By: Mike Kelly
Retired Pastor
We are continuing in our series on the Sermon On the Mount by Jesus as recorded in Matthew. This entire series reminds us that we serve Christ in an upside down Kingdom where his values are almost completely opposed to the worlds.
The first half of John 6 is summed up in verse 1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.
If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” The next 17 versus are the practical working out of this verse.
Today, let’s focus on Matt 6:5-8 “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. And when you pray, do not keep on 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.” First thing we see is that we are to pray. “When you pray” not “if you pray”.
If prayer is an expectation, then why do so few actually pray regularly? Just 38 percent of Christians polled were likely to pray regularly, compared to 52 percent of other faith groups.
If it wasn’t important, why does God command us to pray? Prayer is a conversation with God. It’s a relationship builder. The more we talk to someone, the closer we generally become.
That’s what prayer is like between us and God. The more we pray, the closer we become. And God wants that intimacy with us, and we need that intimacy with him.
And in prayer, there is power to change things on earth. Too many Believers think that their prayers don’t matter. That they’re not important.
Prayer is the recognition that God is the one in control. Prayer strengthens our relationship with Him, but it also allows us to access His power on earth.
Mark 11:24 says “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Prayer is a powerful tool for changing things. It’s us and God moving together to see His will accomplished here on earth as it is in Heaven.
Life on earth is complicated and often frightening but we are never alone. Prayer reminds us that God is here with us.
And much of what goes on in the world needs God’s intervention. Prayer releases God’s power. Our prayers are never ineffectual.
James 5:16 in the Amplified versions says “The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].” Oswald Chambers, a Scottish pastor, wrote “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work”.
Regardless of our opinion of the effectiveness of our prayers based on the results we see, we miss the results that God is changing in the spiritual realm because of our prayers.
Looking at the rest of these verses, we see the need to do our prayer in the quiet spaces of life. That isn’t to say that we can’t pray publicly.
Actually, we should. What this is saying is that we don’t pray to be recognized by others as some great Christian. Like we talked about with giving, we do it because God tells us to, not because we want recognition for it.
So, pray where you can when you can as often as you can. There is controversy about the last verse…Don’t babble because God knows what you need already.
Do we ask God only once then stop asking and start praising him for the answer? Or do we continue praying with passion until we see the answer? Got me! I really don’t have an answer to that. I’ve done both.
Generally, I stand on the spot that says I’ll pray until God tells me to stop but that’s just me. You’ll have to answer that yourself…But be sure to pray!
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Mike Kelly is the founding pastor of Bryan’s Grace Community Church (retired) and Board Chairman of Bryan’s Sanctuary Homeless Shelter and Williams County’s Compassion (free) Medical Clinic.