Unshaken: Chapter a Day
Pastor Chris Plekenpol and his guests explore the Bible together one chapter at a time. They offer practical insights, theological depth, and real-life applications. Dive in for engaging discussions that bring God’s Word to life, one chapter at a time!
Unshaken: Chapter a Day
Matthew 6 Discussion
Ever found yourself racing through the Lord's Prayer, trying to say it in one breath? You're not alone. Matthew Chapter 6 invites us to slow down and discover how these ancient words can transform our modern anxieties.
At the heart of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount lies a revolutionary approach to prayer that directly addresses two universal human struggles: our desire for recognition and our anxiety about basic needs. The Lord's Prayer stands perfectly positioned between these teachings – before it, Jesus warns against performing righteousness for human applause; after it, he reassures us not to worry about tomorrow's provisions. This beautiful prayer becomes the bridge connecting these lessons, showing that when we truly seek God's kingdom first, everything else falls into place.
What makes this chapter so relevant today is its startling insight into our hearts. While most Americans don't worry about having enough clothing, we often worry about having "the right" clothing – a concern Jesus anticipated centuries ago. His promise that God "will give you what you need, not what you greed" cuts through our consumerist culture with surgical precision. Similarly, his teaching that prayers need not be lengthy to be effective reminds us that genuine connection with God trumps religious performance every time.
Whether you're wrestling with anxiety, struggling with people-pleasing, or simply wanting to deepen your prayer life, this exploration of Matthew 6 offers practical wisdom for daily living. Listen now to discover how the Lord's Prayer can become not just words you recite, but a framework that reorients your entire life toward what truly matters. How might your approach to prayer change if you applied these teachings today?
And welcome back to A Chapter. A Day Keeps the Devil Away. We're in Matthew, chapter 6, and we are taking a look at Jesus' Sermon on the Mount mid-sermon here, and he's talking about practicing righteousness in secret. He's talking about the treasures that the heart seeks and human loyalty to them and how he's gonna just encourage people. Don't worry, what were some things that stood out to you in this text?
Pastor Holland:So to me the Lord's Prayer, I feel like, has the central place of the whole chapter and that if you are praying in that way, then you don't need to worry about anything else. That you know. If you're looking to God as your father first of all and you're looking, you know, for his glory, not your own, that's going to take away all your desire to be seen by men. It's going to take away all your anxiety or your worry about food or clothing. If you can be the kind of person who trusts God as your father and wants you know his glory more than your own, you don't really have to worry about all the other stuff in the chapter. Right as you were reading it, I was like man that's it's all solved by the Lord's prayer.
Pastor Holland:Now, what if you just use the Lord's prayer as something you just repeat ritually. Yeah, there you go. Then you're doing what he told you not to do.
Pastor Plek:Right. So how does a person pray the Lord's prayer and not turn it into like a magic spell?
Pastor Holland:A lot, like a lot of guys throughout church history you know, you look at theologians especially, like in the Protestant Reformation there was a big emphasis on. It was always like the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed.
Pastor Plek:And all the like. If you like the Common Book of Prayer, there was a lot of red prayers in there.
Pastor Holland:Yeah, and if you like, what some of those guys you know, calvin Luther, what they would encourage was you pray the Lord's prayer, not just, you know, in vain repetition as he warns against. Obviously it's not what he's wanting you to do, but rather you're praying those words from your heart and considering your own particular circumstances as well. You know, give us this day, this daily bread. You're saying that around the table with your family in the morning, you know, and praying that the Lord will provide for you that day. And that prayer is going to encourage you as you go to your job, knowing that you're working ultimately for God who's going to take care of your needs, and it's going to encourage your kids to know you don't have to worry, there's gonna be food on the table because God takes care of us. So, taking those words not as a vain repetition, but internalizing them and applying them to your own situation yeah, I love that.
Pastor Plek:All right, let's talk about some of the things that I saw here is just like this seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things, all the things that we worry about, will be added to you as well when you put him first and then you realize he's never not going to provide. I think sometimes there can be this disconnect for some Christians that maybe have more of a rigid understanding of God where God doesn't interact. He's not imminent, he's not God with us, he's just transcendent, and so they don't expect God to answer prayer. And so that if you don't, if you kind of have a view of God is that far off and that distant, then you're going to get really works based in a lot of things and you're not expecting him to interact with you personally. But what God is inviting, what Jesus really here is inviting us to do, is get invested, because he's going to take care of you on your daily needs, which I really thought that was cool.
Pastor Holland:Daily bread represents all of your daily needs, right? Not just a piece of bread for Like. If I was to say what's one truth here All people are prone to anxiety. Your daily needs, right.
Pastor Plek:Not just a piece of bread for like. If I was to say what's one truth here all people are prone to anxiety about daily needs what am I going to wear, what am I going to eat, what am I going to drink? All like, you know, like like how? What do I eat? Today A lot of Americans aren't there, but what I'm going to. I think that's a real like. The word of God speaks to us. In our day and age, in a middle-class world, uh, where you know clothing, you go to goodwill and get as much clothing as you want. But I think there's a real sense of the fear is, I might not have enough clothing, but I might not have the right clothing. And I think you're seeing Jesus even speak to that. He's going to give you what you need, not what you greed.
Pastor Holland:Yeah, there you go. Not what you greed, I feel like the first before the Lord's prayer. It's like don't worry about the praise of men you don't need it. And then the Lord's prayer and then after that it's like don't worry about the provision of God, you're going to get it.
Pastor Plek:I like that. Let's rehash that. So, before the Lord's prayer, don't worry about the praise of men. After the Lord's prayer, don't worry about the provision of God.
Pastor Holland:Yeah, you don't need the praise of men and you know you have the provision of God. If you seek first God's kingdom another way, you know that's what's the prayer thy kingdom come right. Hallowed be thy name. It's the heart of the Lord's prayer is seeking God's kingdom first. So Jesus is teaching you how, like all the warnings and commands in this chapter, he's teaching you how to be the kind of person that can walk in that way by praying this prayer every day.
Pastor Plek:I love that. Uh, so application wise for me, um example to follow is I pray this model prayer. This is my daily prayer. I go. I first start off with God you're holy, you are good. Uh, I get into your kingdom, come. You're always on earth as in heaven. And I kind of break it down the different aspects. So like Sunday I pray for our missionaries.
Pastor Plek:Monday I pray for the staff of the church. Tuesday, I pray for the men's group. Wednesday, I pray for my wife and my mom. Thursday, I pray for the elders. Friday I pray for my blessed list people I'm trying to reach for Jesus. Saturday I pray for my children, and so, like that's kind of like your kingdom, come on earth as in heaven.
Pastor Plek:And then give us this day our daily bread. And I go over, I take my calendar for that day and like give me what I need to make it through today. So I'm not stressed about a meeting or I'm not stressed about how something's going to go. That is totally up to you. And then I go through forgive me of my sins, as you have forgiven me of my sins, and then lead me not into temptation like keep Satan away from me. That's kind of my daily prayer that I journal out and that for me, has really led to a lot of blessing of of the consistency of of saying the same thing, but it's different and unique. As I'm, I'm applying it specifically to my life so it doesn't become a ritualistic like just saying our father, our heaven, hell be that name, they came and come, they will be done. Earth doesn't have to give state, or daily bread Forgives our trespass, we forgive those trespass against us. Delivered from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Pastor Holland:Very good. Wow, that's not the first time you've done that. You used to race people in the Lord's.
Pastor Plek:Prayer. So when I was a kid, my goal was to say the Lord's Prayer in one breath every night. That is so awesome.
Pastor Holland:Being a kid is the best, it's the best. I love this. One application for me is um, I, you know, I love in verse seven. Uh, you know, don't pray with vain repetitions. Uh, they think they'll should be. Uh, they shall be heard for um, their lengthy prayers? Uh, a prayer does not have to be lengthy to be heard. It's not heard because of its lengthiness but because of being, you know, prayed by in faith and um, and sometimes, you know, as a, when you're doing a lot of counseling and comforting and dealing with people who are grieving, or, you know, you're just like, oh man, sometimes it just feels like you need to pray on and on and on. I feel like it's always good as pastors, um, to remember you don't need to have a lengthy prayer. Short prayers can be much more effective.
Pastor Plek:Yeah, yeah, Like pray for my wife, All right, help her out with her day, and then you've got if you've got a hundred other lists of people to go through, just one one prayer in their direction.
Pastor Holland:Yeah, Short doesn't have to mean you know not heartfelt or not. I mean, it's not effective. Jesus gives you a six-line prayer here, and it's the greatest prayer of all time that everyone prays every day now.
Pastor Plek:Yeah, and I think of Peter when he's walking on water. Save me, yeah, jesus, save me, that's all he's got.
Pastor Holland:Have mercy on me. A sinner, a sinner. Yeah, there's some really great short prayers that, when you're feeling anxious, pray a short prayer. Lord, help me, trust you, lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Have mercy on me, oh Lord, you can pray these really short prayers and when you're comforting someone, you don't need a super lengthy prayer. Pray a short prayer that's full of faith.
Pastor Plek:And in the moment, which is really great. Sometimes I have got this really crazy issue Bam God, we just pray right now. I know that seems a little weird and I'm a pastor so of course I do that kind of thing, but it's powerful when you interrupt the moment by bringing heaven to earth. Yeah, it's so good. Alright, thanks so much for joining us this day on a chapter day. We'll see you tomorrow for Matthew, chapter 7.
