Jesus's Teaching on Prayer, Part 1

Don't Be Like the Hypocrites

Matthew 6v5-6

5^th September 2025

This week, I'm starting a series of studies of Jesus's teaching on prayer in Matthew 6v5-15. Jesus begins by saying:

Matthew 6v5
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."

I don’t often see somebody praying on a street corner in order to impress people in the English town that I live in. If somebody did that, most of the passers by would not be impressed by his spirituality. Sadly, in our secular western culture, people would be more likely to think he was mentally disturbed. Even in church, I don't often see people praying in order to be seen, thinking "If I pray a really spiritual prayer, they'll think more highly of me". Clearly these things happened in first century Judea, but it doesn’t happen much in England today, in my experience.

Here's what I have seen. I've seen people praying when they're not really praying; they're lecturing the rest of us. They do this not so much to be seen by men as to be heard by men. "I don’t get a preaching slot so I’m going to pray a long prayer about all the things we ought to be doing as church. And I hope the pastor is listening."

Jesus is saying, if you’re going to pray, pray with the right motive. And the right motive for prayer is to talk to your heavenly Father, to unburden your heart, to seek His face and ask for His blessing on this world, and your church, and your family, and those around you. Jesus says people who do pray to impress other people or, if I may interpolate, to lecture other people, have received their reward in full. Their prayers will not be answered because really they’re not praying; they’re showing off.

I don't actually know any Christians who pray in order to show us how spiritual they are (although some may exist). I do know a lot of Christians who pray out loud very rarely, or not at all, because they're afraid that others might judge them for the way they pray, thinking their prayers aren't good enough (whatever that means). "Oh, my prayers aren’t very spiritual.I don't know any long words." Prayer is the unburdening of your heart before your heavenly Father. You don’t need posh words. You don’t need to be able to construct an elegant paragraph. You just need to tell God what you need to tell God, with whatever words you have. In any good church, no-one will look down their noses at you because you weren’t quite as articulate as the other fellow. Be encouraged, in the prayer meeting, and on Sunday morning, and in your private prayer times, to just express your heart to God in prayer. God will love it. Actually, the church will love it.

Jesus says:

Matthew 6v6
"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."

We must be careful to understand this correctly. We know that Jesus is not saying that corporate prayer is wrong. This is demonstrated by such scriptures as:

Mark 11v17
And as he [Jesus] taught them, he said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'?"

1 Timothy 2v1-8
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ... Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.

This being so, I think Jesus is saying two things. Firstly, private prayer is really important. nobody can have a good relationship with God without taking time to be alone with Him. Secondly, Jesus is speaking about the attitudes of our hearts. Our motivation in prayer must be a desire to talk to God, never a desire to impress other people. Whenever we pray, we should pray as if we were alone with God. Our focus should be on Him and not on each other. When we pray in secret, or when we pray as if we are in secret, then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Our prayers will be heard, because we're actually praying.

Let us examine our hearts. Do we pray privately as much as we pray with other Christians? Do we pray out of love for God and our trust in Him, or is there some element of praying to enhance our own reputation, or to influence others?