Wednesday 17 June

2 Kings 2:1, 6-14; Ps.31; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

In secret

Our way of life is to be like a lamp shining on a lampstand to show others the way to God – but prayer, fasting and almsgiving are private, just between me and God. This is because they are about relationship. We don’t parade before others the things shared with our best friends or our spouse; or the special things we do to please them. Community prayer is something different – that is about the community as a whole, ‘the people of God’, giving public witness, offering community worship and praying for the needs of the world. We need both.