Prayer connects us to
We don’t need more will power, we need more higher power.
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. —Matthew 6:1-18
When you give it is good but when you give and you pray, it is better. But when you give, pray and fast it accomplishes much.
Notice that Jesus did not say: “If” you give, pray and fast. He said “when”.
1 . When You
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2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.—Matthew 6:2-4
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.—2 Corinthians 9:6-8
2 . When You
.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.—Matthew 6:6
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. —II Corinthians 13:14
There is something about those three statements. It teaches us what to focus on.
a. The Grace of Jesus.
b. The Love of God.
c. The Fellowship of the Spirit.
3 . When You
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16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.—Matthew 6:16-18
Prayer and fasting is pushing away the things of the world, and putting our thoughts, attention and actions on the things of God.
One thing that happens when we fast is, we get:
a.
b.
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.—Luke 2:36-38
c.
Note in preparation:
-Set you objective.
-Decide what kind of fast you will do.
-Expect results.
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Discussion Questions For Small Groups And Personal Study:
1 . This study can help us prepare for the new year. A new year is a great opportunity for us to give our undivided attention to Jesus. Prayer connects us to God and fasting disconnects us from the world. I believe as we do this, we can see some incredible changes in our lives spiritually. I believe the action point of this happening is a matter of the heart. How do we see this played out? We will look at some practical ways.
2 . Read Matthew 6:1-18
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. 16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. — Matthew 6:1-18
3 . Three keys to a breakthrough. There three times in this passage that Jesus said: “When you”. These three things are in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. I believe that these three things should be done together. When you give it is good; when you give and your pray, it is better; but when you give, pray and fast it accomplishes much.
-Discuss why it is better to do all three.
4 . Jesus talked about giving and more specifically, giving to those in need.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. —Matthew 6:2-4
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. —2 Corinthians 9:6-8
-What are some practical ways we can do what Jesus and Paul were teaching?
5 . Then Jesus says: When you pray. He teaches us not to pray as the hypocrites calling attention to ourselves. Rather, He says:
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. —Matthew 6:6
-What would be some examples of this prayer for us today?
6 . Finally, Jesus says: When you fast.
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. —Matthew 6:16-18
One of the least known disciplines in the church is fasting. Even lost people know about prayer but very few know about and understand fasting. Fasting is not punishing yourself, so you can suffer. God is not asking us to suffer a little bit. He wants you to simply disconnect from the things of the world. It is finding some things that have gotten in my life. As we fast, we are going to connect with God and disconnect from the world. The whole purpose of fasting is being able to hear the voice of God better. Jesus said when you fast but He did not tell us how.
-How does fasting help us to hear from God?
7 . In preparation for any kind of fast, we need to set our objective, by declaring our dependence on God, ask for forgiveness, refocus on the eternal, invite the presence of God into our lives and believe God for specific answers to specific needs.
-Why is this important?