Bible Study - verse by verse - 18

Matthew 6:2 The term "hypocrites," as used here, describes people who do good acts for appearances only - not out of compassion or other good motives. Their actions may be good, but their motives are hollow. These empty acts are their only reward, but God will reward those who are sincere in their faith.
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Matthew 6:3 When Jesus says not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing He is teaching that our motives for giving to God and to others must be pure. It is easy to give with mixed motives, to do something for someone if it will benefit us in return. But believers should avoid all scheming and give for the pleasure of giving and as a response to God's love. Why do you give?
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Matthew 6:3, 4 It's easier to do what's right when we gain recognition and praise. To be pure our motives are not selfish, we should do our good works quietly or in secret, with no thought of reward. Jesus says we should check our motives in three areas: generosity, prayer and fasting. Those acts should not be self-centered, but God-centered, done not to make us look good, but to make God look good. The reward God promises is not material, and it is never given to those who seek it. Doing something only for ourselves is not a loving sacrifice. With your next good deed, ask, "Will I still do this if no one would ever know I did it?"
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Matthew 5:6 Some people, especially the religious leaders, wanted to be seen as "holy," and public prayer was one way to get attention. Jesus saw through their self-righteous acts, however, and taught that the essence of prayer is not public style but private communication with God. There is a place for public prayer, but to pray only where others will notice you indicates that your real reasons are not to honor God.
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Matthew 6:7, 8 Repeating the same words over and over is no way to ensure that God will hear your prayer. It's not wrong to come to God many times with the same requests. Jesus encourages persistent prayer. But He condemns the shallow repetition of words that are not offered with a sincere heart. We can never pray too much if our prayers are honest and sincere. Before you start to pray, make sure you mean what you say.