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.” Matthew 6:5–8
We are all familiar with prayer, but are we familiar enough with it or is it possible that we have become too familiar with it? I believe there are instances in our lives where both are true. Prayer has often become so friendly that we aren’t earnest enough. Whatever the circumstance, I am confident we could 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 heard the words they offered. They 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 that prayer if we offer a public prayer 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 speaks of a storage room, an inner chamber or a secret room. The point is, we need a place where we are comfortable and able to pray. It may be in a particular room, the basement, or the garage. It doesn’t matter where it is if 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 get in touch with God and plead for humanity’s souls 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.