important – like our relationship with the Lord and with other people; there are other things which we worry about but which really are not all that important. Our faith is to be in God and His ability – and willingness – to meet all our needs. Praise God!
Pray that:
- The Spirit of God will really help us not to worry or be anxious about things, but help us to trust God for all we need.
- Other people will see our faith and the peace we have, and recognise that they come because of our faith in God.
- Other people will also learn, and be willing, to trust God for their salvation as well as for their daily needs.
44. Look at the birds … (Matthew 6:26)
The world has millions and millions of birds; a huge variety which God has created. But He not only created them – He also feeds them! Jesus said, “Look at the birds … they don’t sow seed, they don’t reap harvests, they don’t store seed away in barns, but God feeds them! Aren’t we worth far more than they are? And if so, then how much more will God provide for all our needs – the needs of His own sons and daughters! Why DO we worry so much? “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” which says “My God will supply ALL your needs according to His riches in glory, in Christ Jesus” (Romans 10:17 and Philippians 4:19)
Pray that:
- When we are tempted to worry, we will think of God’s provision – even for birds.
- We will learn to trust Him more and more for all we need.
- Even in times of relative poverty, we will always have a generous heart and spirit towards other people who are more needy than we are.
- We will always be grateful, and remember to give thanks, for all that God has given us.
- God will be glorified by our faith and trust in Him, and our testimony as to how He has provided for us.
45. Worrying won’t lengthen our lifespan! (Matthew 6:27)
Jesus points out a quite obvious fact that we won’t live longer just by worrying. In fact, worrying may shorten our lives! Nevertheless, we all worry from time to time – it is a fact of life. Jesus encourages us to have faith in God and to trust Him for everything, even though sometimes that is hard to do, especially when we are facing a difficult situation or a multitude of problems! Interestingly enough, years later, in hindsight, they usually appear quite trivial or have been totally forgotten. How we need to trust God for everything, and commit all our needs into His hands, for His wisdom and His provision.
Pray:
- That we will learn to trust God more, and worry less.
- That we will help others in their times of need so that, in a very practical way, there is less “need” to worry.
- Our faith in God will grow and grow as we see God’s answers to prayer and the way He meets our needs.
- We will always be grateful for everything God does for us, and give Him thanks.
46. Worrying about what clothes to wear? Don’t! (Matthew 6:28-29)
Some of the things we worry about are major, important issues; others are not nearly so important – like “What clothes shall I wear today?” Or “I’ve never got anything decent to wear”! Jesus reminds us to look around us and see how God provides for the birds, the animals, even the plants and flowers – food, nourishment, protection, etc. Lilies don’t need to toil or spin – yet look how beautiful they are! Even Solomon in all his man-made glory was not like the perfection of a lily God has made.
Pray that:
- We will always appreciate the beauty of God’s creation.
- We will give thanks to God for all that He has made.
- As we think of our needs, we will also think of God’s supply – even for the lilies!
- We will enjoy the goodness of God in all that He provides for us.
- We will stop worrying and start trusting God to meet all our needs “according to His riches in glory, in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19)
- We will pray for, and help where possible, the millions of people in the world who are far worse off than we are.
47. Do we have “little faith”? (Matthew 6:30-32)
When we look at what God has done for us, and for everything around us; when we see His provision for all our needs, why do we doubt? After all, the Christian faith is a walk of faith – faith in a faithful God. Why do we doubt? Sure, there are tough times, but God will see us through. Certainly not everything goes the way we would choose, but God is in it. And nothing can separate us from the love of God which we have through Jesus Christ. The world may worry about its needs; the world may eagerly seek after possessions and riches and security, but our Heavenly Father knows all about all we need – and He will supply. So may God grant great faith to us all – great faith in a great and faithful God!
Pray that:
- God will increase our faith.
- God will increase our understanding of Him as our loving Heavenly Father and our faithful Provider.
- God will help us to appreciate all that He has done for us in the past, and will do for us in the future.
- We will be known by our faith.
- We will encourage others in their faith.
48. What to set your heart on (Matthew 6:33)
People set their hearts on all sorts of things, some of them very ungodly. But Jesus is not referring here to ungodly things; He is referring to good, legitimate things – in fact, things that everybody needs! He has been talking about money (but don’t set your heart on it); food, drink, clothes, etc. But the whole point of what He is saying is that first and foremost we should be seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness – and when we put this first, He promises to supply all our needs as well! As Paul put it in Philippians 4:19, “My God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. Why worry? What a waste of time and effort, when you can simply trust God and rest in Him and His promises!
Please pray:
- For all Christians who worry (you and me!) – that they will find their rest as they trust God.
- For all non-Christians, that they will find the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and rest in Him.
- For all Christians who do not set their heart and life primarily on seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
- That faith will replace all fear as we trust in the Lord with all our hearts and do not lean on our own understanding or reasoning.
49. Today’s trouble is enough for today! (Matthew 6:34)
Jesus concludes His message about worry with these words: Today’s worries are enough for today, so don’t worry about tomorrow! Every day we will be faced with challenges to our faith. This is part of life – designed to encourage us to trust God for all our needs. Since there are things we need to work through today, why worry about tomorrow? Tomorrow will have its own challenges, so just live for today – with God in control. Surrender, rest, faith, peace and trust are all words we find often in the New Testament. It is through these that we are able to live, day-by-day, in the way that Jesus is talking about.
Pray that:
- Increasingly we will learn to lean on the Lord and trust Him for all things.
- Overcome fear, anxiety, worry and all those things which are the opposite of faith.
- Receive the gift of faith and live in it constantly.
- Glorify God by trusting Him and showing the world that the Christian life – living Christ’s way – really works!
QUESTIONS
1. Why should we fast? When should we fast?
2. What should we not do when we fast?
3. What should we do when we fast?
4. How can we store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven?
5. What does Matthew 6:21 mean?
6. Why can't we serve two masters – for example, God and wealth?
7. How can we overcome worry and anxiety?
8. What is the very encouraging promise in Matthew 6:33?
9. What is the condition for this promise to be fulfilled?
10. What should be our attitude to the future - "tomorrow"? Why?