When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:5-6
As Christ followers, we must be sure that our motivation for entering into His presence is pure. While prayer is a constant and joyous experience, it is also a serious encounter with God! We should always come before Him with reverence, fully submitted to Him. There is a big difference between saying prayers and praying prayers.
One way I that I identify this in my life is to simply ask, do I only pray when people are watching? Do I only pray when someone asks? Jesus is concerned with our heart and our motivation.
How about you? What’s your prayer life like – not what others see but what God sees? I would love to hear from you.
Paul