The Prayer Project - No. 13

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” - Matthew 6:5-7 ^{New Living Translation}

            This portion of scripture could be called The Pretentious Prayers of Hypocrites for it points to those who do NOT pray sincerely with a humble spirit. They pray publicly. They pray loudly so all can hear. They do this to appear to be pious, however, they are anything but. They wish to draw attention to themselves so that they are thought highly of by those around them. In reality they have an over inflated sense of importance that will not find them favor with God. To the Lord they are nothing more than self-seeking, over bloated, hypocrites whose pretentious prayers shall not be heard or answered by God. They are nothing more than clanging cymbals to him.

            We are called to pray privately, away from the spotlight. Sure, there will be times when we will be called upon to pray publicly, but aside from praying with individuals or in a church setting, our prayers need not be publicized. A humble and sincere heart is one who doesn’t seek attention; whose only intention is to commune with the Lord in a quiet, worshipful manner. 

            God knows our heart. Nothing is hidden from him. Even our deepest secrets that no one knows are an open book to him. When we pray, we also shouldn’t ramble on and on as if to recite some magical incantation. Repeating one’s request repeatedly over the course of time is admirable and acceptable, for it is scriptural to pray with persistence. ^{[1 Thessalonians 5:17]}

However, our prayers mean no more by the number of words used, then if we simply utter a simple phrase. God knows not only our heart, but our hearts desire and is intimately aware of our every need. Therefore, we can utter our prayers simply and succinctly and know that they shall be heard and answered by our loving Heavenly Father. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries