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Hi there!

Welcome back! As I write this, geopolitical events in the Middle East make me wonder (again!) if this is the conflict to end all conflicts, but only God knows that for sure. Even so, time is running out. In our last online study we saw eternal life comes only from belief in Jesus as the son of God (John 3:16-18). My friend, if you are on the fence about Jesus, I encourage you to seek whatever information you need to decide in your heart that He is God’s Son who died for you. When we pass from this earthly existence, it will be too late to choose Him as Savior (Luke 16:26; Hebrews 9:27-28).

Know also, your decision for Christ doesn’t mean you have to join a church or even go to church. But this earthly walk is so much better when we find a place of sanctuary where we can be with other Christians, learning and teaching among them. Church is simply a place—like this study, really—where you can go to learn more about Jesus and talk with members of the family of God. He will draw you to the right place for you if you let Him. Now, let’s dig in!

Last Week’s Work

MY PRAYER
For this study, I’m praying:

Lord, thank You for another chance to study prayer, and specifically, the prayer You gave us. Open my eyes, heart, and mind so I can: see what Your Spirit—my Helper—wants me to see, understand it as Matthew and his audience did, and make a plan to align with the principle I’ll discover here. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen!

HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
These are my questions and discoveries from surveying the passage:

HUH?s

• What does Matthew mean in v6, “… your Father who is in secret”?
• Do vv7-8 mean we shouldn’t pray long prayers?
• What does it mean to “hallow” the Father’s name (v9)?
• How do I know God’s will (v10)?
• Referencing the footnote to v13: “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen:” what’s the origin of that phrase? Why was it left out of some manuscripts?

WOW!s

• Don’t pray in public to be seen by others if you want God to grant something beyond people’s attention (v5).
• Hypocrites (v5) and Gentiles (v7) weren’t effective prayer warriors.
• Verses 9-10 indicate actual petition should come after “hallowing” God’s name and submitting to His will.
• The only physical request mentioned is for food (v11).
• We will be forgiven to the extent we forgive others (v12, vv14-15).
• The final request is to not be tempted, but “delivered” from evil (v13).

Dig-In Challenges

If you’re studying this passage with me, listen to the Spirit this week, and choose a personal Huh? or Wow! to dig more deeply into. Going forward, I’ll refer to this as your personal treasure. It can be something you noticed in your study, one of the items I’ve listed above, or anything else the Holy Spirit has laid upon your heart as you think about this passage. As we study, we’ll consider everything in the chapter, but we’ll gradually narrow our focus to the verses that talk about our treasure.

1. PRAY for the Spirit to direct your focus for the remainder of this study. In your journal, record the personal treasure He identifies, along with any verse(s) relating to it from the study text.
2. MINE: Read Matthew 6:5-15, focusing on the setting (who’s involved, and where and when the action took place). Note anything the Spirit emphasizes about the characters involved, any locations mentioned, and any timeframes discussed.

I hope you’ll check in next week to see what the Spirit is showing me.

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