Mathew 6 Lesson

GOD KNOWS WHAT WE NEED BEFORE WE ASK HIM

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

• “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” – Mathew 6:8.

He then listed several things that people worry about and told them not to worry about them.  There is an important lesson for us to learn here.

God does not want us to waste our time worrying about things like: 

1. What we will eat,
2. What we will drink,
3. And how we are going to clothe ourselves.

God knows that we need these things, and He will provide everything that we need if we trust in His plan and follow His commandments.

How blessed we are to have Jesus’ exact words recorded for us to reflect on whenever we feel ourselves starting to worry. 

Jesus said:

• “Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?  And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!  Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Mathew 6:25-33.

IF WE TRUST GOD MORE, WE WILL WORRY LESS

To combat worry, we must believe that God can help our situation.

Too often when adversity strikes, we put our faith in the things of this world and not God. 

When we do this, we should not be surprised if our problems continue. 

JESUS TAUGHT US TO PRAYFOR NECESSITIES, NOT LUXURIES

It is important to look at the types of things that Jesus talked about in His Sermon on the Mount. 

Notice how Jesus did not talk about wealth, possessions, or luxuries. 

Instead, He talked about the necessities of life, such as:

1. Food,
2. Water,
3. And clothing.

When we think about the things that Jesus said to pray for, we need to consider the possibility that some of our anxiety may be happening because our priorities do not properly align with God’s. 

As you read the following words spoken by Jesus, ask yourself, “Did Jesus pray for necessities or luxuries?”

• “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.  ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.  ‘Give us this day our daily bread.  ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]” – Mathew 6:9-13.

If our prayers are focused on gaining more possessions and having more “things,” we put our souls at risk and our lives will be unfulfilling.

CONCLUSION

God understands what we need before we ask Him. 

Therefore, He does not want us to burden ourselves by worrying about what we will eat, drink, or what clothes we will wear. 

According to macrotrends.net, the average lifespan in the world is approximately 73 years.  

What we do during our short time on earth will determine where we spend eternity.

It comes down to a choice!

Do we want to follow the sinful ways of the world or the righteous ways of God?

If we follow the crowd, we will perish.

If we follow Jesus and the commands of His Father, we will live forever!

We will end today’s lesson with the following scripture taken from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians:

• “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7.