Matthew 6:9-13 - Prayer Tents

Matthew 6

The World Is Not a Stage

6"Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding.G4337G4160G3361G5216G1654G1715G444G4314G2300G846G1490G2192G3756G3408G3844G5216G3962G3588G1722G37722"When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get.G3767G3752G4160G1654G4537G3361G4537G1715G4675G5618G5273G4160G1722G4864G2532G1722G4505G3704G1392G5259G444G281G3004G5213G568G846G34083When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks.G1161G4675G4160G1654G1097G3361G4675G710G1097G5101G4675G1188G41604Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.G3704G4675G1654G5600G1722G2927G2532G4675G3962G3588G991G1722G2927G846G591G4671G1722G5318

Pray with Simplicity

5"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?G2532G3752G4336G2071G3756G2071G5618G5273G3754G5368G4336G2476G1722G4864G2532G1722G1137G4113G3704G302G5316G444G281G3004G5213G3754G568G846G34086"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.G1161G4771G3752G4336G1525G1519G4675G5009G2532G2808G4675G2374G4336G4675G3962G3588G1722G2927G2532G4675G3962G3588G991G1722G2927G591G4671G1722G53187"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God.G1161G4336G945G3361G945G5618G1482G1063G1380G3754G1522G1722G846G41808Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.G3666G3361G3666G3767G3666G846G1063G5216G3962G1492G3739G2192G5532G4253G5209G154G8469With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are.G3779G3767G4336G5210G2257G3962G3588G1722G3772G37G4675G368610Set the world right; Do what's best— as above, so below.G4675G932G2064G4675G2307G1096G1909G1093G2532G5613G1722G377211Keep us alive with three square meals.G1325G2254G4594G2257G1967G74012Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.G2532G863G2254G2257G3783G2532G5613G2249G863G2257G378113Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.G2532G1533G2248G3361G1519G3986G235G4506G2248G575G4190G3754G4675G2076G932G2532G1411G2532G1391G1519G165G28114"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others.G1063G1437G863G444G846G3900G5216G3770G3962G2532G863G521315If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.G1161G3362G863G3362G444G846G3900G3761G5216G3962G863G5216G390016"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint.G1161G3752G3522G1096G3361G5618G5273G4659G1063G853G846G4383G3704G5316G444G3522G281G3004G5213G3754G568G846G340817If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face.G1161G4771G3522G218G4675G2776G2532G3538G4675G438318God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well.G3704G5316G3361G444G3522G235G4675G3962G3588G1722G2927G2532G4675G3962G3588G991G1722G2927G591G4671G1722G5318

A Life of God-Worship

19"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars.G2343G3361G2343G5213G2344G1909G1093G3699G4597G2532G1035G853G2532G3699G2812G1358G2532G281320Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars.G1161G2343G5213G2344G1722G3772G3699G3777G4597G3777G1035G853G2532G3699G2812G1358G3756G1358G3761G281321It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.G1063G3699G5216G2344G2076G1563G2071G5216G2588G2071G253222"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light.G3088G4983G2076G3788G1437G3767G4675G3788G5600G573G4675G3650G4983G2071G546023If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!G1161G1437G4675G3788G5600G4190G4675G3650G4983G2071G4652G1487G3767G5457G2076G1722G4671G4655G4214G465524"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.G3762G1410G1398G1417G2962G1063G2228G3404G1520G2532G25G2087G2228G472G1520G2532G2706G2087G3756G1410G1398G2316G2532G312625"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.G1223G5124G3004G5213G3361G3309G5216G5590G5101G5315G2532G5101G4095G3366G5216G4983G5101G1746G2076G3780G5590G4119G5160G2532G4983G174226Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.G1689G1519G4071G3772G3754G4687G3756G3761G2325G3761G4863G1519G596G2532G5216G3770G3962G5142G846G1308G5210G3756G3123G1308G84627"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?G1161G1537G5101G5216G3309G1410G4369G1520G4083G1909G846G224428All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop,G2532G5101G3309G4012G1742G2648G2918G68G4459G837G2872G3756G3761G351429but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.G1161G3004G5213G3754G3761G4672G1722G3956G846G1391G4016G3761G4016G5613G1520G513030"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?G1161G1487G2316G3779G294G5528G68G4594G5607G2532G839G906G1519G2823G3756G4183G3123G5209G364031What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving.G3767G3361G3309G3004G5101G5315G2228G5101G4095G2228G5101G401632People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.G1063G1934G3956G5023G1484G1934G1063G5216G3770G3962G1492G3754G5535G537G513033Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.G1161G2212G4412G932G2316G2532G846G1343G2532G3956G5023G4369G521334"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.G3309G3767G3361G3309G1519G839G1063G839G3309G3588G1438G713G2250G2549G846