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JANUARY 8
5 Then you will understand the fear of 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your
the LORD, Father knows the things you have need of
And find the knowledge of God. before you ask Him. In this manner, there-
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fore, pray:
Matthew 6:1–18
Our Father in heaven,
“Take heed that you do not do your
6 charitable deeds before men, to be seen 10 Hallowed be Your name.
by them. Otherwise you have no reward Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
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from your Father in heaven. Therefore, On earth as it is in heaven.
when you do a charitable deed, do not sound 11 Give us this day our daily bread.
a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in 12 And forgive us our debts,
the synagogues and in the streets, that they As we forgive our debtors.
may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to 13 And do not lead us into temptation,
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you, they have their reward. But when you But deliver us from the evil one.
do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand For Yours is the kingdom
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know what your right hand is doing, that and the power and the glory
your charitable deed may be in secret; and forever. Amen.
your Father who sees in secret will Himself
reward you openly. 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses,
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But
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the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing if you do not forgive men their trespasses, nei-
in the synagogues and on the corners of the ther will your Father forgive your trespasses.
streets, that they may be seen by men. 16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For
reward. But you, when you pray, go into your they disfigure their faces that they may appear
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room, and when you have shut your door, pray to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you,
to your Father who is in the secret place; and they have their reward. But you, when you
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your Father who sees in secret will reward fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so
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you openly. And when you pray, do not use that you do not appear to men to be fasting,
vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they but to your Father who is in the secret place;
think that they will be heard for their many and your Father who sees in secret will
words. reward you openly.
DAY 7:What does the Lord’s Prayer teach us about forgiveness?
The request,“Forgive us our debts”(6:12), is the heart of the prayer; it is what Jesus stressed in
the words that followed the prayer (vv.14,15;see Mark 11:25).The parallel passage in Luke 11:4 uses
the word that means “sins,” so that in context, spiritual debts are intended. Sinners are debtors to
God in their violations of His laws.
When Jesus added that “if you do not forgive men their trespasses,neither will your Father for-
give your trespasses” (v. 15), this is not to suggest that God will withdraw justification from those
who have already received the free pardon He extends to all believers. Forgiveness in that sense—
a permanent and complete acquittal from the guilt and ultimate penalty of sin—belongs to all who
are in Christ (see John 5:24;Rom.8:1;Eph.1:7).Yet,Scripture also teaches that God chastens His chil-
dren who disobey (Heb. 12:5–7). Believers are to confess their sins in order to obtain a day-to-day
cleansing (1 John 1:9).This sort of forgiveness is a simple washing from the worldly defilements of
sin; not a repeat of the wholesale cleansing from sin’s corruption that comes with justification. It is
like a washing of the feet rather than a bath (John 13:10). Forgiveness in this latter sense is what
God threatens to withhold from Christians who refuse to forgive others.

January 8 not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your
exceedingly great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You
give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my
Genesis 15:1–16:16
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house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram
After these things the word of the LORD said, “Look, You have given me no offspring;
15 came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
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