It is important we understand that the effectiveness or efficacy of prayer doesn’t have much to do with it’s length, how often we pray, or the intensity of our shout but rather it is our faith in God and His word that matters (Hebrews 11:6). Importantly effective prayers must be in line with God’s will, plan and purpose for us

Matthew 5:20 is saying to us….Live out who you identify as and profess to be, knowing it alone is just not good enough. We should not be Christians only in our Churches or only among other believers or only on Church days. We are to be light in a dark world and seasoning for a largely godless generation.

When passion turns to conviction with a corresponding action, then and only then can meaningful impact be made and change effected.
Passion (alone) about God seldom changes things, but faith always does.

Faith is not passive, it is active.
Faith believes the Word of God, Speaks the Word of God and Acts on the Word of God it believes.

Faith without corresponding works (action) is dead.

“A person’s body that does not have a spirit is dead. It is the same with faith—faith that does nothing is dead!“
James 2:26 ERV

Today, do something about what you say you believe. ???

Sadly, what this also means is that if I do not act in faith I may never reveal and experience the righteousness of God which is always available to me. We are unlikely to experience God’s integrity/ without faith. You cannot have victory without faith. There is an opportunity today to uncover the faithfulness/righteousness/wholeness of God in your work, health, academics, business, ministry, family, etc. Take God by His Word, believe and you will see the glory of God manifested.

ONE also describes something of same quality and make-up, something that is identical. This is the meaning of ONE this write-up is about.

when we talk about people behind their backs, when we talk people down, when we degrade others with our words, when we bluntly dismiss other people’s feelings, when we engage in a conversation where we seek to build ourselves up or make ourselves look good by making others look bad- this is unwholesome talk.

So faith is for every split second, every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month, every year, every time.
Faith reveals the righteousness of God and the faith to reveal the righteousness of God comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. Without the Word, there will be no stimulus to act in faith and without acting in faith, the righteousness/faithfulness/wholeness of God cannot be experienced.

Here is a scripture that has been on my mind for some days now; Mathew 5:20…..

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:20 NKJV

To understand the context of this text, see 3 prior verses…

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17‭-‬19 NKJV

Summay: practice what you preach!

Why did Jesus direct this hard saying to the Scribes and Pharisees?

The Scribes and Pharisees had great influence on the Jewish people. The Scribes interpret the law, while the Pharisees teach the law. It goes without saying therefore that both the Scribes and Pharisees had good knowledge of the law.

This doesn’t sound like a bad thing to me, but somehow Jesus was never pleased with the two groups of leaders. They did not gain Jesus’s admiration at all.

Problem was; that though these people understood the law, held very extreme views on holiness and righteousness, however, they lived nothing like what they knew or taught.

Matthew 23:27-28, probably captures Jesus’s feelings towards the Pharisees…….

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Matthew 23:27‭-‬28 NKJV

Jesus thought these religious leaders were inwardly corrupt and wicked but outwardly or professedly virtuous or holy. They were hypocrites; teaching one thing and living another.

Now recognize that Matthew 5:20 wasn’t addressed to the Scribes and Pharisees but to Jesus’s followers. And the Lord’s admonition to them remains valid for all His followers today…..

……Know the Word…..Teach the Word, …….Do the Word…..Live the Word.

It is not uncommon to understand Matthew 5: 20 as meaning; ‘work harder in order to achieve a higher level of righteousness than the Scribes and Pharisees’. Hence the need for us to remind ourselves that in the new covenant, righteousness is a free gift that is received by faith (Romans 5:17); we were created in righteousness (Ephesians 4:22‭-‬24), and we receive the free gift of righteousness by faith (Philippians 3:9).

Knowing that we are righteous, is one thing, living as the righteous is another (II Corinthians 7:1, I Peter 1:15‭-‬16).

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

This is what Matthew 5:20 is saying to us….Live out who you identify as and profess to be, knowing it alone is just not good enough. We should not be Christians only in our Churches or only among other believers or only on Church days. We are to be light in a dark world and seasoning for a largely godless generation.

The Scribes and Pharisees knew about righteousness (through the law), but they lived nothing like it.

We are not to be like the Scribes and Pharisees.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
I Corinthians 13:3 NKJV

God wanted Paul to use the grace available to him to tackle the irritating spirit- cast it away, resist it, shut it down, etc, it was totally within Paul’s ability to handle this irritating spirit. Little wonder he received a ‘no’ response 3 times from the Lord. What God was really saying was….you handle it.