Scripture: “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:6-8 ESV
Observation: This is the second of a three-part warning not to follow the example of the hypocrites who make a show of their spiritual disciplines. While the first speaks to offering our gifts, here, Jesus addresses praying. “Pious” Jews (particularly the religious leaders) prayed publically at set times—typically morning, afternoon, and evening. But the intent of this teaching is not to disparage corporate prayer. Indeed, Jesus offered public prayer later in his ministry (Matthew 14:19; 15:36). Moreover, the prelude to the Lord’s prayer (tomorrow’s Daily Focus) begins with the first-person, plural pronoun, “Our” Father, implying a setting for congregate prayer. Instead, he points to those who mask their piety through a pretentious display of lengthy prayers while their hearts are far from God. In doing so, the hypocrites seek the praise of the community. And like ostentatious almsgiving, they will limit their reward to temporal admiration rather than eternal treasures in God’s kingdom (vv.5-6).
Thus, employing metaphorical imagery, Jesus directs his disciples to shut the door behind them and secretly pray in their room. As theologian Michael Wilkinson contends, Christ’s emphasis on privacy encourages his disciples to seek intimate communion with God—which should be central to all prayer. Finally, having addressed the importance of heartfelt prayer by seeking privacy, Jesus warns against following the repetitious prayers of the pagan worshippers (v.7). The Greek word battalogeo (translated as “many words” above) means babbling, conveying the idea of speaking without thinking. So Jesus urges his disciples to offer sincere and succinct prayers because the Father knows what we need before we ask (v.8).
Of note, the Greek word tameion, translated as “room” in verse 6, is used elsewhere in the New Testament to mean a storeroom (Luke 21:24), an inner room (Matthew 12:26; 24:26; Luke 12:3, 24) or even a bedroom (Isaiah 26:20 in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament). The point is not to enclose yourself indoors but to find quiet, peaceful places to calm your spirit without distractions and pray.
Takeaway: So why does Jesus encourage his disciples to pray if his Father already knows what we need? We pray to connect and to know God’s will. Even though Jesus was sinless, he still required intimate communion with his Father to discern his will and find strength and encouragement. And Jesus modeled this need for secreted prayer by withdrawing from his disciples to seek solitude with his Father:
- Matthew tells us that after hearing that Herod had beheaded his cousin, John the Baptist, Jesus withdrew in a boat to a desolate place by himself (14:13).
- Mark writes that he rose early in the morning to pray in a desolate place after healing many into the late night (Mark 1:35).
- His disciple John writes that Jesus pulled away from the crowds after miraculously feeding the masses (John 6:15).
- Luke tells us that he sought prayer alone at his darkest hour in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest (Luke 22:41).
Undoubtedly, Jesus practiced what he preached and reaped the rewards of a sustaining, empowering connection with his Father. And we will, too, if we persevere in pursuing a meaningful prayer life that keeps us in touch with the heart of our loving Father, who works all things for our good (Romans 8:28).
So what hindrances erode into connecting with the Father and Son in regular prayer? To name a few:
- Unrepented sin;
- Fear of not feeling connected or of not discerning his will;
- Anger toward God;
- Prosperity;
- Lack of margin in life;
- Self-pity; and
- Succumbing to the whispers of the devil who tells us God doesn’t care or that we are a failure at prayer.
And how do we move past these stumbling blocks? By being patient with ourselves and confessing our struggles first to God, then to others who will pray for us. Meanwhile, we know that the One who died for us is interceding in prayer, and so is his Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for the gift of prayer that helps us connect to you. And we thank you that even when we have no words to express our thoughts and feelings, your Holy Spirit interprets our sighs and groans and intercedes on our behalf. But most importantly, we thank you for your Son, who prayed while hanging from his cross so that you would forgive us. So would you please help us to persevere in meaningful prayer that keeps us connected to you, your Son, and your Holy Spirit until that day when we are present with you? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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