Prayer and Hypocrites (Matt 6:5-9)

In these verses,  we see Jesus continuing in the line of thought that what motivates us - what is going on in our hearts - is most important to God.  Specifically in these verses, Jesus doesn't want us to pray as a demonstration of our holiness to others.  Jesus wants us to pray honestly from our hearts.

Matthew 6:5-6,9   5 "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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  6 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. ...  9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father..."

Imagine a church service or a leadership meeting or a Bible study or a pastor's visit to a sick congregant where you can't pray out loud in public?  Imagine not being able to ask your friends to pray with you over something you are struggling with - or in a time of potential tragedy?  I am certain that this is not what Jesus had in mind. Jesus was once again "beating up on" the Pharisees who liked to pick a street corner - disrupt traffic - and show how holy they were by praying.  Jesus felt pretty strongly that they'd be better off praying in private.  But Jesus wasn't commenting on all public prayer.

Jesus is focusing on why we pray.  He wants all of our prayers - the public ones too - to be heartfelt not a show.  And if you find that you are praying to be seen as holy, then you can certainly cure that by praying where no one can see you.

The most convincing evidence that public prayer is not forbidden by Jesus is when, in these very verses, Jesus goes on to teach his disciples to pray.  He says, "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father...". He starts the prayer with "Our Father" not "My Father" - the Lord's prayer was meant to be prayed in communion with others - it isn't a private prayer.  Here are other examples of public prayer in the Bible...

• Jesus prayed publicly when he raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41-42).
• Jesus prayed publicly on the cross.
• Daniel opened his windows and prayed before everyone as an act of defiance to the King's degree that no one could pray to anyone but the King.  It got him thrown in the lion's den, but God protected him (Daniel 6:12-14).
• As Stephen was being tortured and killed by the religious people of the day for calling them "stiff necked" people, he prayed openly (Acts 7:51-60).
• Paul prayed publicly with the Ephesian leaders (Acts 20:36).
• We know that in the early 1st Century Christian worship services, that people prayed publicly  (I Cor 14:15-16).
• The public prayers of King Solomon, Miriam (the sister of Moses), Mary (the mother of Jesus), and King David are recorded throughout the Old and New testaments. 

Real prayer comes from the heart.