Almsgiving and the Prayer of Jesus: Matthew 6:1–15 (Bible Study with Hank Hanegraaff)

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, continues his talk on the spiritual discipline of almsgiving. Jesus does not ask us to give for the sake of the poor as much as he urges us to give for the sake of our souls. St. Paul likewise makes plain that those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly. Conversely, those who sow bountifully will reap bountifully…because God loves a cheerful giver. The pursuit of possessions is the single greatest competitor to the love of Christ and those made in His image. Thus, Jesus warns against the accumulation of wealth because it has no eternal value. By far, almsgiving is the most secure investment—period. Jesus also taught His disciples a prayer (The Prayer of Jesus or the Lord’s Prayer [Matthew 6: 9–13]), which is deftly divided into two parts. The first is focused on God’s glory. Thus, we pray, “Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done.” The second is focused on our requests. In the words of the great early church ecclesiastical writer Tertullian: “How gracefully has the Divine Wisdom arranged the order of the prayer; so that after things heavenly—that is, after the ‘Name’ of God, the ‘Will’ of God, and the ‘Kingdom’ of God—it should give earthly necessities also room for a petition!” Jesus made every word count. The prayer He taught His disciples to pray is a treasure of incalculable value. The words beckon those snorkeling with burnt backs to descend into its glorious depths. There await unfathomed resources and riches that can scarcely be described to those paddling on the surface.

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