Bible Study - verse by verse - 20

Matthew 6:13 God doesn't lead us into temptations, but sometimes He allows us to be tested by them. As disciples, w should pray to be delivered from these trying times and for deliverance from satan and his deceit. All Christians struggle with temptation. Sometimes it is so subtle that we don't even realize what is happening to us. God has promised that He won't allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). Ask God to help you recognize temptation and to give you strength to overcome it and choose God's way instead.
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Matthew 6:14, 15 Jesus gives a startling warning about forgiveness: if we refuse to forgive others, God will also refuse to forgive us. Why? Because when we don't forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God's forgiveness. God's forgiveness of sin is not the direct result of our forgiving others, but it is based on our realizing what forgiveness means (Ephesians 4:32). It is easy to ask God for forgiveness, but difficult to grant it to others. Whenever we ask God to forgive us for sin, we should ask ourselves, "Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me?"
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Matthew 6:16 Fasting - going without food (or other necessity for a period of time) in order to spend time in prayer - is noble and difficult. It gives us time to pray, teaches us self-discipline, reminds us that we can live with a lot less, and helps us appreciate God's gifts. Jesus was not condemning fasting, but hypocrisy - fasting in order to gain public approval. Fasting was mandatory for the Jewish people once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The Pharisees voluntarily fasted twice a week to impress the people with their "holiness". Jesus commended acts of self-sacrifice done quietly and sincerely. He wanted people to adopt spiritual disciplines for the right reasons, and not from a selfish desire for praise.
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Matthew 6:17 By telling His followers to anoint their heads and wash their faces, Jesus was saying, "Go about your normal daily routine when you fast. Don't make a show of it."
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Matthew 6:20 Laying up treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing but is accomplished by all acts of obedience to God. There is a sense in which giving our money to God's work is like investing in heaven. But our intention should be to seek the fulfillment of God's purposes in all we do, not merely what we do with our money.