Give, Pray, Fast

Daily Reading: Matthew 6

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 6.1)

Devotional Thought: Jesus told us not to put our religious acts on display so that others may see them.  He gave three specific examples:

·       Giving to the needy.  Charity was a very important aspect of Jewish spiritual life.  It was expected of all truly religious Jews.  Jesus assumed it would be part of his followers’ lives: when you give to the needy…  But along with this virtue, there was the opportunity for vice – doing it to impress others. 

·       Praying to the Father.  This was another expected discipline in the life of the Jew and the Christian: when you pray…  As a pastor who must often pray in public, I must be particularly aware of this tendency.  A Spanish translation of prayer is “oración.”  That suggests the English word “oration.”  When we pray, we must be careful that we are not giving an oration, but rather that we are entering into a conversation.  We don’t need to impress anybody when we pray – most especially God.  We just need to talk with God.

·       Fasting.  The forgotten discipline!  Fasting, too, was expected of devout Jews and disciples of Jesus: when you fast...  Like prayer and giving, however, fasting can become a badge of spiritual merit we wear with pride.  We must fast, but we must do it for the right reason.  What is the reason?  To empty ourselves of ourselves, so God can fill us with himself!  Jesus changes our mindset about fasting - from sorrow to joy.  Why joy?  Because it is the occasion of being filled with God!

Don't give, pray, and fast to impress others.  Do them to please God!

Prayer: "I give all my service to you.  I give all my service to you.  No matter the cost or what others do, I give all my service to you."  Amen. (Larnelle Harris)

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 89.1-4

1  I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness. ” 3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations. ’”Selah