Matthew 6:5 (NKJV) 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. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
Prayer was something that Jesus took very seriously. It was so important that He spent a fair amount of time doing just that; praying.
Much of what Jesus prayed is not recorded in the word of God. But the fact that He did pray is well documented.
We can learn a lot from the example set by Jesus, as well as from the things that He taught about prayer.
So, for the next few days, let’s take a closer look at prayer.
As Jesus spoke in the verse above, He began to instruct His followers about the things that we should and should not do when we pray.
He started this discourse (Matthew 6:2-4) by letting people know that charitable deeds (works of kindness) should not be done in the open for the sake of getting recognition, but should be kept secret so that our Father can reward us.
He then moved into teaching about prayer.
As with charitable acts, Jesus warned that praying is not something to be done in public for all to see, but in private, between us and our Father.
Praying in public for recognition does nothing but gain the accolades of those who happen to see us. And those accolades are our reward.
Take note that Jesus called these people hypocrites. The Greek word used for hypocrite in the original text literally means pretender. This says a lot about the people who are looking for the approval of men, not the approval of God.
And this is why Jesus went on to say that when we pray, we should go into our room, shut the door and pray to our Father in secret. And our Father will reward us.
Matthew 6:6 (NKJV) 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
This lays some good groundwork for understanding more about prayer. Let’s continue tomorrow!
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443
401-439-3780
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