Thursday, February 22, 2007
Today’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

We have been provided with spiritual disciplines that we can choose to practice and from which to reap benefits and blessings. Jesus specifically mentioned three spiritual disciplines in his Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew. The three are almsgiving, prayer and fasting.

Jesus made it clear that there is little benefit to practicing these spiritual disciplines if we do so with the intention of calling attention to ourselves. There is little benefit in giving to the poor to appear generous in the eyes of others. There is little benefit in praying in public in order to look and sound spiritual. There is little benefit in fasting to appear humble and pious to others.

With these spiritual disciplines and the many others, are we putting them into practice, and if so, with what intention are we practicing them? God knows our hearts, our motives and our intentions. What benefits and blessings there are for us when we practice spiritual disciplines for God’s sake.

The season of Lent is a time to be even more intentional about practicing spiritual disciplines with the intent of focusing ourselves more on Jesus. From Jesus we have the example and instruction for spiritual disciplines, and from Jesus we receive the benefits and blessings of pursuing a closer relationship with Him.

Prayer: O God, during these 40 days of Lent, grant me a humble spirit and the true intention of knowing You better and growing closer in my relationship with You. Amen.

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, 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 men. I tell you the truth, 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.”

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”