Chapter 6
The Sermon on the Mount - Prayer and Fasting
Jesus teaches about prayer, fasting, and heavenly treasures
"Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."
Matthew 6:9
Chapter Overview
Matthew chapter 6, "The Sermon on the Mount - Prayer and Fasting," stands at the heart of the good news of Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah and Savior. Jesus teaches about prayer, fasting, and heavenly treasures. Here the reader encounters not merely ancient history or religious instruction, but the living word of a God who speaks with purpose — weaving themes of prayer and treasures into a narrative that addresses both its original audience and every generation since.
Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Every detail in the Gospel account is theologically loaded — each encounter, each word, each location is chosen to reveal who Jesus is and what he has come to do. The Evangelists write as theologians, not mere reporters.
The theme of prayer is not incidental here — it is the load-bearing pillar of the chapter's argument or story. Alongside it, treasures operates as a clarifying lens, sharpening the reader's understanding of what God is accomplishing and why it matters beyond the immediate circumstances.
Looking across the wider biblical landscape, Matthew 6 does not stand alone. The interplay between prayer and worry appears at critical junctures throughout Scripture — moments when God reshapes his people's self-understanding and renews his covenant claims on their lives. This chapter is precisely such a moment: a turning point where the reader is invited to see with fresh eyes what it means to be formed and held by God.
Chapter Outline
The Setting: Prayer
vv. 1–7This section of Matthew 6 focuses on prayer — opening the reader to a fresh encounter with this truth.
The Encounter: Treasures
vv. 8–14This section of Matthew 6 focuses on treasures — pressing the implications into concrete human experience.
Jesus Speaks: Kingdom First
vv. 15–21This section of Matthew 6 focuses on kingdom first — revealing the divine perspective behind the human events.
The Response: Worry
vv. 22–30This section of Matthew 6 focuses on worry — showing how this theme reshapes the community of faith.
Key Verses
"Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."
Matthew 6:9
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal."
Matthew 6:19
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness."
Matthew 6:33
Scripture Passage
Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
Study Notes
Prayer in Matthew 6: Jesus teaches about prayer, fasting, and heavenly treasures (see Matthew 6:9). This theme does not merely describe events — it is the theological lens through which the author invites us to interpret everything that happens here. To understand prayer in its biblical context is to understand something essential about the God who orchestrates both history and human hearts.
Treasures in Matthew 6: Jesus teaches about prayer, fasting, and heavenly treasures (see Matthew 6:19). This theme does not merely describe events — it is the theological lens through which the author invites us to interpret everything that happens here. To understand treasures in its biblical context is to understand something essential about the God who orchestrates both history and human hearts.
Kingdom First in Matthew 6: Jesus teaches about prayer, fasting, and heavenly treasures (see Matthew 6:33). This theme does not merely describe events — it is the theological lens through which the author invites us to interpret everything that happens here. To understand kingdom first in its biblical context is to understand something essential about the God who orchestrates both history and human hearts.
Worry in Matthew 6: Jesus teaches about prayer, fasting, and heavenly treasures. This theme does not merely describe events — it is the theological lens through which the author invites us to interpret everything that happens here. To understand worry in its biblical context is to understand something essential about the God who orchestrates both history and human hearts.
Life Application
In the light of prayer in Matthew 6: ask how you are actively engaging with this theme in your own life — not as a distant theological concept, but as a living reality that shapes your decisions, relationships, and worship today.
In the light of treasures in Matthew 6: ask how you are actively engaging with this theme in your own life — not as a distant theological concept, but as a living reality that shapes your decisions, relationships, and worship today.
In the light of kingdom first in Matthew 6: ask how you are actively engaging with this theme in your own life — not as a distant theological concept, but as a living reality that shapes your decisions, relationships, and worship today.
Reflection Questions
What specific aspect of "The Sermon on the Mount - Prayer and Fasting" in Matthew 6 challenges or confirms your current understanding of God?
How does the theme of prayer in this chapter connect to your own experience of faith — where have you seen or struggled with this theme in your own life?
In what ways do prayer and treasures work together in this passage, and what does that relationship reveal about God's purposes?
If the original audience of Matthew heard this chapter in their historical context, what would have been their most immediate reaction — and what can that response teach us about how we should receive these words today?
Cross-References
The Lord's Prayer as model for all prayer
The Spirit intercedes when we do not know how to pray
Present every request to God with thanksgiving
A Prayer Response
Lord, as we have studied Matthew chapter 6, "The Sermon on the Mount - Prayer and Fasting," we come before you with open hands and honest hearts. May the truth of prayer that runs through this passage not remain only in our minds, but take root in our lives. We confess that we often settle for a shallow grasp of your word — let this chapter disturb our complacency and deepen our longing for you. Thank you that your word is living and active, and that you speak through it across every generation. Amen.