Matthew 6 Discussion

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Ever found yourself racing through the Lord's Prayer, trying to say it in one breath? You're not alone. Matthew Chapter 6 invites us to slow down and discover how these ancient words can transform our modern anxieties.

At the heart of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount lies a revolutionary approach to prayer that directly addresses two universal human struggles: our desire for recognition and our anxiety about basic needs. The Lord's Prayer stands perfectly positioned between these teachings – before it, Jesus warns against performing righteousness for human applause; after it, he reassures us not to worry about tomorrow's provisions. This beautiful prayer becomes the bridge connecting these lessons, showing that when we truly seek God's kingdom first, everything else falls into place.

What makes this chapter so relevant today is its startling insight into our hearts. While most Americans don't worry about having enough clothing, we often worry about having "the right" clothing – a concern Jesus anticipated centuries ago. His promise that God "will give you what you need, not what you greed" cuts through our consumerist culture with surgical precision. Similarly, his teaching that prayers need not be lengthy to be effective reminds us that genuine connection with God trumps religious performance every time.

Whether you're wrestling with anxiety, struggling with people-pleasing, or simply wanting to deepen your prayer life, this exploration of Matthew 6 offers practical wisdom for daily living. Listen now to discover how the Lord's Prayer can become not just words you recite, but a framework that reorients your entire life toward what truly matters. How might your approach to prayer change if you applied these teachings today?

Episode Transcript

Pastor Plek (00:10):
And welcome back to A Chapter.
A Day Keeps the Devil Away.
We're in Matthew, chapter 6,and we are taking a look at
Jesus' Sermon on the Mountmid-sermon here, and he's
talking about practicingrighteousness in secret.
He's talking about thetreasures that the heart seeks
and human loyalty to them andhow he's gonna just encourage

(00:32):
people.
Don't worry, what were somethings that stood out to you in
this text?

Pastor Holland (00:38):
So to me the Lord's Prayer, I feel like, has
the central place of the wholechapter and that if you are
praying in that way, then youdon't need to worry about
anything else.
That you know.
If you're looking to God asyour father first of all and
you're looking, you know, forhis glory, not your own, that's

(01:01):
going to take away all yourdesire to be seen by men.
It's going to take away allyour anxiety or your worry about
food or clothing.
If you can be the kind ofperson who trusts God as your
father and wants you know hisglory more than your own, you
don't really have to worry aboutall the other stuff in the
chapter.
Right as you were reading it, Iwas like man that's it's all

(01:28):
solved by the Lord's prayer.
Now, what if you just use theLord's prayer as something you
just repeat ritually.
Yeah, there you go.
Then you're doing what he toldyou not to do.

Pastor Plek (01:34):
Right.
So how does a person pray theLord's prayer and not turn it
into like a magic spell?

Pastor Holland (01:42):
A lot, like a lot of guys throughout church
history you know, you look attheologians especially, like in
the Protestant Reformation therewas a big emphasis on.
It was always like the Lord'sPrayer, the Ten Commandments,
the Apostles' Creed.

Pastor Plek (01:58):
And all the like.
If you like the Common Book ofPrayer, there was a lot of red
prayers in there.

Pastor Holland (02:04):
Yeah, and if you like, what some of those guys
you know, calvin Luther, whatthey would encourage was you
pray the Lord's prayer, not just, you know, in vain repetition
as he warns against.
Obviously it's not what he'swanting you to do, but rather
you're praying those words fromyour heart and considering your

(02:26):
own particular circumstances aswell.
You know, give us this day,this daily bread.
You're saying that around thetable with your family in the
morning, you know, and prayingthat the Lord will provide for
you that day.
And that prayer is going toencourage you as you go to your
job, knowing that you're workingultimately for God who's going
to take care of your needs, andit's going to encourage your
kids to know you don't have toworry, there's gonna be food on

(02:48):
the table because God takes careof us.
So, taking those words not as avain repetition, but
internalizing them and applyingthem to your own situation yeah,
I love that.

Pastor Plek (02:58):
All right, let's talk about some of the things
that I saw here is just likethis seek first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness andall these things, all the things
that we worry about, will beadded to you as well when you
put him first and then yourealize he's never not going to
provide.
I think sometimes there can bethis disconnect for some

(03:24):
Christians that maybe have moreof a rigid understanding of God
where God doesn't interact.
He's not imminent, he's not Godwith us, he's just transcendent
, and so they don't expect Godto answer prayer.
And so that if you don't, ifyou kind of have a view of God
is that far off and that distant, then you're going to get
really works based in a lot ofthings and you're not expecting

(03:45):
him to interact with youpersonally.
But what God is inviting, whatJesus really here is inviting us
to do, is get invested, becausehe's going to take care of you
on your daily needs, which Ireally thought that was cool.

Pastor Holland (03:59):
Daily bread represents all of your daily
needs, right?
Not just a piece of bread forLike.
If I was to say what's onetruth here All people are prone
to anxiety.
Your daily needs, right.

Pastor Plek (04:04):
Not just a piece of bread for like.
If I was to say what's onetruth here all people are prone
to anxiety about daily needswhat am I going to wear, what am
I going to eat, what am I goingto drink?
All like, you know, like likehow?
What do I eat?
Today A lot of Americans aren'tthere, but what I'm going to.
I think that's a real like.

(04:31):
The word of God speaks to us.
In our day and age, in amiddle-class world, uh, where
you know clothing, you go togoodwill and get as much
clothing as you want.
But I think there's a realsense of the fear is, I might
not have enough clothing, but Imight not have the right
clothing.
And I think you're seeing Jesuseven speak to that.
He's going to give you what youneed, not what you greed.

Pastor Holland (04:54):
Yeah, there you go.
Not what you greed, I feel likethe first before the Lord's
prayer.
It's like don't worry about thepraise of men you don't need it
.
And then the Lord's prayer andthen after that it's like don't
worry about the provision of God, you're going to get it.

Pastor Plek (05:10):
I like that.
Let's rehash that.
So, before the Lord's prayer,don't worry about the praise of
men.
After the Lord's prayer, don'tworry about the provision of God
.

Pastor Holland (05:21):
Yeah, you don't need the praise of men and you
know you have the provision ofGod.
If you seek first God's kingdomanother way, you know that's
what's the prayer thy kingdomcome right.
Hallowed be thy name.
It's the heart of the Lord'sprayer is seeking God's kingdom
first.
So Jesus is teaching you how,like all the warnings and
commands in this chapter, he'steaching you how to be the kind

(05:41):
of person that can walk in thatway by praying this prayer every
day.

Pastor Plek (05:43):
I love that.
Uh, so application wise for me,um example to follow is I pray
this model prayer.
This is my daily prayer.
I go.
I first start off with Godyou're holy, you are good.
Uh, I get into your kingdom,come.
You're always on earth as inheaven.
And I kind of break it down thedifferent aspects.
So like Sunday I pray for ourmissionaries.

(06:05):
Monday I pray for the staff ofthe church.
Tuesday, I pray for the men'sgroup.
Wednesday, I pray for my wifeand my mom.
Thursday, I pray for the elders.
Friday I pray for my blessedlist people I'm trying to reach
for Jesus.
Saturday I pray for my children, and so, like that's kind of
like your kingdom, come on earthas in heaven.
And then give us this day ourdaily bread.
And I go over, I take mycalendar for that day and like

(06:27):
give me what I need to make itthrough today.
So I'm not stressed about ameeting or I'm not stressed
about how something's going togo.
That is totally up to you.
And then I go through forgiveme of my sins, as you have
forgiven me of my sins, and thenlead me not into temptation
like keep Satan away from me.
That's kind of my daily prayerthat I journal out and that for

(06:49):
me, has really led to a lot ofblessing of of the consistency
of of saying the same thing, butit's different and unique.
As I'm, I'm applying itspecifically to my life so it
doesn't become a ritualisticlike just saying our father, our
heaven, hell be that name, theycame and come, they will be
done.
Earth doesn't have to givestate, or daily bread Forgives
our trespass, we forgive thosetrespass against us.
Delivered from evil, for thineis the kingdom, the power and

(07:10):
the glory forever and ever.
Amen.

Pastor Holland (07:13):
Very good.
Wow, that's not the first timeyou've done that.
You used to race people in theLord's.

Pastor Plek (07:19):
Prayer.
So when I was a kid, my goalwas to say the Lord's Prayer in
one breath every night.
That is so awesome.

Pastor Holland (07:32):
Being a kid is the best, it's the best.
I love this.
One application for me is um, I, you know, I love in verse
seven.
Uh, you know, don't pray withvain repetitions.
Uh, they think they'll shouldbe.
Uh, they shall be heard for um,their lengthy prayers?
Uh, a prayer does not have tobe lengthy to be heard.
It's not heard because of itslengthiness but because of being

(07:53):
, you know, prayed by in faithand um, and sometimes, you know,
as a, when you're doing a lotof counseling and comforting and
dealing with people who aregrieving, or, you know, you're
just like, oh man, sometimes itjust feels like you need to pray
on and on and on.
I feel like it's always good aspastors, um, to remember you
don't need to have a lengthyprayer.
Short prayers can be much moreeffective.

Pastor Plek (08:15):
Yeah, yeah, Like pray for my wife, All right,
help her out with her day, andthen you've got if you've got a
hundred other lists of people togo through, just one one prayer
in their direction.

Pastor Holland (08:27):
Yeah, Short doesn't have to mean you know
not heartfelt or not.
I mean, it's not effective.
Jesus gives you a six-lineprayer here, and it's the
greatest prayer of all time thateveryone prays every day now.

Pastor Plek (08:38):
Yeah, and I think of Peter when he's walking on
water.
Save me, yeah, jesus, save me,that's all he's got.

Pastor Holland (08:45):
Have mercy on me .
A sinner, a sinner.
Yeah, there's some really greatshort prayers that, when you're
feeling anxious, pray a shortprayer.
Lord, help me, trust you, lord,I believe.
Help my unbelief.
Have mercy on me, oh Lord, youcan pray these really short
prayers and when you'recomforting someone, you don't
need a super lengthy prayer.

(09:06):
Pray a short prayer that's fullof faith.

Pastor Plek (09:10):
And in the moment, which is really great.
Sometimes I have got thisreally crazy issue Bam God, we
just pray right now.
I know that seems a littleweird and I'm a pastor so of
course I do that kind of thing,but it's powerful when you
interrupt the moment by bringingheaven to earth.
Yeah, it's so good.
Alright, thanks so much forjoining us this day on a chapter
day.
We'll see you tomorrow forMatthew, chapter 7.