Perspective

Matthew 6:5-13  "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!   - 9 -   Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy.   - 10 -   May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.   - 11 -   Give us today the food we need,   - 12 -   and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.   - 13 -   And don't let us yield to temptation,  but rescue us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]
and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.   - 6 -   But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.   - 7 -   "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.   - 8 -   Don't be like them, for

Matthew 6:25-33  "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?   - 26 -   Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are?   - 27 -   Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?   - 28 -   "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing,   - 29 -   yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.   - 30 -   And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?   - 31 -   "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'   - 32 -   These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.   - 33 -   Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

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Scriptures

2 Timothy 3:14-17  But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.   - 15 -   You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.   - 16 -   All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.   - 17 -   God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.

Mark 12:24  Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God.

Mark 7:6-13  Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 'These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.   - 7 -   Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'   - 8 -   For you ignore God's law and substitute your own tradition."   - 9 -   Then He said, "You skillfully sidestep God's law in order to hold on to your own tradition.   - 10 -   For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.'   - 11 -   But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, 'Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.'   - 12 -   In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents.   - 13 -   And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others."

Romans 15:4  Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled.

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

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Understand

Ephesians 5:17  Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Deuteronomy 6:17-25  You must diligently obey the commands of the LORD your God--all the laws and decrees He has given you.   - 18 -   Do what is right and good in the LORD's sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the LORD swore to give your ancestors.   - 19 -   You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the LORD said you would.   - 20 -   "In the future your children will ask you, 'What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the LORD our God has commanded us to obey?'   - 21 -   "Then you must tell them, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with His strong hand.   - 22 -   The LORD did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people.   - 23 -   He brought us out of Egypt so He could give us this land He had sworn to give our ancestors.   - 24 -   And the LORD our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear Him so He can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as He has done to this day.   - 25 -   For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the LORD our God has given us.'

Deuteronomy 12:28-32  Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the LORD your God.   - 29 -   "When the LORD your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land,   - 30 -   do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, 'How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.'   - 31 -   You must not worship the LORD your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.   - 32 -   "So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.

1 Timothy 2:3-4  This is good and pleases God our Savior,   - 4 -   who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

Titus 1:1-2  This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.   - 2 -   This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God--who does not lie--promised them before the world began.

Hebrews 10:26-28  Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.   - 27 -   There is only the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume His enemies.   - 28 -   For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

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