Scripture to Read: Matthew 6:5
As we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus Christ begins to teach about prayer. This week, we will learn what our Lord has for us as we broaden and deepen our prayer lives. Jesus starts by saying in Matthew 6:5, “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” Our Lord warns us about not being “showy” in our prayer life. Prayer was never intended to be something we used to try to impress people or seek to draw attention to ourselves. On the other hand, we will often refuse to pray in public because we’re fearful of not praying the right words and what people might think of us. When we fall into this trap of fear, we have not yet learned that when we pray, we only have an audience of ONE! We are talking with our Heavenly Father. Think of it this way: if we get a call on our phone or decide to call someone, we will answer or dial the number to talk to the other person. What’s interesting is that we can be in a public place with people all around us, even close to us, but we will not even give those people a second thought because we’re so focused on our conversation with that one other person. That’s how we should pray.
Challenge & Application
· Why did Jesus warn us about being showy or arrogant in our prayer life?
· Why do so many struggle to pray in public, and how can they overcome their fear?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!