April 19 - Pray: Deliver Us

Read: Matthew 6:9-13

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:13 ESV)

The final passage of the Lord's Prayer, found in the Sermon on the Mount, is a clarion call from Christ for God to aid His people in our natural struggles with sin and evil. It's a position we truly do need God's help with. As fallen people we regularly put ourselves in harm's way. We repeatedly place ourselves in situations where sin and temptation are easily accessible. We need God's help in changing our hearts, minds, and motives.

This point hit home for me a couple of days ago as I was feeding my son breakfast. I had him strapped into his highchair and he kept gesturing for things around the room that he wanted. They were all things he was normally allowed to have, but they were not his breakfast. Someone had left these items within sight. They were tempting him. He desired them. In order for me to get him to eat his breakfast I had to remove the distractions. Once they were all put away he went on eating breakfast, the other stuff no longer mattered.

It's not God's duty to keep us from temptation. Often I believe we bring it on ourselves. I do however believe that He will help us rid our lives of things that distract us from Him if we ask Him to. And I believe He is often urging us to want His help in doing so. And I firmly believe that God is never the source of temptation for His children.

April 18 - Pray: Debts

Read: Matthew 6:9-13

and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12 ESV)

Have you ever had someone owe you money or a favor? Have you ever tried to unsuccessfully collect on it? Jesus' teaching on prayer included a phrase about debt, debtors, and forgiveness that reflects several of his earlier teachings.

The prospect of taking on a large financial debt is pretty intimidating to me. I feel a lot more freedom in my life without massive debt. But, where God and our sin are concerned that is precisely the issue at stake. We are all sinful people. Our sin has accrued for us a debt owed to God. We are all people that have fallen far short of God's standard for us. However, He is willing to reach down and willfully remove our cumbersome debt. In fact Jesus died to accomplish just that.

The words of Christ during this teaching serve as both a reminder and an incentive. We are freely forgiven of our sins if we choose to receive such forgiveness. We are also forgiven as long as we extend the same kind of merciful grace toward those who have wronged us.

April 17 - Pray: Daily Bread

Read: Matthew 6:9-13

Give us this day our daily bread, (Matthew 6:11 ESV)

Some people are really, exceedingly, financially blessed. They seem to have access to a limitless bank account. And sometimes its really easy to envy that kind of carefree wealth. During his teaching about prayer at the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught his followers to desire only daily provision.

When I think of the words "daily bread" I am instantly reminded of the Old Testament stories about how God fed the Israelites with mana from heaven. He gave them exactly what they needed to get through each day. If they collected excess or tried to keep it beyond the time frame God allowed it turned to rot and worms.

I think the truth to be found in these Biblical examples has next to nothing to do with how much stuff we own. I really think it boils down to our heart and attitudes in relation to stuff and ownership. Jesus' words are not an indictment against ownership, or even abundant wealth, they are reminder to seek, and to be content with God's provision for the day.

April 16 - Pray: Kingdom Come

Read: Matthew 6:9-13

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10 ESV)

Jesus' spoke at length during his Sermon on the Mount about prayer, even demonstrating a very practical kind of way of praying for his followers. As such a hugely important aspect of the Christian life, I believe we can still model prayer after Christ's words. The second aspect of his prayer revolved around both the kingdom and will of God.

In the Old Testament people regularly referred to the Jews as the Kingdom of God. Jesus spent a lot of time speaking to that issue. The kingdom he referred to was not one of heritage or borders. Rather, God's kingdom was one of the soul. It was comprised of people following the heart of God.

Jesus told his people to pray for God to have His way among them. It was a way for them to intentionally set aside their own desires in recognition for the superiority of God's plan. It is the acknowledgement that for the Kingdom of God to be the reality for our lives that God Himself must be the king of our lives.

April 15 - Pray: Hallowed Father

Read: Matthew 6:9-13

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Matthew 6:9 ESV)

Prayer is such a powerful and important component of the Christian life. During his Sermon on the Mount Jesus laid out a really practical example for what healthy prayer looks like. It began with a statement of reverence.

Ultimately God is our Heavenly Father. He is to be revered. He is holy. He is unique in such a way that words can not accurately describe and the human mind can not begin to fathom.

Even though He remains beyond our comprehension God has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity as a Father. He really is. It is often difficult to comprehend. Especially if we do not have a mortal father from which to draw a clearly defined example.

Reverence for our Hallowed Father is demonstrated out of what the Bible often calls the fear of the Lord. It means displaying a realistic perspective of God's power and sovereignty. It means having a healthy fear of God, but not being afraid of God.

I think of it as a child who stands in awe of their father or mother. They realize that there is ability, power, protection, and control that far supersedes what they know or understand. While they do not think of it in those terms they live it, accept it, and depend on it. It is all they know. It shapes everything about their little world. I believe that having that healthy reverence for God can be something we live from, communicate from, and pray from. I believe it shapes everything about our little world.

April 14 - Dad Knows

Read: Matthew 6:5-8

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8 ESV)

Jesus taught his followers that it was hypocritical to make prayer a fancy public display. He urged that the most sincere form of personal prayer was conducted in privacy. No matter in what form, or location, a prayer is offered God knows our need before we ask.

I have seen this regularly played out in my relationship with my wife. She will go to the store and come home with something I needed or wanted before I have even had a chance to ask her to get it. How does she know? Because we spend time together, we communicate, and she knows my desires. God knows what we need, what we want, and the best timing to come through. He really wants us to talk to him about it, even though he knows, because it demonstrates intimacy and trust. We don't have to boldly, publicly, or weirdly declare our needs.

That's not to say that we shouldn't pray in public. I think there is something pretty amazing about corporate prayer when we are joined together with other believers. The point is to make the act of praying about connecting with God; communicating your desires, praying for the needs of others, and offering thankfulness and praise for what God has already done. Prayer is a powerful thing. Our Father really does know what we need.

April 13 - Unknown

Read: Matthew 6:1-4

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (Matthew 6:3 ESV)

Have you ever known someone that did something incredibly generous, but then completely soiled on it by making a big deal out of it? Generosity was never meant to become a spectacle. It's like those TV shows that take some genuinely deserving person in need of an upgraded home and make this huge ordeal out of building them a newer bigger one. Perhaps, they do actually want to help people, but at the end of the day they are after ratings and advertising dollars. True generosity is accomplished in secret.

Jesus was pretty clear about this. The Pharisees and other religious folk accompanied their generous actions with much pomp and fanfare. Jesus said that a pure heart will give without recognition. Obviously you can not give and keep it a secret from your own body, that wasn't his point. Jesus' point was to give, authentically, and more so, purely.

To give with sincere motives means to give while expecting nothing in return. Generosity in its highest form takes place when there is neither recognition nor reward to be gained. No horns. No parades. No pats on the back. Perhaps not even a "Thank you." And maybe even resentment, hostility, and/or hatred.

April 12 - What Reward

Read: Matthew 5:43-48

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (Matthew 5:46 ESV)

I used to really love getting a box of CrackerJacks. Not because of the snack. But because of the prize. That little red box came with a guarantee—some reward waited inside.

In many ways that mindset never left me. Even as I stepped into ministry I found myself only investing where I was sure to get a return. I rarely poured into people that couldn't do something for me. I rarely invested in a church that wasn't capable of sowing into my ministry. I'm glad that about me eventually changed.

Jesus had to work on me a lot. I was, and still am, stubborn. However, over time he lead me to see the value of giving love without a secret agenda. It's how he did it. It's how he still does it. Jesus simply loves people. All people.

Too often we make the mistake of trying to think we can screen people before extending the love of Christ in their direction. Shame on us. There is no filtration system for the love of God. We do not have the right to make a choice for someone where love is concerned.

April 11 - Give

Read: Matthew 5:38-42

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. (Matthew 5:42 ESV)

My bank account is not overflowing with staggering financial figures. My wife and I do not own our home. We don't drive new vehicles. We love to give. We especially love to give to people who have no idea we are doing it. That's the best. I'm not trying to put us up on some kind of religious pedestal. I simply want to point out a principle Jesus taught that we are embracing.

Giving is powerful. It creates in you a condition of surrender that says to God, "Ok, Lord, everything I have is in reality Yours. It can be used by You, for You, and through You. Distribute it as You please." There is an indescribable amount of freedom that comes with a lack of attachment to your stuff.

Jesus gave EVERYTHING. To those who hated, accused, slandered, mocked, abused, and murdered him he in turn poured out his blood, sweat, tears, mercy, healing, grace, and life. Jesus gave EVERYTHING.

The overwhelming pattern of the Gospel is this. GIVE. Give your money, your time, your desires, your finances, and your life to God and to others. He will use it in better ways than you could ever hope to. If you try to keep it, you will lose it. If you let it go you will actually find that the power of the truth was hiding from you all along.

April 10 - Yes or No

Read: Matthew 5:33-37

Let what you say be simply "Yes" or "No"; anything more than this comes from evil. (Matthew 5:37 ESV)

"I swear" used to be a regularly heard phrase. Probably because of the popularity of a hit song by the same name. It spoke of the depth of the love a man had for a woman, and how he was swearing an oath based on all of these wondrous astrological things. It's a beautiful thought, but its deceptive.

Jesus taught his followers that their words were empty when there were too many of them. People did not need to accompany all of their promises to God, or each other, with all of the wordy oaths that had become so commonplace. "Yes" or "No" was enough.

I can readily identify with this idea. It's so easy to want to make grand proclamations in accompaniment with our promises. Still, its easy to want to make our promises more about the fact that we are making them in the first place, and less about what we are actually committing ourselves to do.

How many weddings have you been to that were absolutely breathtaking ceremonies either aesthetically or ritually? How many of them ended in disaster? None I hope, but the evidence is all around us. Hundreds and thousands of wonderfully worded weddings end abruptly every year. Forgotten are the word-filled vows to love and cherish until departure by death. What if the commitment to being together, the "Yes" was more important than the way it's displayed for the world?

Weddings are an easy to spot example, but this principle carries over into every day life. When someone asks us to pray for their need, we don't need to just quote them a scripture and agree to remember them later in prayer. We need to pray for them. Regularly. Right on the spot if possible. And there are many more examples we could discuss. The simple idea is that when you make an oath, when you promise, when you vow—"Yes" or "No" is enough.

April 9 - Divorce

Read: Matthew 5:31-32

"It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce." (Matthew 5:31 ESV)

Divorce is such a terribly tragic thing. It is the unravelling, the death, of something brought together under a covenant, blessing, and vows. When a married couple divorces it is the death of not only the present state of that marriage, but also the death of all of their future together.

It seems like we see a lot of this today. Think about it for a second. How many people do you know that are divorced? How many people even in your own family have experienced its affects? Perhaps you yourself have experienced divorce first hand.

The church is not an exception, which is a terrible indictment upon our call to reflect Christ. Jesus loved the church so much that he died so it would come into being. And the bible tells us that one day he will return for his bride. What if he changed his mind? What if he decided he would rather divorce the church rather than put up with it for the rest of eternity? Thankfully he has already told us that he would never leave nor forsake us.

We live in a culture where it is too easy to walk out on stuff. Covenants and commitments mean very little. People give up on each other at home, socially, and in the church. I believe God made it possible to live a better way. A way full of commitment, covenant, and communal attachment. All we have to do to experience it is divorce our own selfishness and continually walk into his awaiting merciful grace.

April 8 - Throw It Away

Read: Matthew 5:27-30

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. (Matthew 5:29 ESV)

I remember watching the press conference several years ago after a lost hiker had been found. He had been faced with a life or death situation as a result of an accident and made the decision to amputate his arm after getting it trapped. I listened as he described his situation, the decision making process, and finally the procedure he used to remove his arm. He could have kept his arm, stayed trapped, and died. Or, he could remove his arm through a terribly painful self-inflicted wound and try to make it to safety. It was a horrible dilemma, but the choice to remove his arm saved his life.

Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount about voluntarily removing body parts reminds me of that hiker. The thought of literally removing body parts to avoid hell is sobering, and admittedly a little disturbing. But what if it didn't have to come to that?

Couldn't the same principle Jesus is speaking of be applied to the things in our lives that lead us toward sin? Let me give you an example. If a certain type of movie caused us to think sinful thoughts or pursue sinful acts wouldn't it be better to just stop watching movies than to cut your eye out?

In the old days people called this principle holiness. And yes, some strange things have been done in pursuit of holiness, but I would rather be found to be strange than spend an eternity in hell. In the past this meant getting rid of a lot of stuff. As I find myself striving to be more like Jesus, I find myself pursuing authentic holiness. This isn't something made up by men with a long list of rules and how to's. It is, however, a reverent walk with Christ. One in which I long to be both sensitive and obedient. Ridding myself of distractions and hindrances along the way.

April 7 - Be Reconciled

Read: Matthew 5:21-26

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23, 24 ESV)

Have you ever had a really bad argument with someone? What about one that ended so badly you felt really distant at the end of it? Some things happen between people that drive an unhealthy wedge-like space into the relationship.

During his Sermon on the Mount Jesus told his followers that in order to worship to their fullest potential they didn't to do so without any unreconciled relationships. Whoa! It makes sense if you think about it. Why? Because the thing that creates unreconciled hearts is sin.

Sin separated us from God. Jesus came to bring reconciliation to that relationship. But he also came so that we could be reconciled to one another. Further, he expects that of us if we are going to worship him. And while disagreement or discord may sometimes be incredibly difficult to avoid, we should always yearn for reconciliation. It might not come in the way that we would hope for, but God knows our hearts.

April 6 - Exceeding Righteousness

Read: Matthew 5:17-20

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20 ESV)

The scribes and Pharisees have gotten nearly 2000 years worth of bad press from Christianity. They are often painted as the primary antagonists in the Gospels. And while they certainly went to ridiculous lengths to make Jesus' life difficult, at one time they were thought to be the pinnacle of righteousness among the Jews.

During his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his followers that their righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees. That it was the only way in which they would be able to enter God's kingdom. For those of us who are familiar with the Gospel stories that seems like an easy achievement, but for the people who heard Jesus make this pronouncement, it was probably a fairly difficult thing to imagine.

I believe Jesus' purpose for this statement was to call his followers to an authentic relationship with God. A life of love and service to God that surpassed all of the rules and stifling Law that the Pharisees were so fond of in favor of a life-giving Spirit-empowered walk with the Father. A call to embrace the Spirit of the Law, not by adding a bunch of man made statutes to it, but by embracing what it means to show love to one anther.

It also means that we are to be fully devoted followers of Jesus. After all, the only righteousness we have is his. If we are saved by his merciful grace, and covered by his own righteousness then I'd say that is a pretty sure bet for having surpassed that of the scribes and Pharisees.

April 5 - Salty

Read: Matthew 5:13-16

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. (Matthew 5:13 ESV)

Salt is a wonderful thing. I probably like it more than I should. Even just a little bit goes a really long way in improving the taste of something. In Jesus day it was a rare luxury. It was highly valued. As long as it was tasty. Because if salt isn't used for food it is used for clearing paths. It's used to walk on.

Jesus warned his audience, with a warning that should ring true for us today as well, we exist for a purpose. We have a flavor. We exist to make where we are better. And if we don't or can't do that, then we are not really fulfilling our primary purpose.

Sometimes it's hard to be the kind of presence in our world that we desire to be. There are so many potential distractions. We are imperfect. Sometimes it feels like we're in perpetual danger of losing our saltiness. I don't believe that this has to be true. What does it mean to be salt in your world? How can you be a difference there? How can you avoid losing your flavor?