Jesus instructed His disciples to look to the spiritual truths behind the Mosaic, Levitical laws, particularly the ones regarding oaths, prayers, and fasting. During their day, many of the religious Jews made great spectacles of their alms givings, prayers, and fasting. They sounded the trumpet, so to speak, announcing to all their good works, thinking that their conduct made them righteous before God.
But we know that all of man's righteousness is filth before a holy God. There has to be a righteousness that comes from a place other than man's deeds. This is where Jesus Christ, the Savior, comes in.
Regarding prayer, the pattern most of us in denominational circles were taught was the Lord's Prayer, as found in this chapter of Matthew. Here, Jesus specially lays out a format for praying to the Heavenly Father, but did you realize that this is an Old Testament pattern that was necessary and important BEFORE the cross?
Now, after the cross, there is a New Covenant; those of us who are IN HIM, are born again, new creations with God's spirit living inside of us. If the gospel of Grace which Paul preached is true, and it is, then it cannot also be true that we must first forgive before being forgiven by the Father. No, we are already forgiven IN CHRIST, for every sin committed, whether it be past, present, or future.
Under the Old Covenant, it is was important for Israel to be in a state of forgiveness toward their brethren - having a soft, pliable heart - so that when the New Covenant was instituted, they would receive Jesus as Messiah and enter into the Kingdom of God.
Selah! Think about it!
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