Skip to main content

private prayer

Matthew 6:6
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

We are studying prayer. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray. His first lesson is don't show off. Don't make your prayers into a show. Your prayers are communication with God. You want to have a heart-to-heart with God. If you're praying so others around you will hear and have some kind of reaction, then you are not really having an intimate conversation with God. And, whatever reaction you get from other people to your prayers is all the answer you will receive.

In today's verse, Jesus teaches the right way to pray. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is IN SECRET; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

Jesus is radical and countercultural in this lesson. In Jewish communities at this time, people thought that the whole point of religious activity was to be seen by others. They highly valued honor over shame. Everyone's priority was appearing acceptable to their family members, neighbors, and the church community. Influencing the opinions of other people was their motivation to pray. (Surely, no one is doing that today. 😉) According to Jesus, God will not reward such actions. Jesus instructs His followers to pray as secretly as possible to avoid even the possibility of mixed motives. 

Today's verse encourages individuals to shut themselves away, free from distractions and external pressures, to focus on communicating with their heavenly Father. Knowing this, we need to pray in private, away from public scrutiny or expectation of reward. It is essential to separate oneself from external influences and distractions to truly connect with God. Private prayer is a vital aspect of one’s relationship with God.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

we also...

Romans 6:3&4 "3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." In our studies we are striving to understand God’s love and care. God's unconditional love for His followers, appreciating that we are part of GOD’S family! God is with us from cradle to grave. His divine presence is always giving us purpose and guidance. One of the most important milestones in the life of a Christian is baptism. When we are baptized, an indelible mark is made on our soul. This mark signifies a permanent transformation and dedication of the individual to God. The act of Baptism involves water and the invocation of the Holy Trinity. This ritual is seen as a symbolic washing away of original sin and a new birth into the life of Christ. Baptism is a foundational s...
Post a Comment
Read more

in roads

Acts 2:7&8 "7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" The Holy Ghost is the only way this happens. They were very surprised to be hundreds and, some cases, thousands of miles from "home" and hearing their language spoken! It was astonishing! Appreciate that these devout Jewish people whose families had been carried away from Israel generations before. Taken in captivity by armies that invaded and conquered Israel. (A little like Joseph was taken captive to Egypt. All by God's plan to save the Israelites during a time of famine.) Over the years, these Jewish "captives" would adopt the language and some of the customs of their captors. However, they remained Jewish. By the time of the events recorded in the book of Acts, they made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover and the Feast of Weeks. They just happe...
Post a Comment
Read more

to be taller

Matthew 6:27 "27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" Jesus has questions... Beginning our study this week with "Why Do You Worry?" Questions have always been a cornerstone of education, used to assess students’ knowledge, promote comprehension, and stimulate critical thinking. Well-crafted questions lead to new insights, generate discussion, and promote the comprehensive exploration of the subject. It makes sense that GOD would use questions VERY effectively. In yesterday's verses, Jesus asked "Are you not MUCH BETTER than birds?" His questions do not end there. In today's verse we read another one, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" This is a sentence our culture needs to learn. No anxiety, no thinking, no wanting will alter our bodily height, or any other condition of our life that is fixed by God’s laws. We often wish things were different than they are, but our "wo...
Post a Comment
Read more