I Tell You the Truth Matthew 6:1-5 Do Your Works in Secret

Matthew 6:1-5
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." NIV

Lord,

      I find it very interesting that You spoke the emphatic, "I tell you the truth" twice in this small section of Your Sermon on the mount.  Both times You were comparing how we should be doing our ministry of prayer and giving with the Pharisees' way which was to draw attention to how very good and righteous they were.  You called them hypocrites.
      You also tell me that when I do something in that way, the reward (praise, accolades, the esteem of men) I receive here will be the only reward I will ever get.  However; if I do these things in secret, the Father will reward me.
      Lord, the praise of men is fickle and is of absolutely no value.  All it does is feed my ego and makes me prideful.  I become more self centered and less God centered, fellowship with You and the Father is broken and the works I do will not be multiplied for the Kingdom's sake because they will not be in the Spirit. Help me to never be a hypocrite, Lord.  You and You ALONE deserve all of the praise and glory for anything I accomplish for without You, I can do nothing!  I want my rewards to be in Heaven...my Home!