Like in Jesus’ days, today there are many
world. Prayer is not a repetition of some magic
prayer not to get God’s will in our life but to get
people who use religion or church activities just
words that would make God to pay attention to
accomplish our selfish desire. The reward we
to be applauded by men or to create a
us, not a psychological exercise or something
get from praying conforming to God’s will is that
reputation for themselves. The enemy, or Satan,
related to yoga. Prayer means to “pour your
our voice is heard in heaven. Give us today our
tries to defile any good work that a Christian is
heart in God’s presence” (Psalm 62:8), to
daily bread, help us to understand that it’s
doing by tempting him to desire a little bit of
communicate openly and “wait quietly before
biblical to pray for our physical needs,
glory from men. Whenever we are not sincere
Him” (Psalm 62:1). Prayer is a true fellowship
recognizing our dependence on Him. Forgive us
or honest in our acts of righteousness, we lose
with Heaven, an act of complete humility in
our debts, shows that we need to come before
the reward or spiritual enrichment in our
which we recognize that God is sovereign. For
him with confession and trust that he is more
journey that God prepared for us. A hypocrite is
everyone who claims to be a Christian, prayer
eager to forgive our sins than we are to confess
a person who lives in duplicity in order to cover
must be one of the loveliest things to do. How
them. We also need to have a forgiving spirit as
his darkened side. As youth who grew up in a
should we pray? First, we need to pray in secret
ones who have experienced God’s forgiveness.
church setting, the danger of giving, praying or
avoiding repetitions of words that does not
The relation with our brothers is a thermometer
gaining material things to make for ourselves a
express the condition or need of our heart
that shows us how our fellowship with God is. In
good name is very real.
(Matt 6:5-8). I must say that many times I prayed
the last part Jesus teaches his disciples or us to
in a formal way; I used the right words, but with
ask God for guidance that will keep us away
my mind, I was somewhere else.
from sinning, acknowledging that as long we are
Jesus did not try to stop his disciples
from giving or helping the needy; he
condemned the way the Pharisees did it,
The next passage offers us a guideline
on earth we are not delivered totally from the
devil’s pollution.
underlining that giving with a wrong motive is
of how our prayers should be. Our father in
foolishness. “When you give” shows us that Jesus
heaven shows us that every disciple is a child of
is expecting from his disciples to give. When we
God and a member of an unseen realm. It
about the spiritual discipline of fasting, as
help or give to the needy, our motive of practice
means that God cares about us exactly as a
something normal for his disciples. Fasting is
must be for God’s glory and to please Him.
loving father cares for his children. “Hallowed be
not just an abstinence from food; that is diet.
Giving to impress people of our “goodness”,
your name” has the purpose to present God’s
Fasting is a voluntary act in which we focus on
results in losing God’s blessing for a noble act.
character and the way we need to approach
spiritual things, through prayer, meditation,
The Pharisees used to give in order to get favor
him. Holy, means separate, different or distinct.
abstinence from food and worldly
with God (Luke 18:9-14) or to get people’s
In other words: Help us to treat or use your
entertainment. The benefits of practicing it are
attention (Matt 6:1-3).
name different than any other name or word.
these: help us to be more compassionate with
Because He is Holy we need to pronounce his
those who don’t have what to eat, help us to be
name with reverence being ready to be
more discipline with our appetites, help us to be
partakers to the same holiness. His kingdom is
thankful for what we have and set our mind on
there where he reigns and where people
the things from above. The warning that Jesus
submit to his will. Many times we approach
gives to his disciples is not to use this discipline
In the next passage Jesus teaches his
disciple how to pray effectively, warning them
about the danger of formalism and fake
prayers. What is prayer? There are many
definitions about prayer in this multi-religious
In this section (Matt 6:16-18) Jesus talks
to win the praise of men or not to use it to build
1. Write and memorize Matthew 6:1 and 6:34.
a reputation. As youth we can also abstain from
different sports, recreation activities, and the
use of our gadgets in order to get closer to God.
In the last section of this chapter (Matt
6:19-34) Jesus’ teaching is about the attitude a
disciple needs to have toward material things.
2. Read Matthew 6:2-5 and 6:19-24. Summarize
There is nothing wrong to possess material
Jesus’ teaching about money.
things or to be wealthy; Joseph, Abraham, David,
Solomon were rich and in the same time godly
men. It is not a sin to have possessions, but
when we live for the material things and not for
the heavenly ones we are in danger of losing
the fellowship with our Father. If we have or as
youth are going to have material possession we
can use them for God’s glory which means to
3. Write the characteristics of prayer that is
rewarded according with Jesus’s teaching.
send “treasures in heaven.” In Matt 25, Jesus is
very specific about the way we can invest in
heavenly treasures and the danger of having
the riches of this world and living selfishly. If we
allow material things to possess or control our
life we are enslaved by them.
4. What is the meaning of the real fast from
Jesus’s teaching; also read Isaiah 58.
How can we have victory over daily
Grace Romanian Church
anxiety or worries? First, looking at the way our
Father cares and controls this universe. Second,
believing that he value us more than anything
else in this universe. Finally, making him and his
5. Summarize Jesus’s teaching about anxiety
Springfield, Mo.
(Matt 6:25-34).
righteousness number one priority of our life
(Matt 6:25-34).
Youth Bible Study, Tuesday @7:30 pm