Prayer + Fasting

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus compares the external righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees to the expression of true and authentic worship that favors the heart of God. Jesus is retraining his disciples on what it means to truly pray and fast. He cautions us against the hypocrisy of praying so that we will be admired, or looking sad so others will notice that we are fasting. Instead, he advises praying in solitude and not not making our fasting obvious. He also gives us guidelines on how to structure our prayers with the Lord’s Prayer found in Mathew 6:9-14.