“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:5-6 (NKJV)

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” Matthew 6:5 (NKJV)

We move from false giving to false prayer. Jesus warns against praying the way that the “hypocrites” “pray.”“Hypocrites” comes from the Greek word “hupokrites” which means mask wearers. “Pray” comes from the Greek word “proseúchomai” which means “to ask.”

1. How could one be hypocritical in prayer?

2. Are you comfortable praying out loud in a group? Why or why not?

The word “pray” conveys the idea that you are going to the Lord for some need (encouragement, help, counsel, or strength). So the Lord says to us when you come to Me for something, do not (ever) “be.” “Be” comes from the Greek word “ésomai” which means to be (like) this.

Jesus tells us to not be at all like them. What are they like? He tells us. They are the “mask-wearers.” “Love” comes from the Greek word “phileo” which means “to be deeply fond of.” They find a lot of pleasure in a very specific way of praying. They “love” to “pray standing.” “Standing” comes from the Greek word “hístēmi” which means “be standing so that you can be seen.”

Jesus says that what they “love” is to be “seen.” To accomplish this, they “stand” in the “synagogues and on the corners of the streets” to be seen by as many people as possible. Interestingly, the word “stand” there in Greek is written in the perfect tense which means that this is where they do their “praying.” In other words, it is the only place they pray! It is clear in what Jesus says that what they “love” is not the Lord they are “praying” to, but rather, the way this makes them look to others.

3. Where are some places that you pray?

Jesus says, their goal is to be “seen.” “Seen” is the Greek word “phaínō” which means “to appear to be.” Their desire was to appear to be something that they are not. They want people to think they are spiritual, godly, and close to God when they are not at all.

The next key word is “says.” “Says” is the Greek verb “lego” (no, not the plastic bricks) which means “to collect thoughts, organize and then speak them.”

Jesus says, “They have their reward.” “Have” comes from the Greek verb “apecho” which means “payment made in full.”

Jesus says that the reward of people seeing them is, in fact, their full “reward.” None other shall be given from Him! What an incredibly tragic trade this is! It is like Esau of the Old Testament trading his entire birthright and position within the tribe of his family for a bowl of boiled lentils (Genesis 25).

When you pray, do not be like them, to be seen by people! For in so doing, we trade real reward for what does not satisfy.

“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:6 (NKJV)

The words “but you” should not be skipped over. Jesus is making a distinction between these false believers or mask-wearers, and you and me who are His people. They would not listen to His instruction. We do. They continued to promote themselves and point to themselves. We do not. This is because we are His people.

His instruction, on how to pray correctly begins with the words “when you pray.” “Pray” comes from the Greek verb “proseúchomai” which means “to ask.”

Notice that He did not say, “If you pray?” For us, as His people, it is not an “if” but rather a “when.” “When you pray”sets us apart from the Pharisees as those who are actually coming to Him and actually praying to Him. We are not going through religious motions. It is real. We come to Him, Who is real, with real requests and real worship.

We come now to the details of how to actually pray. We are to do the opposite of the hypocrites. Rather than publicly drawing attention to ourselves in prayer. We are to find somewhere private (“secretly”) to “go” (the Greek verb “eisérchomai”) and when you have “shut” (the Greek verb “kleíō”) the door (emphasizing when no one else is watching), then “pray to your Father.” Note that it is not wrong to pray in public. It is the attitude in which we pray that Jesus is addressing. Who are we praying to? What are we praying for? What are we really seeking? That is what Jesus is getting at here. He is not condemning all public prayer or prayer meetings. He is condemning the false praying of these religious charlatans.

4. How can praying out loud with others at a restaurant be a good thing?

5. How can praying out loud with others at a restaurant be inappropriate?

Please notice that the emphasis in Jesus’ words is on God being our “Father.” This is critical to understand in order to pray correctly. Lest we think we are being too informal or irreverent in addressing God as our Father, this picture is how God Himself has chosen to describe Himself to us. It is meant to convey His attentiveness to our praying and His willingness to hear us when we call out to Him for whatever we may need.

6. How is viewing God as “Father” comforting?

This is further emphasized by the words Jesus used when He said that the “Father” “sees” (the Greek verb “blépō”). It is a word that means He actually sees us as we pray. The contrast could not be clearer. Jesus is saying that the hypocrites pray to be seen by people, but we as His people pray and are seen by Him! Do you think of God as your Father who watches you as you pray? As a father, I would often slightly open my eyes to watch my children as they prayed. When I saw their eyes tightly closed and hands clenched together, speaking in earnest to our Lord, it blessed me. He does the same. He sees you and knows your need completely and loves when you come to Him. It is so much so, that one day, He “will reward.”

7. Do you have a “secret place” to pray?

8. Where are some places that could be a good “secret place”?

“Reward” comes from the Greek verb “apodídōmi” which means “to give from one’s own desires.”

The promise is that He will “reward you openly.” Just close your eyes for a moment and try to imagine what it will be like for your Father to (one day) reward you in front of countless angels and others, expressing His love and acceptance of you! What a day that will be! In 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV), we read, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

9. What do you think the “reward” ceremony will be like?

When you pray to your Father, even in secret, He watches and knows. He will bless you openly one day!