Lesson 11. Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting. The “Foundations of the Teachings of Christ” School—a series of foundational teachings that Jesus Christ taught His disciples on the mountain.
Almsgiving
Matthew 6:1–4 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness before others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 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. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret; then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
- [eleēmosynē] – almsgiving, a donation. This word refers not only to giving to the poor, but to giving in general to someone in need.
For example.
Acts 10:1–2 “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need [eleēmosynē] and prayed to God regularly.”
Almsgiving is when one person sees another person’s need and gives to them. This may involve money, clothing, food, or other things. But most often, it refers to material giving.
Matthew 6:1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness before others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
Jesus begins His teaching about almsgiving not by explaining how important it is or what we will receive for it, but by explaining how NOT to do it. Jesus said: “Be careful not to make a show of it. If you give to the needy so that people will see you, you will receive no reward.”
Heaven watches not only “what” we give, but also “how” we give. Jesus mentions a reward intended for those who give to the needy. Giving to the needy is followed by a reward from the Father, but heaven watches how exactly we give.
Jesus does not simply begin His teaching with a warning; from His very first words, He also gives the answer as to how to give to the needy correctly.
- The word “watch,” the Greek [prosecho] – to pay attention, make an effort, take care, beware.
Jesus teaches us to make every effort not to give to the needy before people. In other words, while holding what I want to donate in my hand, I must make sure to do it in such a way that I do not draw people's attention to it. I should do it discreetly, without others noticing.
Matthew 6:2–4 Therefore, when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by people. Truly I tell you, they have already received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly.
We do not need to announce to others that we want to help someone financially; we simply need to do it without attracting attention. We do not need people to praise us for how good we are, otherwise that will be our reward for our noble deed.
So, what does Jesus teach us about giving to someone in need?
- Make every effort not to give to the needy before people. In other words, while holding what I want to donate in my hand, I must make sure to do it in such a way that I do not draw people's attention to it.
- I do not need to announce to others that I want to help someone financially.
- I do not need people to praise me for being such a good giver; otherwise, that will be my only reward.
- The Father, seeing that you do this in secret, will reward you for it.
Prayer
Matthew 6:5–6 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have already received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and, having closed your door, pray to your Father, who is in secret; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly.
Jesus repeats the same thing again: “When you pray, do not put on a show before people.” Heaven watches how we pray. Do we do this to appear spiritual before people, or are we truly in a state of prayer before the Lord right now? These are different things.
At first glance, it seems that Jesus is against public prayers, but if we look at verse 6, it becomes clear that Jesus means something else.
Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and, having closed your door, pray to your Father, who is in secret [in the secret ‘place’]; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret [in the secret ‘place’], will reward you openly.
- room [tameion] – storeroom, warehouse, pantry, treasure room; a hidden or inner room. Some interpreters say that this was the most remote (secluded) room in the house.
- secret – adjective, dative case, singular number, neuter gender. Therefore, it is translated as “secret” (place), not “secret thing.”
- openly [faneros] – visible, evident, open, known, obvious.
In one case, a person prays for people in synagogues and on street corners, and that is their reward. In the other case, a person prays to God in a secret place and receives a visible reward. In other words, if we want visible answers to prayer, we need to spend time in prayer with God in a secret place.
Our words do not play the main role in prayer.
Matthew 6:7–8 And when praying, do not use empty repetitions like the Gentiles, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
So, what does Jesus teach us about prayer?
(Matthew 6:6) But when you pray,
… go into your room and, having closed your door,
… pray to your Father, who is in secret (in the secret ‘place’);
… and your Father, who sees (you) in secret (in the secret ‘place’),
… will reward you openly.
Jesus says that the Father rewards us not because we prayed, but because we were in the secret place with Him.
… and your Father, who sees what is done in secret (in the “secret place”), will reward you openly.
A Model for the Proper Content of Personal Prayer
1. Addressing the Heavenly Father
Matthew 6:9: Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven
Literally, this means: “My Father in heaven.” It is not necessary to repeat the exact wording, “Our Father…” Some people try to repeat this prayer word for word, but we need to understand its meaning rather than repeat a set of words. The meaning is this: prayer should be addressed to God the Father, who is in heaven, rather than directed nowhere. Example: “My Father in heaven, I pray…”
2. Glorifying His Name
Matthew 6:9 …hallowed be Your name
“Hallowed be” is one form of the Greek verb [hagiazesthai], meaning “to regard a person as holy, or a thing as sacred.” “May Your Name be honored,” so that people may honor and revere His name.
Example: “May Your Name be holy to all people; may everyone honor and glorify Your Name in both words and deeds. May Your name be glorified and exalted through everything that breathes on earth.”
3. Prayer for the Spread of His Kingdom
Matthew 6:10 may Your Kingdom come;
Jesus taught people to pray for the coming of the Kingdom. How can this Kingdom be simultaneously in the past, present, and future? How can this Kingdom be something that existed, exists, and whose coming we must pray for? There is an answer.
The Kingdom of God is kings and priests through whom God rules on earth. It is His rule through the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Greek word “come” [Erchomai] has a broad meaning and can generally mean: may Your Kingdom continue to come, be established, and expand. Pray for sinners to come to God, for churches to grow, and for bars to close. Pray for cities to experience revival.
4. Prayer for His Will to Be Fulfilled
… may Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven;
In Greek, the word “be done” means “to happen, take place, and be fulfilled.” In other words, may everything be accomplished according to the perfect and wise will of God, and may we, as people, willingly fulfill God’s will on earth just as the angels fulfill it in heaven.
In this request, we acknowledge that God knows what is best for us, and we submit our will to His will. When we pray this way, God has a legal basis to change our ways, plans, and actions.
Example: “Father, may Your will be done in my home, family, and ministry. I accept Your will concerning my work and finances. I completely agree with Your plans and purposes for me, etc.”
5. Prayer for Personal Needs
Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread
This request expresses our dependence on God for daily provision, both physical and spiritual.
A piece of papyrus containing this word was recently discovered, and the papyrus turned out to be a woman’s list of daily purchases! It contained the word “epiousios,” which was meant to remind her to buy a supply of a certain food for that day.
This is a simple prayer asking God to provide everything we need for this day. “Give me everything I need for today. Give me food so that the table will not be empty when we all sit down to eat. Send finances to pay the bills. Give me spiritual food; feed me with Your Word and refresh me with the water of the Spirit.”
6. Confession and Forgiveness
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors
The next thing Jesus tells us is to ask the Father for forgiveness for the sins we have committed and our unrighteous deeds. We should ask for forgiveness for ourselves on the basis that we have forgiven others. Forgiving others is a guarantee that God forgives our iniquities as well.
7. Prayer for Protection and Safeguarding
Matthew 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
The Greek word for “temptation” also means “testing.” The first part of the verse is more accurately translated: “Do not let us fall into temptation, do not let us be tempted, safeguard us from trials.” In other words, the point is not that God gives us trials, but that we ask Him to help us avoid them.
Jesus teaches us to ask the Father to keep us from temptations and trials. We often neglect praying for ourselves and our safety, which sometimes causes us to fall into temptations or trials that we then heroically overcome.
The second part of the verse speaks of protection: “… but deliver us from the evil one.” Deliver means to rescue, set free, and save. Evil means bad, wicked, vile, worthless, malicious, and cunning. This is a request: set us free and save us from attacks of evil, from everything bad, unclean, and vile that tries to enter our lives.
Example: “My Heavenly Father, I ask You to continue cleansing me from everything unclean and sinful that still remains in my life. Drive out and remove every evil from me. Father, I ask You to safeguard me. Keep and protect me from the enemy’s traps, from every evil that tries to harm me. Save me from destruction and ruin. Remove all evil from me.”
8. Declaring the Truth About Who He Is
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Jesus teaches us to end our time of prayer by declaring the truth about who God is and to whom all authority, power, and the Kingdom belong. Knowing who God is gives us true faith and authority.
Jesus teaches us to say: “O Father, You are the strongest, You are greater than all, and all power belongs to You. All kingdoms belong to You. All glory is for You alone, Father.” Amen!
Jesus’ warning about forgiveness.
Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus adds that the Father will forgive us if we also forgive others their sins.
Fasting
Matthew 6:16–18 Also, when you fast, do not be gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so that people will see that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be seen by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly.
Fasting is fasting for God, not for people, so a person should not give the impression that they are fasting. A reward is also promised for fasting, but heaven will not be watching the number of days of fasting, but how the fast was conducted. If this fast is kept secret from others, the Father will openly reward such fasting.
We do not need to be gloomy while fasting so that people will pity and sympathize with us. Jesus teaches us to wash, look fresh, and take care of ourselves so that no one notices our fast except God.
End of lesson.
Source: Father’s Blessing Church
Teacher: Dmitriy Leo
