Matthew 6:1-8
Dear God,
You are always there, and You desire for me to come and communicate with You afresh each morning. Thank You for all the different aspects of Your word, that refresh me each day – all amidst Your glorious creation of trees, flowers and bird song.
Jesus in His words in Matthew 6, reminds me to seek You humbly and privately, not making a big attention seeking show. Also any good works Your prompt me to do, are to done quietly, with no attempt to have people applaud me. For it is only You God I should seek to please, because I love You in response to Your love of me.
In the end, I desire for my lasting rewards to be from You and not from any earthly person – and not for any earthly rewards to be my only rewards, due to the fact I have lived life in a way that does not bring heavenly rewards. Please keep me reminded, that it is my love for You, my God, that You appreciate and any good deeds I do, are the most profitable for me, if I as much as possible, I keep the knowledge of them between You and myself.
The Holy Spirit will be my helper in all these things, including, revealing to me how to form fresh and meaningful prayers, not vain repetitions as the ‘heathen’ do. Matthew 6: 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
Keep before us that when we live for ourselves, and keep company with people who allure us away from loving You best and living a righteous life, filled with loving deeds to others; we will not reap the reward of eternal life with You.
Abraham received 3 guests, 1 was the Lord with 2 angels, and then as they were moving on, they spoke of the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham, thinking of Lot and his family, challenged the Lord, about the possibility that He could refrain from destroying the cities, if there were 50, then 45, 40, 30, 20 and then 10 righteous men living there, the Lord agreed that this would do so?
In the end, so as to save the lingering Lot’s wife and daughters, Gods angels physically had to help them out of the city before the two cities were destroyed.
They had no idea of the danger they were in, as all seemed so pleasant and full of fun. A number of Lot’s children would not leave the city and were destroyed. God did not find 10 righteous people, so the cities were not saved; but in answer to the prayers of Abraham, Lot was saved.
Dear God, please keep me alert to the danger of being led away from You by the wickedness which surrounds us, which can even come into my house via the modern media.
Amen