Study Desk

"When you pray, do not be as those who pretend to be someone they are not. They love to stand and pray in the places of worship or in the streets so people can see them. For sure, I tell you, they have all the reward they are going to get.

"When you go without food so you can pray better, do not be as those who pretend to be someone they are not. They make themselves look sad so people will see they are going with out food. For sure, I tell you, they have all the reward they are going to get.

"Do not gather together for yourself riches of this earth. They will be eaten by bugs and become rusted. Men can break in and steal them.

For wherever your riches are, your heart will be there also.

The people who do not know God are looking for all these things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all these things.

First of all, look for the holy nation of God. Be right with Him. All these other things will be given to you also.

Do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will have its own worries. The troubles we have in a day are enough for one day.

"Ask, and what you are asking for will be given to you. Look, and what you are looking for you will find. Knock, and the door you are knocking on will be opened to you.

Everyone who asks receives what he asks for. Everyone who looks finds what he is looking for. Everyone who knocks has the door opened to him.

What man among you would give his son a stone if he should ask for bread?

Or if he asks for a fish, would he give him a snake?

"Do for other people whatever you would like to have them do for you. This is what the Jewish Law and the early preachers said.

"Watch out for false teachers. They come to you dressed as if they were sheep. On the inside they are hungry wolves.

Jesus came to the city of Capernaum. A captain of the army came to Him. He asked for help,

The captain said, "Lord, I am not good enough for You to come to my house. Only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.

I am a man who works for someone else and I have men working under me. I say to this man, ‘Go!' and he goes. I say to another, ‘Come!' and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this!' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, He was surprised and wondered about it. He said to those who followed Him, "For sure, I tell you, I have not found so much faith in the Jewish nation.

Jesus said to the captain, "Go your way. It is done for you even as you had faith to believe." The servant was healed at that time.

He touched her hand and the sickness left her. She got up and cared for Jesus.

The men who cared for the pigs ran fast into the city and told everything. They told what happened to the men who had the demons.