Prayer...Who is your audience. (Matthew 6:5-6)

Matthew 6:5-6

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

⁵ “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. ⁶ But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Some people, especially the religious leaders, wanted to be seen as "holy," and public prayer was one way to get attention. Jesus saw right through their self-righteous acts, however, and taught that the essence of prayer is not public style but private communication with God. There is a place for public prayer, but to pray only where others will notice you indicates that your real audience is not God.

 

(I knew someone who was one of those "public" pray-ers. He kept me from praying out loud because I always felt my prayers would not be good enough compared to his elaborate prayers. It took me a long time to feel comfortable to pray {simply} in public.)

Joe