Pleasing God by Doing Good and in Prayer

Matthew 6:1-15

Do Good as a God Pleaser

1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Attitude and Aim of Prayer

5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

To please God by doing the good works we are called to do (Ephesians 2:10) without the fanfare of drawing attention as if the works make us better in the sight of men and pleasing Him in prayer that likewise does not put on a show to move the spotlight on us, that is the aim of what Jesus was teaching in these passages.  These speak to our attitudes and reason for doing good deeds and how we pray to our Father in heaven as opposed to blowing our own horn to announce what great things we do to make us good to God and man.  He begins with the error of those who do good to impress others rather than serve one another in humility and love.  We are called to do good in secret as it were, to do it without drawing attention to ourselves but to God and the enabling grace given to help others as we ought to do and not to earn righteousness points or make a favorable impression on God to reward us and men to applaud our efforts.  Humility works good to others unseen and unrewarded by onlookers.  Humility says we do what is only expected of us as a result of grace (Luke 17:10).  Any reward we receive is from our Lord, dispensed as He wills in His way and time if during this life.  

The second passage here deals with the attitude and aim of prayer.  Hypocrites love to be seen by others when they pray with lofty eloquence to impress by their deep spiritual knowledge and mighty displays of pride.  This was the problem perfected by the Pharisees whom Jesus rebuked for their ungodliness passed off as holiness.  The only reward of such prayer is self affirmation, not pleasing God or expected to be heard and answered by Him.  What we have been told from above is to find a quiet place to humble ourselves before God to present our adoration of Him, confession of our sin, thanksgiving for all He is and does, and supplication for our requests to be made known to Him.  We are not told to pray to impress with our eloquence or prove our spirituality and holiness by great orations as if works to earn God’s favor like those doing good deeds in the passage immediately before this one.  No, we are instructed to pray in secret from men but open to the Lord, knowing we are heard and that the answers come to exalt God and not us as mere mortals.  

Because God knows what we need before we ask in prayer and will certainly provide our needs when we petition Him, we are given an outline of how to pray in a way pleasing to Him in our secret place.  Prayer must begin with adoration that recognizes God is high above in heaven and is to be proclaimed as holy in our words and deeds.  We are to further pray for His sovereign predetermined will to come to pass and not what we believe is necessary to happen as we imagine and desire.  This is an attitude of humility and subjection to His will according to His word as revealed or kept hidden from us until shown clearly, especially as in prophecy of end times which many consume themselves with today.  Just as He accomplishes His will in heaven we are to pray it is done here on the world corrupted by sin (Romans 8:21) in restoration through the gospel of Jesus Christ as He brings that holy kingdom from heaven down to a new earth restored at last to His design.  We then can pray for our needs of sustenance and for forgiveness as we have been forgiven by His grace towards us in thankfulness and humility.  We can hardly expect forgiveness if we are unforgiving to others who offend us far less than we have offended God by our sin.  Then we are instructed to pray that God would keep us from the enemy in his attacks to lead us to follow the temptations of our fallen flesh, namely the lusts of the eye, flesh, and pride (1 John 2:15-17).  We ask to be delivered from such traps by his wisdom and grace because we are of His eternal kingdom under His omniscient omnipotence to glorify Him now and forever.  Again, if we pray all these things in this way but remain unforgiving to others while knowing our greater forgiveness in Christ, we will fail to find absolution from our Lord until we repent (1 John 1:9) of sin and turn back to Him.  We are called to forgive as Christ (Matthew 18:35, Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:12-13) forgave us and continues to forgive us sinners by His grace and mercy.  This is the pattern of prayer we have been given that these things may guide us to humble adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplications.