praying like a hypocrite


When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They like to stand in synagogues and on street corners to pray so that everyone can see them. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward. When you pray, go to your room and close the door. Pray privately to your Father who is with you. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you. [Matthew 6:5-6 GW]

Again Jesus presses in and lay bare our desire to be seen by others.
Praying to be seen and heard by others who we are wanting to impress.
I have witnessed and participated in this kind of religious seduction.

The desire to be seen is an insidious one.
We are duped into thinking that we are being "spiritual" when we are just being Pharisaical.
Jesus says don't do it.

I once heard that the measure of a person is what they do when no one is looking.
I think that we will pray in secret only if we really believe that God hears us.
Secret prayers bring a reality to bear where it is just us and God - face to face.

Lastly, Jesus said "when you pray".
I think that it is good to be reminded that believers pray - it is in our spiritual DNA.
Praying from our heart, when no one is looking, to an audience of One.

Lord give me a heart to pray when no one is looking.


... this devotion is part of the Red Letters series. Click here to read more.

2 comments:

  1. I think it is tough to do things in secret because that is when the real person comes out. So it makes sense that God hears when it is the real us, and not the prideful us. Good thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your comment on our Spiritual DNA. Prayer is so much a part of life. One sentence we use a lot..."Have you prayed about it?"

    ReplyDelete

I love to get comments and usually respond. So come back to see my reply.
You can click here to see my comment policy.