Matthew 6:5–8:

“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. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him”.

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We are all familiar with prayer, but are we familiar enough with it, or have we become too accustomed to it? There are instances in our lives where both are true. Prayer has often become so friendly that we aren’t earnest enough and sometimes feel inadequate. Whatever the circumstances, I am confident that we can all improve our prayer life. 

As you study Christ’s life, it is quickly evident that He was committed to prayer. He enjoyed an unhindered fellowship with the Father and continually communicated with Him through prayer. In our text, Jesus addresses various attitudes of prayer, two of which are unacceptable, and one will be heard and answered. 

Jesus had witnessed those who loved to offer prayers in public places. They wanted to ensure that others would see them as they prayed and hear the words they offered. These were not interested in getting in touch with the Lord or even having their prayers answered, they desired the recognition of men. There was no depth or substance to their prayers. They were only offered for show and recognition.

This is not a condemnation of public prayer. Jesus is not teaching that we should never pray audibly in the presence of others. Public prayer can be an effective witness for the Lord. We can display our faith before others as we pray when offered from a pure heart. The difference lies within the motive. God will hear our prayer if we offer it in sincerity. If it is provided to receive the recognition and praise of others, it is nothing more than words uttered from our lips. There is something within the nature of man that desires praise. If we aren’t careful, we will seek to pray in a way that pleases others rather than making our requests known to God. 

We all know that we can pray anywhere and at any time. We are to be in a continual state of prayer. That is the beautiful thing about prayer; it isn’t reserved for special times and occasions. However, there is a great truth that we need to consider. Jesus encouraged us to have a specific place to pray, a prayer closet. That suggests a storage room, an inner chamber, or a secret room. The point is that we need a place where we feel comfortable and can pray. It may be in a particular room, the basement, or the garage. It doesn’t matter where we are, as long as we have a place to pray and seek the Lord. We all need that quiet place of prayer and meditation.

God’s people need to understand and exercise the privilege of prayer. We must come boldly before the throne of grace and make our petitions known. This is not done so that others might think we are holy but to intercede for the needs of our day! We need to maintain a positive witness in the world, but there are far greater needs than others think of us. We need to reach out to God and plead for the souls of humanity and the perils plaguing our modern society.

If you face needs or difficulties in life, bring them unto the Lord. He already knows, and He is waiting to hear from you. If you have never accepted Christ as your Saviour, He stands ready to save you today. Whatever the need is, bring it to the Lord.

 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24 (NKJV)

If you have ever attended a team sports event, you can quickly identify where the players’ allegiances lie; simply look at their gear. All participants will have a team logo and team colours, associating them with a specific team. Glancing around the spectator’s area, you might think you can make the same assumption, but that may not be as simple. You have fans wearing their favourite team colours, but inwardly, they may also like the opposing team. For example, you may be wearing a Toronto Maple Leaf jersey as they play the Montreal Canadians. Although your team is TML, inwardly, you have a liking for Montreal as they are pretty good and have won a few trophies. At the game, you will not cheer the Canadians, but when you’re not wearing your TML jersey, you may talk with others about Montreal’s prowess to the point your friends may not know who you favour.   

Do your words and actions identify whether you serve our Lord, or do they indicate you are torn between two masters?

No saying of Jesus Christ’s was more accurate than that a man cannot serve two masters, for, at some time, there must come the necessity for a decision as to which of two opposing courses of action shall be taken. Everyone has a choice to make, and to everyone, the call of duty comes, as it did to Israel when Joshua summoned the tribes: “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14-15

There are no half-measures when it comes to following Christ. You are either all in or not.

Choose this day. 

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

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The Shema Yisrael is a Jewish prayer recited first thing in the morning and the last thing in the evening. It reminds people that God is one – the only God who alone is worthy of our praise. Reminding yourself that God is above all and desires our full commitment (heart, soul and strength is a great way to start your day. The prayer also reminds us of our obligation to share God’s truths with others and to take Him with us wherever we go throughout our day. God uses symbolism through the Old and New Testaments to help His people understand. He invites us to write His truths on our foreheads – that is to place them in our minds so that they are close to us whatever situation we face and decisions we must make. He also encourages us to write and bind them on our hands, the instruments we work with, to take God into our workplaces, businesses, and communities. He says to write them on our doorposts, of the place we eat, sleep, and pray, to remind us that all we have is blessed by the Almighty.

Followers of Christ should observe these instructions, so we don’t get caught up in the Babylonian attitude seeping into and destroying this world. The attitude is significantly influenced by the Dragon, the evil one, Satan. His desires suppresses, enslaves, misleads and destroys the life God intends for us. God commands us to keep His words close to us and those around us, helping us love God with our whole being and, as Jesus tells us, help us live life to the full. 

The Book of Revelation shares imagery of the mark of the beast, where the evil one seeks to undermine the plans of God. “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. Revelation 13:16-17. Satan wants us to place these marks where God tells us to put His words, His truth and his plans for us. 

The world we live in, and its Babylonian influences do not offer the peace, joy, love, or hope Jesus offers. It gives us temporary, misleading sound bites of pleasure. It slowly influences us to willingly place the mark of the beast not only on our hands or foreheads but also in our hearts, souls, and strength. The way of the world will leave to the way of eternal damnation. 

We can protect ourselves and our children from Babylon’s influence by reading and discussing scripture and by praying without ceasing—that is, recognizing and speaking to God throughout our day. Drop everything you are doing, declare, ” The Lord our God, the Lord is one,” and ensure God is firmly seated within your whole being.  

Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

I’ve recently re-read H.G. Well’s novel “The War of the Worlds“. There is a particular scene in which the main character tries to explain to a group of his neighbours what he has witnessed occurring less than a kilometre from where they are standing. He tries to warn them to prepare themselves and get away as far as they can from the pending horrors. Their response was to mock and laugh at him and act as if they were in control. Frustrated, he walks away as an enemy prepares to lay waste to his community and all those doubters.

Many followers can find good in this world because there is good. They strive to be the light that shows people to Christ and share God’s truth and His blessings. However, I’m sure many have been left frustrated and concerned that their words seem to be falling on deaf earth. In our attempt to “save” people, we draw on our own devices and gimmicks and forget we are the second messenger on this journey; the Holy Spirit is the first. Our words and actions can show Jesus in a positive light, but we must not be so bold as to think we can do God’s work on our own. We need God’s wisdom and power to join Him on the mission to save the world. When frustration hits, don’t give up like the character in the novel. That is the time to drop on your knees and pray for doors to be opened and hearts changed. Philippians reminds us that there will be a time when all will fall on their knees and declare Jesus Lord. So, let’s adopt the posture and seek God.  

H.G. Well’s book is apocalyptic in nature, referencing the end of the world and acknowledging how little control humanity has in managing its future. In the original story, the author doesn’t see man (Tom Cruise) as the hero working to save humanity but gives God the credit for humanity’s salvation. Man, influenced by the evil one, is able to fool others into thinking God is a bystander and we can control our destiny. But to anyone who has read the bible, especially the last book knows that only God is in control and His plan is the one we needed to follow. Praise God for His wisdom and love of humanity as He will not abandon us to be destroyed by our own vanity and pride. 

Have you ever had someone say to you, “Where were you? I texted you and left you a voice message, and you did not get back to me”. Does their question and attitude cause you to feel a little bothered? Have you ever become frustrated when you try to get a hold of someone and don’t get an immediate response? Our technology, combined with an immediate gratification consumer expectation, has resulted in an expectation of immediate responses, an expectation we know is unreasonable, but still, so many expect it.

God encourages communication with Him anytime, day or night. He does not limit our airtime with Him nor restrict our conversation to a set number of words. He says He is available whenever and for whatever reason. Many believe this about God but have adopted an odd approach to prayer. They often behave like the caller who becomes frustrated when they do not get the desired immediate response. Frequently, they call and talk but rarely listen, and if they are honest with themselves, they will admit they don’t speak to God as often as He desires.  God understands why we offer spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment prayers, and he does hear and respond, but usually, we miss His interaction because we have moved on and left it with Him. Spontaneous prayers may sound needy, and God understands, but He also wants intimate prayer time with Him to be different. Prayer is a form of worship, and God wants us to worship Him with more intimate conversations. He wants to convey His response to our prayers. He doesn’t want us always calling and not waiting to see if He picks up, and although He allows us to leave messages, He’d like it if we listened to his reply.

James’ complete statement in verse 4:3 is, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”. This may suggest our reason for calling on God may not be to glorify Him but to satisfy our desires. We pray to God because He is the Lord Almighty, who created and oversaw the universe, loves us and finds our time with Him precious. He wants to tell us that we are on His mind and that He has specific things He wants to say and personally gives us. James is talking about our attitude regarding prayer and could even be suggesting many don’t take the time to speak or listen. Maybe all our prayers are one-sided, and we talk without even acknowledging who we are talking to.

In the days of the landline and even pre-answering machine, we knew when those we loved or cared about could talk on the phone. We may have scheduled a weekly call to ensure our time together would be uninterrupted and cherished. God would be pleased if He could have a similar arrangement with us because He wants those uninterrupted, warm talks with us. He wants to hear us and, more importantly, talk to us. If you are not in the habit of spending some time alone with God, you must consider making a change in that area. We know the benefits of giving and receiving someone’s undivided attention, and with a few changes to our prayer practices, we can experience something special. We can continue with the short prayers or cries to God we offer in response to our daily encounters, but it is essential to make time for deeper conversations and listen to Him. God sought us first, and when His grace caused us to seek Him, He let it be known that our relationship would grow through meaningful interactions in which we talked and listened. Let your prayers also be your worship and be intentional about it. 

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be a human without breathing.” Martin Luther

Once, while sitting in my car outside a coffee shop, I noticed a gentleman walking towards the entrance, counting the change in his hand. As he walked, a coin fell to the ground. He looked down at it for just a second and continued. I stared at the coin and reflected on my mother’s words when she bent over to pick up a penny, “every penny has value to someone”. I could see that the fallen coin was a quarter and wondered when twenty-five cents lost its value so that someone could not try to bend over and pick it up.

Do you catch yourself thinking, “I’ve got life covered. I have a good job, good relationships, and a good church where I can sit, listen and then leave to get back to taking care of my life”? Have you ever sensed the need to pray for yourself or someone but found yourself dropping that thought and moving on? Have you stopped talking with God about your needs or concerns and stopped talking altogether? Maybe prayer has lost its value to you. Perhaps you don’t understand what prayer is about, or you prayed for something and didn’t get what you asked for, or maybe your life is so full that you are so busy taking care of yourself that you feel you have no time to talk with God. Charles Swindoll once said, “Noise and crowds have a way of siphoning our energy and distracting our attention, making prayer an added chore rather than a comforting relief”.

We have life when we cover it with prayer. Jesus said, “I came so that they would have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b (NASB). He was not offering life with plenty to eat, good health, a good job, friends or a church where you can be content as a consumer. Jesus stated (John 15:5 paraphrased) that we can do nothing of value apart from Him. Without prayer, we avoid relying on God’s love and grace, become self-focused, and believe we can be self-sufficient. When trouble comes, and it comes to all, most will worry, become desperate, panic, or get angry, making them incapable of dealing with the issue. Without prayer, we struggle with life. Without prayer, we don’t have life covered, especially the eternal life that matters. Jesus offers a truth that allows us to see the world as He does. A world overwhelmed with the need to look after oneself at any cost. A world desperately in need of love and grace. To those who believe in Him, He offers a full life in His grace so we can focus on loving God and our neighbour while we work, play and even struggle. We connect with that full life when we connect with God through prayer.  

The individual who dropped the coin came out of the store with coffee in hand, walked by the dropped money and went on his way. After a while, I got out of my car and picked up the coin, not because I needed it but because I thought it still had value to someone. I could not return his coin but prayed for him because I know God values prayer. If you have not prayed for a while, know you can start fresh. Acknowledge you need God and talk to Him. He did not abandon you during your absence but has been waiting for you to speak with Him. The value of prayers is that they keep us in touch with God. Be comforted with these words, “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart”. Jeremiah 29:12 (NASB).

Psalm 17:6

“I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer”  

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Some have suggested that if we pray a certain way, it will be sure to get God’s attention. Pray each morning at 4:00 AM, while kneeling on the cold floor and balancing a bible on your head. Hold lit candles in both hands, so that God will get the idea that you are serious about prayer and therefore will focus on what you are about to say. Does the posture we adopt influence our prayer? Do our surroundings matter? Does the wording matter? The answer to all can be NO but it can also be YES.  When contemplating prayer, several questions may come to mind: What do I pray about? Where do I pray? Why am I going to pray?  How will I pray? Who am I praying to? However, spending too much time thinking about praying “correctly”, may be avoiding prayer!

I like the book Christian Prayer for Dummies. It does not contain vast amounts of spiritual wisdom or theological arguments concerning prayer. I like it because it simplifies prayer while also suggesting prayer is very personal and very important. We may have been taught to pray with our hands folded, head bowed, eyes closed, while seated or kneeling. That is a great posture that can help us focus while also allowing us to remain comfortable. However, it is only one of the many postures we can adopt. How we pray is linked to our personal feelings and circumstances. The circumstance may cause us to stand up where we are and raise our hands to God and cry out to Him. Or, in our humility, cause us to lie face down before Him submitting ourselves to His will. All postures are correct and whether we are alone or in a group or in church or our car, God hears our prayer. Prayer, whether spoken in “King James” or Cape Breton slang, is sweet music to God’s ears. There is no formula to prayer.  

If prayer is not part of our day, then we are to correct that and not worry about the nuisances. God’s word tells us that it is through prayer that He hears and speaks to us. If we are not praying it is hard to imagine being connected to Him. To live in harmony and understand one another, we are designed to communicate. When we speak to our spouses, our children or our friends we become connected to their needs and feelings. We do not talk the same way, at the same time, or in the same place all the time. Our circumstances dictate our communication. The person who can get up and carry on their day without saying anything to anyone is probably a very lonely, hurting person. The person who can avoid speaking to God during their day is also probably very lonely and hurting. 

Some of us would love to meet and speak with a celebrity whose talent has brought some happiness to our life. We know that unless we are willing to do something to get their attention, we will never get a chance.  All of us can daily meet and speak with the creator of life, who offers eternal happiness and doesn’t expect us to do anything to get His attention other than ask. Yet, we avoid those changes. 

All of us can afford to change our prayer life, not to get God’s attention but to get God. God’s wants to give all of us something but if we do not talk or listen to Him, we will miss out on an incredible gift. Change your life so you can experience Him daily. 

“Father God, change me. Holy Spirit, nudge me. Jesus, love me. Amen”

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 150:6

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We are people of habit, particularly if you are connected to the military. Those currently serving, retired, or a family member who supports a military member have been taught or witnessed routines and practices designed to ensure our military can react to various circumstances. These routines have also facilitated the development of behaviours that most likely overflow into home life, creating routines that allow families to be ready for school, work, and household responsibilities.  

Habits are not bad, especially when not at our emotional or physical peak. Things need to be done, so years of developing habits keep us on our toes. However, in 2025, some habits ruin our free will to choose what we want and need to do. Social media addiction, regardless of our age, interferes with our God-intended ability to live in harmony with one another, to break bread, support, encourage and even talk with one another. We must be careful not to let certain habits cause us to be so self-focused that we would miss opportunities to be blessed or bless others. 

We can enjoy the blessings of the world and laugh at the things on FACEBOOK, TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM, etc., but we should be cautious that these sound bites don’t prevent us from making eye contact and being the Light Jesus invites us to be. Business entraps us into antisocial habits where we are too busy to lift our heads to see the world around us. We don’t see the broken, the poor, the widows, the prisoners or the sick. We can quickly become self-focused if we only find joy and relaxation in scrolling.

What can we do to take the focus off ourselves? As the song shares, we need to Turn our eyes upon Jesus. Try starting your day with prayer and giving praise to God. If you are uncertain what to say, try reading/praying a Psalm at the start of your day. Consider Psalms 110, 50, 30, or Psalm 23, to list a few. 

I am confident if you start and even end your day praising God, you will be blessed and find that hope, peace, love and joy God wants to give you. 

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

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Do you realize what Jesus is saying – many people are emotional about their faith, active in ministry, and perform miracles, but the gospel of grace has never transformed their hearts. They know about Jesus but are not disciples of Jesus. 

Is there a difference between knowing Jesus and being His disciples? Both groups appear to do many of the same activities, but their motives are miles apart. Many try to impress God and those around them by being involved in church and service, but disciples do the same things to know God better and reflect His goodness and greatness to everyone. Some serve God if convenient, while disciples serve God based on conviction. 

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate, and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus compared the way to heaven as a path and suggested that many have intentionally widened that path by pushing aside the boundaries God placed before us in scripture. Some focus on the passages that promise what God will do for them, but disciples take the whole counsel of God seriously. Disciples follow God whether they agree with God’s Word, whether they understand or not, whether obeying is comfortable. Others elevate their opinions, feelings, and thoughts above the Word of God, while disciples elevate the Word above their opinions, feelings, and thoughts. Jesus says that because so many have created a wider path, they will miss the gate that leads to eternal life with Him. Many will miss eternity with Him because they are playing the game of being a believer. But it is not a game, or a performance God seeks but a relationship with Him. The creator of the universe, who wants us to spend eternity with Him, has given us the Holy Spirit, prayer and scripture to guide us to Him.  

Have you ever considered whether you are just a part-time follower of Christ? Do you only trust God when everything is going well? Disciples follow God regardless of the circumstances. Part-time followers stick around if God seems to bless them, and life is easy, but disciples keep pursuing God and trusting in Him even when their world is falling apart. God asks us to believe in Him, repent, and turn away from our desire to be followers under our terms. He asks us to acknowledge His grace and forgiveness, repent, and turn from those activities we know are offensive to Him, those around us, and even ourselves. He wants us to turn from weekend followers to 24/7 disciples. 

Instead of starting your day with a coffee, breakfast, a quick check of the news, or whatever you habitually do, start your day by saying. “You are my God, and I want to be on the path that leads to you. Help me honour and love you daily”. It’s a start on the discipleship path.