BIBLE STUDY TEXT FOR SUNDAY 02-21 (Use page Sunday 02-21 for notes and questions)
01 Ash Wednesday 02-17
Matthew 6:1-6
1 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
How many people do we encounter daily, and rarely have a quiet, honest and heart-felt conversation? How many of these people are with us every day? Are they co-workers, customers, neighbors? God is with us every day, 24 hours a day! He wants to have a closer relationship with us, and this happens when we pray. When we pray today, let us make an effort to be as honest, even as “soul-bearing” as possible. Remember, God already knows us for whom we really are, and only by knowing this ourselves can we be thankful for His redeeming Grace, and become even closer to God.