The Daily Audio Bible

But Do Not Merely Put On a Show of Righteousness For Others

6 “But take-heed not to do your righteousness^[a] in-front-of people so-as to be seen^[b] by them. Otherwise indeed, you do not have a reward with your Father in the heavens.

Don’t Give Money To Glorify Yourself. Give Without Thinking of Yourself At All

² “So whenever you do almsgiving^[c], do not trumpet it before you as-indeed the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the lanes^[d] so that they may be glorified by people. Truly I say to you, they are receiving their reward^[e] in full. ³ But while you are doing almsgiving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your almsgiving may be in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, will reward you.

Don’t Pray To Impress Others. Always Pray As If Alone With Your Heavenly Father

⁵ “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. Because standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the wide-roads, they love to pray so that they may make-an-appearance^[f] to people. Truly I say to you, they are receiving their reward in full. ⁶ But whenever you pray, enter into your inner-room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father, the One in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, will reward you.

Don’t Babble On In Prayer. Pray As a Child of God, Aligned With His Purposes

⁷ “And while praying, do not babble as-indeed the Gentiles do. For they are thinking that they will be heard by means of their many-words^[g]. ⁸ So do not be like them, for your Father knows of the things which you have a need before you ask Him. ⁹ Therefore, you be praying as follows, ‘Our Father in the heavens: ¹⁰ let^[h] Your name be treated-as-holy. Let Your kingdom come. Let Your will be done^[i]— as in heaven, also on earth. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also forgave^[j] our debtors. ¹³ And do not bring us into a temptation^[k], but deliver^[l] us from the evil one^[m]’. ¹⁴ For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Don’t Display Yourself As Fasting. Fast In Secret

¹⁶ “And whenever you fast, do not be like the sad-faced hypocrites. For they disfigure^[n] their faces so that they may appear to people as ones fasting. Truly I say to you, they are receiving their reward in full. ¹⁷ But while you are fasting, anoint your head and wash your face ¹⁸ so that you may not appear to people as one fasting, but to your Father, the One in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, will reward you.

Build Your Storehouse of Treasure In Heaven, Not On Earth

¹⁹ “Do not be treasuring-up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and eating^[o] destroy, and where thieves break-in and steal. ²⁰ But be treasuring up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor eating destroys, and where thieves do not break in nor steal.

Your Heart Will Be Where Your Treasure Is. You Cannot Serve God And Money

²¹ “For where your treasure is, there your heart also will be. ²² The lamp^[p] of the body is the eye. Therefore if your eye is single^[q], your whole body will be full-of-light^[r]. ²³ But if your eye is bad^[s], your whole body will be full-of-darkness. If then the light in you is darkness^[t], how great is the darkness! ²⁴ No one can be serving^[u] two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted-to one and disregard^[v] the other. You cannot be serving God and wealth^[w].