Matthew 6:5-6 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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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.
When Jesus instructed us not to pray like those who prayed to catch the attention of others, He did not intend for us never to pray in public. The thing that Jesus was denouncing was those that prayed to astonish the people around us. There are times that all of us may have been tempted at one time or another to pray to catch the ears of strangers around us.
When Jesus instructed us not to pray like those who prayed to catch the attention of others, He did not intend for us never to pray in public. The thing that Jesus was denouncing was those that prayed to astonish the people around us. There are times that all of us may have been tempted at one time or another to pray to catch the ears of strangers around us.
There was a story told once about a large church group that had gone to a very crowded restaurant and were taking up several tables in the overflowing room. Someone at one of the tables proclaims in a voice that trumpeted throughout the restaurant that there should be a prayer on the food. Just as boisterous and resounding as the prayer announcement had been the sound of the prayer that filled the chamber. Every one of the participants of this extended blessing joined in the prayer, one trying to outdo the other. Several minutes later after the laughing and complaining of the rest of the folks there, the "amen" was finally upon them.
On the other end of the spectrum is a story of a lunchroom at a college in New England. There was a College Dean and his family seated for a noon meal when their 4-year-old child reminded them that they had forgotten the blessing on the food. They told the small child to offer the blessing and from this young humble heart came, "Dear God please bless the food, Amen"
There were resounding "Amens" from nearly every table there from those who were touched by this simple prayer. The next time someone asks us to offer the blessing on the food in a very public place let us try to remember the humble prayer of this small child. We should always pattern our request to God in this fashion.
God will never hear a prayer that we pray to be heard by people. The only thing we will accomplish is to leave a bad taste in the mouths of unbelievers and make it hard for the soul winner that will someday witness to one of those in attendance there.
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