Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting
Jesus said,
“Be careful that you do not do your righteous acts only to be seen by men. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
When you give your gifts and tithes, do not sound a trumpet to announce your giving like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets in order to be seen and receive glory from men. The truth you need to understand is that by giving in this way you have already received your reward.
Instead, when you give your gifts and tithes, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Do your giving in secret and your heavenly Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And when you pray, don’t imitate the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the prominent street corners in order that men will see and hear them. The truth about this is that they have already received their reward.
When you pray, go into a private place and shut the door in order that you might pray to your Father who is in secret. Your heavenly Father, who sees all the secret and hidden things, will reward you.
When you pray, do not use vain repetitions like the Gentiles do. They have the mistaken idea that they will be heard because they repeat their prayers over and over and speak a lot of words. Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you even ask him.
This is the way you should pray,
‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the bread we need for today. And forgive us our debts in the same way that we forgive those who owe us anything. And bring us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.‘
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, your Father will not forgive your trespasses.
And when you fast, don’t act like the hypocrites who put on a sad face and change their appearance in order to look glum and unkempt in order to be seen by men. The truth you need to understand is that they already have their reward.When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that men will not notice that you are fasting. Your Father in heaven will know and he will reward you.”
