Jesus is teaching here on the subject of prayer, explaining to His disciples what not to do when praying, and what to do, so as to experience God's intentions and blessings in our lives.
First of all.......We are told what not to be like when we pray. We are not to be like the hypocrites, ( pretenders, doing it for show and applause so to speak ) The pretenders, love to pray in a public way if you will. Making themselves very visible in the synagogue, and or literally out on a street corner, drawing attention to themselves.
What they were after was not the Lord, but rather that men would see them praying, and admire them etc. Jesus says here, "They have their reward" That is, on contrast to what they could have had, which is the blessing of God in their lives. So, don't pray for show, don't pray so that other people will see you and think how great and spiritual you are. No, that's not the way to pray.
By the way, the person who prays for show and the acclaim of others, is going to lose out on the reward they could have had in prayer.
Secondly, Jesus explains how to pray.
1. Go into your room, or somewhere private where others can't see you or hear you. Get into the room, and shut the door. It's a private place between you and God. So, get alone with Him. It's a secret place if you will. Just for you and your Father in heaven.
2. Then go ahead and pray to your Father. Or go ahead and begin talking to Him ( and listening to Him ) Notice that Jesus says, "your Father who is in secret ) Or hidden, concealed. He is there with you as it were in your room, with the door closed where no one can hear you, or see you. It's you and Him.
3. Next, we are told that our Father who sees us in secret, will reward us openly. Wow. What an encouragement that is God sees us and will reward us in our prayers.
Later in this chapter, Jesus will give more detail as to what to pray about. But, what He has said so far is indeed a blessing.
Nothing is said here about time in prayer, body posture in prayer, how loud or quiet to be in prayer etc. None of that. The emphasis has been on private intimacy with God. Not praying for show. Putting aside that human prideful desire, and to get alone with just you and God.
This is God's own prescription and invitation to us if you will. He is inviting us to pray, and He also is promising us that there is a reward, or a blessing that comes from this private encounter with Him. The other blessing if you want to call it that, is "people see how spiritual I am" Yikes. That is not a blessing. That is an empty moment.
Well, we will continue our study about prayer, and praying in the days ahead.
But, I sure hope that God is leading you and blessing you as you think about prayer, and then go ahead and pray.
One final thought. That private room, can be within your own heart and mind, even when you are out in public, it can be in your car, sitting at a stoplight, sitting in a chair waiting at a doctor's office etc. But, wherever it is, God sees, and God promises to reward you.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
