Hypocrites, Pagans, and Praying in Secret
Photo by Adegbenro Emmanuel Dipo on Unsplash
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.“ (Matthew 6:6 NIV84) [see full text in button/link below]
On Prayer and Praying
Prayer is universal. Prayer is one of the simplest and most common elements of faith and religion, and one of the most misunderstood.
A myriad of books have been written about prayer, and many books of collected prayers exist in many religions of the world—the Church of England’s Common Book of Prayer, the Breviary or Book of Hours of the Roman Catholic church, the Jewish book of prayer Siddur, Haridas, the prayer book of Hindus, and Salat, the Muslim prayer book.
The Psalms in the Scriptures are a collection of 150 prayers and songs with a wide range of emotions and focus. They are a great source of solace with examples of earnest prayer.
Prayer is a practice found in every culture. As the old saying goes, there are no atheists in foxholes or on sinking ships. Although it’s an overstated and general saying, there is some truth to it.
By far, more people in the world pray than do not. Most vocal atheists who pride themselves on their intellectual prowess have a narrow view of people of faith and religion, as well as a limited perspective on the many cultures and people groups of the world.
I’m not saying all prayer is the same, nor that all religious faith is the same. However, prayer, in some form, even if it is dark and demonic, is a means of spiritual communication common to all people throughout the world.
What is not the same is how people pray. The form of people’s prayers, the wording, or the languages used are not the same. Even the focus of prayer, to whom it’s directed, and why, is different.
Insights
Formalized prayers have their place, as we see in the next segment of verses in this chapter of Matthew. But in this segment, Jesus gives two admonitions about prayer—don’t show off and don’t babble.
Many people want structure and direction in prayer, particularly when speaking out loud. But when we focus on the form and wording of prayer, we make it complicated and formal.
I’ve prayed out loud and in public a lot. It goes with the territory of pastoral and public ministry. At times, probably too many times, I’ve rambled on with seemingly eloquent words. In truth, they aren’t so eloquent, even if someone says they are. I’ve also been at a loss for words in prayer in public settings.
What’s more important to me, and I believe to the Lord also, is that my prayer is genuine, honest, and personal. Even if it comes in a jumbled, halting swirl of words.
I’ve heard eloquent words in prayer that seem to fall to the floor rather than rise to heaven. I’ve also heard simple-worded prayers that inspire.
As far as the Lord is concerned, eloquence and repetition are not the secrets to successful prayer, however one considers prayer to be successful. And yet, attempts at eloquent prayer and trite repetitions are all too often the norm when people pray.
Why is this so? First, pride. Spiritual pride, as with religious righteousness, is the primary issue with the first admonition of the Lord on prayer in these verses. Self tends to take prominence over God and the intended purpose of the prayer.
Repetition in prayer is like a petulant child insisting on what they want in an effort to wear down their parents to give in to them. God doesn’t respect or want this type of prayer. It isn’t confidence and trust in God but the direct opposite, as if repetitive effort on our part will get the desired answer to our prayer.
Redefining the Nature of God’s Kingdom
True religion is not hypocritical. Jesus says we are to pray in private rather than make a public spectacle of prayer. Not all prayer needs to be private. But Jesus is concerned with the motivation of the heart in prayer rather than its form. When I was a young believer reading this in my KJV Bible, I, along with many others, took what it says literally—
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; (Matthew 6:6 KJV)
This was before walk-in closets were common! In our first house, we had a three-foot by three-foot square closet in our bedroom. When I felt the need to concentrate in prayer and pour my heart out to God, I would clear a spot inside the closet to kneel and pray.
I still prefer to pray in a quiet place out of sight. Not only for privacy but for concentration, because my mind wanders. I can also be confident and assured that the Lord hears and honors my honest and genuine prayer that is neither eloquent nor repetitive.
As far as repetition goes, Jesus called it “babbling.” He says this is what pagans do—those who are strangers to God. The words pagan or heathen have many connotations, but here they refer to people without a personal relationship with God.
Jesus is identifying people who are outsiders. They are neither children of God nor citizens of God’s Kingdom, but stand outside, babbling to gain God’s attention as if clanging away on pots and pans.
Jesus says this is unnecessary and fruitless when we know Him personally. God knows us even when we don’t know Him. But when we know Him and He is living in us by His Spirit, He knows our needs before we voice them.
Someone is sure to ask, “If God already knows our needs, why do we need to pray?” God calls us into a partnership with Him as fellow citizens of His Kingdom. A great assurance for followers of Jesus is His calling us His friends and that we are co-heirs with Him. Our partnership with God as His children and citizens of His Kingdom begins with our trusting God by faith when we pray. 1
Do you pray in faith and confidence, or get hung up on how your prayer should sound?
Prayer is about trusting in God.
Reflections for Prayer
Jesus is concerned with the motivation of our hearts in prayer rather than its form. He calls us into a partnership with Him as fellow citizens of His Kingdom through prayer. Trusting in the Lord by faith is far more important than the words or form of our prayers.
When you pray, make it a personal dialogue of trust in God. Don’t worry about how your prayer sounds, but open your heart to Him by faith. Be confident in His faithfulness and willingness to hear your prayer.
Footnotes–
See John 15:12-15 for being the Lord’s friend, and Galatians 3:29; 4:6-7 for being co-heirs with Him.
This is an excerpt from a soon-to-be-published book called The Heart and Soul of God’s Kingdom. Look for it on Amazon with my other books— Trip Kimball on Amazon
