In Matthew 6:5–18, Jesus teaches that His disciples are expected to pray and to fast—not as performances for people, but as sincere devotion to the Father. He warns against hypocrisy (praying and fasting to be seen, using empty repetition) and instead calls for humble, private, faith-filled dependence on God, modeled in the Lord’s Prayer. When prayer and fasting are genuine, the Father who sees in secret rewards His people—deepening relationship with Him, renewing Christlike growth, and stirring spiritual revival. Applications emphasized: practice the blessing of prayer, experience the benefits of fasting, position your heart toward God rather than others, and expect God’s reward.
