…and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
In my immaturity, I am sad to say that I have too often shamefully considered the eyes of others while worshiping or praying. In talking to God, my heart was far from Him. Praying the “right things” or lifting my hands or not lifting my hands plagued my mind as I outwardly appeared to connect with God.
Jesus instructs in Matthew 6 that we should not pray like those who pray in public for recognition nor like those who pray according to formulas, seeking to manipulate God with our convincing arguments and many words. I have been guilty of both of these things.
The intimacy of secret prayer does not remove the opportunity for public prayer, but it reminds us as believers that in prayer, our audience is one. In that secret place, the one who matters sees our prayers. He sees our hearts in prayer, and He is willing and capable of responding to those prayers.
How is it that God hears prayers in secret? As this passage tells us, the Father sees in secret as He is in secret. When we draw away to pray like Jesus did so many times, God doesn’t just hear our prayers, but He is present in the secret place with us.
This implies that in those times where we pray or worship in public for the purpose of being seen for our piety, we are far from God; we are missing out on intimacy. When we seek to convince God to do things as the pagans did, we miss the truth that He is our Father who cares and needs no convincing to love His children well.
It’s important to note here that many of us (myself included) have experienced very difficult times in life where we have asked God for escape from pain or change in impossible situations. Those prayers received a difficult “no” from the Father that we are told is loving. The difficult truth for all of us is that sometimes the most loving thing a good father can do is to say, “no.” “No” can be painful and can feel overwhelmingly unfair. “No” can come at a time where life itself is in the balance, and the “no” feels unjust. There are plenty of times that I have not understood the “no” of God. Despite my lack of understanding, He is good, and I will trust Him. Often the perspective that the passing of time has lent me has helped me to understand. How much more will the perspective of eternity help me to see His goodness at work?
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to increase your meeting with God in the secret place. Perhaps you need to pray more in public as a part of a congregation, challenging your heart to point toward Him despite of those around. Maybe God wants you to abandon your need to convince Him and seek Him as loving Father. Perhaps you need to forgive Him for not doing what you think a loving Father should do during difficult times in your life.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 139-143, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 6:5-8) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).