Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
"When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for those who are battling cancer and for their family and friends.
There's an Eric Clapton song which has a refrain that goes, "Nobody knows you when you're down and out." The song is about when he was successful, he had a lot of friends. When he wasn't, there were no friends to be found. Those who called themselves "friends" were hypocrites. They were perfectly fine being his friend when they had something to gain, but when he had nothing to offer them, they showed that they truly were not friends.
We have to make sure that when we worship God through prayer, service, or tithing, that our hearts aren't looking for gain. We shouldn't pray to get money and fame. We shouldn't give our tithe hoping that someone will see how holy we are. We shouldn't serve with the intent of finding someone attractive to talk to.
We should love Our Lord with no agendas. Take care and God Bless.
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