Wait…what? Teach us to pray? You mean we don’t just inherently know how to pray?
Just as Jesus’ disciples were seeking to learn how to pray in Luke 11, some of us may have felt the need for this same guidance. Thankfully, God understood this concern and made sure His instruction was included in the inspired gospel accounts for our benefit as well.
Matthew 6 gives us a more detailed look as to how we are to pray.
Matthew 6:5 – “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men…”
Well, I don’t pray standing in the synagogue or on the street corners for attention. That would be silly! These people’s motivation for praying seems to be only for attention from others, not for God. Maybe I don’t have so much to learn about prayer after all…let me keep reading.
Matthew 6:6 – “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
Wow! That is completely opposite of how the hypocrites pray! If I were to shut myself in a room to pray, there would be no one around to hear my prayers but God. This must be what God wants my focus to be when praying!
Jesus is not saying that all prayers that are done in public are sinful. This is evident through the Scriptures that give us examples of Jesus and the apostles praying in the midst of others (Matthew 14:19, Acts 1:14; Acts 27:35). Male Christians are also instructed to offer prayers in public worship (1 Timothy 2:8). Therefore, our motivation for public prayers is a key factor!
Matthew 6:7-8 – “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
Vain repetitions? Another translation says, ‘meaningless repetition’. This sounds like saying things over and over without giving much thought to it. Kind of like we are going through the motions as if we are on autopilot. I remember doing this as a kid – reciting a prayer until I learned better. I wonder if there are phrases that I continue to say today in my prayers that would be considered ‘vain repetitions’…
The next few verses give an example of what some refer to as the Model Prayer. It is ironic because these verses are often quoted publicly (or used to be) before sporting events, in the school setting, and other public assemblies. It is obvious that those reciting these ‘prayers’ are unaware of the scripture right before warning of this behavior!
The model prayer is simply to be used as a guide of how we are to format our prayers. It demonstrates who we are to address when praying – “Our Father in Heaven”. We pray to God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Any prayer offered to anyone or through anyone else would be in error. This passage even gives an example of what is to be included in the body of our prayers. This is where we pray about things that are weighing on our hearts (Romans 10:1). It can consist of both physical and spiritual needs just like in the text – daily bread, debts and debtors, temptation, and even Satan.
Based on this context, there seems to be more emphasis on our motivation and how we go about praying than the actual words that are to come from our lips. It is wise to reflect on our own motivations and actions when it comes to anything we do – but especially in regard to our prayer life with this text.
Even though many of us would probably say we don’t fall into the same category that the scribes and Pharisees do, as they loved to pray in public places, that doesn’t mean we can’t get caught up in the hypocrisy and vain babblings of prayer as well.
For example, how often have you seen someone post a prayer on social media? Or share a post containing the words of a prayer from a devotional group? What were the intentions and motivations behind this post? With anything we post online, it is very easy to misinterpret the tone and intentions of our words. Some may have pure intentions in sharing such things, however, it often comes across as showy.
The same could be said for those that may respond in comments that they are praying for someone or about a particular situation. It is so easy to type the words “I’ll pray for you”, but how often are those words followed through with? Would that too be considered a vain repetition?
Let’s be mindful of our speech and intentional with our words, starting first with our own prayer lives and extend it to other areas so that we don’t fall into the same trap as the hypocrites in Matthew 6.
AKeyMoment 