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Matthew 6 Devotional: Deepen your walk with God through Jesus’ teaching on prayer, fasting, and giving. Learn to replace anxiety with trust as you seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to Matthew Chapter 6. As we continue through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus moves from our outward behavior to our private devotion. He invites us into a space where the only applause that matters is the Father's. Let us quiet our hearts and learn the language of true, unhurried prayer.
Matthew Chapter 6 Introduction:
Matthew Chapter 6 Introduction:
The Secret Life of Faith and the Cure for Anxiety
Matthew 6 addresses the three pillars of Jewish piety: giving, praying, and fasting. However, Jesus adds a radical requirement: Sincerity. He warns against "performing" righteousness to be seen by others, pointing us instead to the "Secret Place" where the Father rewards. At the heart of this chapter is the Lord’s Prayer, providing a perfect model for how we should approach our Creator. Jesus concludes by addressing the universal struggle of anxiety, commanding us to look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field as proof of God’s care.
What can we learn from this today? In this chapter, we see the Sovereignty of God over our daily needs. As your Statement of Faith affirms, we believe in one true God who is the sovereign Lord of all things. Jesus teaches us that because God is our Father, we do not need to live in the "paralysis of worry." Worry is often a sign that we are trying to be our own providers. Instead, we are called to "Seek first his kingdom," trusting that our Heavenly Father already knows what we need. This shift in focus—from our problems to His Kingdom—is made possible by the Holy Spirit, who guides and empowers us to live for God’s glory rather than human recognition.
Bible Verse
Bible Verse
Giving to the Needy
Giving to the Needy
6 “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.
Prayer
Prayer
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.
Fasting
Fasting
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.
Treasures in Heaven
Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Prayer
Prayer
Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." As we enter this time of prayer, let us approach Him with the confidence of children and the reverence due to the King.
Dear Heavenly Father, We hallow Your name today, acknowledging that You are the sovereign Lord of all creation. We thank You for the privilege of prayer and for the gift of Your Word, which serves as our final authority. Thank You for being a Father who sees what is done in secret and who cares for the smallest details of our lives.
Lord, I ask for a heart of true sincerity. Forgive me for the times I have sought the approval of people more than Your pleasure. Cleanse my motives in giving, serving, and praying. I bring my anxieties and worries before You today—the "what-ifs" of tomorrow and the burdens of today. I choose to trust Your provision, knowing that You clothe the lilies and feed the birds. Help me to seek Your Kingdom and Your righteousness above all else, resting in the promise that everything I truly need will be provided by Your grace.
We pray for our local church, that we would be a community characterized by secret acts of service and deep, authentic prayer. We lift up those in our world who are facing extreme poverty or lack of daily bread; we ask for Your miraculous provision and for the Church to be Your hands and feet in meeting those needs. We pray for a world consumed by the pursuit of wealth and status; may the peace that comes from seeking Your Kingdom first be a witness to those around us. Guide us by Your Holy Spirit to live lives of quiet, powerful devotion that point others to Your glory. Amen.
Daily Application Question
Daily Application Question
Jesus says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If you looked at your calendar and your bank statement from the last week, what would they say about where your "treasure" is currently located?
Frequently Asked Questions about Matthew 6
Frequently Asked Questions about Matthew 6
Is it wrong to pray in public? No; Jesus is not forbidding public prayer (He prayed publicly Himself). He is forbidding the motive of praying specifically to gain the admiration of others. The focus should always be on God, not the audience.
Why is the "Lord's Prayer" so important? It serves as a comprehensive "skeleton" for prayer, covering adoration, submission to God's will, petition for needs, confession of sin, and a request for spiritual protection.
Does "taking no thought for tomorrow" mean I shouldn't plan? Not at all. The Greek word for "take thought" implies distracting, consuming anxiety. God expects us to be responsible and plan, but He forbids us from being controlled by the fear of the future.
Thank you for joining us for Matthew 6. May you walk today with a heart fixed on the Father and a spirit free from the weight of worry. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Chapter 7.
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