1“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, 4so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
5“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7In praying, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. 8Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need before you ask him. 9Pray like this:
“‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10Let your Kingdom come.
Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also forgive our debtors.
13Bring us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
19“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. 25Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
27“Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 28Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.
We are back again where we left off in chapter 4. We are watching worship. Real worship starts when we get our eyes off ourselves, and we put our eyes on God. We briefly reviewed the Hebrew word avodah. That is the Hebrew word meaning three things: worship, service, and labor. It is God’s word for ALL THREE. Many think that worship can only be expressed with hands up, singing praise to God, but God’s definition is much broader than that. We can do many different things to engage in worship. Everything around us and in our lives should be a “praise prompter.” My dad used to look at green plants and praise the Lord. He would say, “Just think about photosynthesis! Think about how God allows the plants to live and the earth to breathe. He put it all in balance.” He used to marvel at the presence of DNA in each of our cells. He would tell me, “Son, DNA is God’s fingerprint in the world”. When Dad declared these truths, he was engaging in worship. Admiring nature and proclaiming God’s evidence in it is worship.
Our recognition of the world around us should stimulate worship. I’ve heard it said that “Our theology should form our hymnology.” When we sing of God’s attributes, we are engaging in worship. Worship includes, but is not limited to, the following:
We can worship through music. Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth.2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. 3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. (Psalms 96:1-3, NKJV). We sing of God’s eternal nature. We sing of his truths.
We can worship through prayer. Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Psalms 141:2, NKJV). When we speak to the Lord and listen for His voice, we are in worship.
We can worship through praise and thanksgiving. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!2 While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. (Psalms 146:1-2, NKJV). Words of praise, adoration, and recognition of God’s presence in our lives are worship.
We can worship through the study of God’s Word. Scripture tells us: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Psalms 19:7-10, NKJV).
We can worship the Lord in our silence as we remember the great truths of God. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. (John 16:3-4a, NKJV).
We can worship God through giving. We must remember that God does not need our money, but He wants our hearts. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). Jesus expands on this topic of giving in Luke 6:38. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (NKJV).
We can worship God as we serve others. 13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14, NKJV).
Reader, you and I have the opportunity to worship Him in all that we think, say, and do. Choose to let your life be one of worship. Why? Because He alone is worthy. He alone is to be praised.