Day 8: Matthew 6 | 2026 Lenten Reading Plan

Thank you for joining us for the seventh reading in our Lenten Reading Plan. Find all the resources you need below: Read Matthew 6 on Bible Gateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206&version=ESV Listen to Matthew 6: https://share.transistor.fm/s/8622dc56 Download your own Lenten Reading Plan Bookmark: https://higherthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HT_Lenten-Reading-Plan-Bookmark-2601-PRINT-at-home.pdf Download the 2026 Lenten Reading Plan Study Guide: https://higherthings.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HT_Lenten-Reading-Plan-Study-Guide-2511.pdf Notice the little words. Jesus says WHEN you give to the needy, when you pray, when you fast. There's an assumption these things will happen. Christians believe certain things, and our beliefs yield practice. But here's the truth: these practices highlight what's wrong. You can't give enough to eliminate all need. Your prayers reveal everything you need God for, which is all the places you're not God and shouldn't try to be. Fasting shows you can't even handle being hangry, so how will you save your soul? It highlights our need for rescue outside our own works. Then Jesus says "do not be anxious about anything." These are connected. This isn't about your effort but about who God is, which is the balm to our anxiety. Jesus doesn't just say "stop being anxious" and expect you to flip a switch. Instead, he confesses God's promises. He talks about how God cares for things that are worth far less than you, such as the grass and birds. God loves you inside this creation. Anxiety doesn't stop thinking. So instead of imagining there's no God and everything rests on you, imagine there IS a God who loves you. Since your brain won't stop racing, remind yourself of God's promises. Pray the Psalms, sing hymns, talk to someone God sent to love you. Prayer truly becomes comfort because fixing things isn't your job. It's God's job, and he's really good at it. Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology. #higherthings #lcms #lutheran #lent If you have questions or topics that you'd like discussed on Higher Things, email them to content@higherthings.org Subscribe to our channel to get notifications when we go live: http://youtube.com/@HTgospel4all To support the work of Higher Things®, visit https://higherthings.org/morehi/giving/ For more information about Higher Things, go to http://higherthings.org ------ Join the conversation on Social Media: http://facebook.com/higherthings http://instagram.com/higherthings https://www.tiktok.com/@higherthings