Continuing on with our Sermon on the Mount series, today we’re going to look at what Jesus has to say about prayer. Once again, we say ‘thank you’ to our dear friend Linda Borcky, who taught this lesson.
Of all the disciplines (giving, fasting and prayer), prayer would seem to be at the center of our communion with God our Father and Creator. How we actually view God will be reflected in how and why we pray.
Jesus starts His instruction in Matthew 6 by saying “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. ”
What is Jesus getting at here? We know that it is okay to stand while you pray. One example of that is Mark 11:25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” We also know that it is okay to pray in groups, as we see this house church doing in Acts 12:12 “When this had dawned on him (Peter), he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.”
Jesus is questioning what audience they are playing to. Are they truly praying to God so that they will be in communication with Him; connected to Him? Or are they more concerned with praying in front of others for the sake of looking (and sounding) spiritual in front of others? Have you ever found yourself doing that? If not in prayer, in some other way? Jesus will leave no one thinking that they are getting away with it! He tells a parable in Luke 18 that leaves no doubt how He feels about it
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 18:9-14
Jesus goes further in His instruction on prayer in Matthew 6:7-8. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
The Scribes & Pharisees were guilty of two great faults in prayer, vain-glory & vain repetitions. 1 Kings 18:26-29 is a good example of the “ecstatic babblings” of the false prophets. Such babbling is a characteristic of heathen prayer. Elijah also contrasted the worship of the LORD and that of Baal, just like Jesus is doing here in Matthew. The following is an example of this practice in our culture today:
Prayer beads – In Buddhism, mantras such as “Om Mani Padme Hum” are repeated hundreds, thousands of times during the day. To keep count, Buddhists use prayer beads or malas. A rosary of beads not only helps to memorize the number of mantras one has chanted or silently recited, but the rhythmic counting of beads also contributes to focus and calm the mind.
So, Jesus is saying we don’t need to babble on with many words, trying to “enhance” our prayers in some way. What’s the reason He gives? Our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask. Jamieson-Faussett-Brown Bible Commentary has this to say about it:
“Your Father” knoweth what ye need before ye ask it; for it is not men, as such, that He is addressing in this discourse, but His own disciples—the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, hungry and thirsty souls, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, who allow themselves to have all manner of evil said against them for the Son of man’s sake—in short, the new-born children of God, who, making their Father’s interests their own, are here assured that their Father, in return, makes their interests His, and needs neither to be told nor to be reminded of their wants. Yet He will have His children pray to Him, and links all His promised supplies to their petitions for them; thus encouraging us to draw near and keep near to Him, to talk and walk with Him, to open our every case to Him, and assure ourselves that thus asking we shall receive—thus seeking we shall find—thus knocking it shall be opened to us.
Next time, we’ll take a look at Jesus teaching us how to pray.
