Monday, April 1, 2019

DAY 20 - New Lord: A Call to Give, Pray And Fast (Please click here for English podcast)



Praise and Thanksgiving

3.   Open your heart to praise the Lord

        The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    and I am saved from my enemies.
        Psalm 18:2-3
Confession and repentance

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:




The Word

                                                        Matthew 6:19-24


My Listening
      Today's passage draws a conclusion to the purpose of the three standard obligations: giving, praying and fasting.  

     Bishop N.T. Wright says :
     The important point, here and all through, is the question: is your eye fixed on God, or on someone (or something) else?  What is your priority?
     How can one do this? Well, the whole chapter so far gives us the clue.  Learn to live in the presence of the loving father.  Learn to do everything for him and him alone.  Get your priorities right.

             N.T. Wright. Matthew for Everyone, Part 1. Louisville,KY:Westminster         John Knox Press, 2004, p.62, 63.     

     The purpose of giving, praying and fasting is for us to live in the presence of the loving father so that we can do everything for him and him alone. What are three situations that prevent us from giving, praying and fasting?
1. Store up treasures on earth
2. Keep our eyes on earthly things but not God
3. Money bosses you around rather than Jesus being your Lord

   Have you failed to follow Jesus as your Lord so that giving, praying and fasting are not your priorities at all? 

     What I received from Jesus today is a very simple message:

1. If Jesus is not your Lord, then you'll spend all your time to store up treasures on earth and let money boss you around.

2. If Jesus is your Lord, then you will give more, pray more and fast more. 

    Saying that Jesus is your Lord is so simple. But you have to choose to be on his side if you are willing to let Jesus be your Lord. Which side are you on actually? Jesus, or money?

    Jesus says, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near."  Matthew 4:17

    Dear Lord Jesus,
    Lead us to be willing to let you to lord our lives so that we can give more, pray more and fast more. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.  

Reflect on these questions:
1. What are the situations blocking us from giving, praying and fasting more?

2. Who/what are the "lords" of your life that control your day-to-day actions?

3. In all honesty, do you think money or Jesus governs you more in the decisions that you make in your day-to-day living?

Family Corner:
1. How does your family treat money? Is it something you stress over, or is it a commodity that you simply spend? What kind of priority does it have in your family?

2. Think of one time where your family chose to be give generously (to anybody). How did that feel and what did you experience? If you have never given generously, why not?  

Praise and Thanksgiving

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