Vain prayer
Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
In these verses, Jesus warns us about the dangers of praying in a way that is hypocritical or insincere. He says, "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
From these words, we can see that there is a right way and a wrong way to pray. The wrong way is to pray for the sake of appearance, to show off our piety or to impress others. This is what Jesus calls "vain prayer."
It is a prayer that is not really addressed to God, but to other people. It is a prayer that is offered for the sake of public recognition or applause, rather than from a sincere desire to commune with God.
The problem with vain prayer is that it is empty and meaningless. It is like a shell without a kernel, a form without substance.
It is a prayer that does not reach the ears of God, because it is not really meant for Him. Instead, it is a prayer that is meant to impress others, to make them think more highly of us than they should.
Jesus urges us to pray in secret, in the privacy of our own hearts and minds, where there is no one else to see or hear us. He says that when we pray in this way, our Father in heaven will see and hear us, and will reward us openly.
This is because when we pray in secret, we are showing that our prayer is truly meant for God, and not for the eyes and ears of other people.
Let us heed the words of Jesus and avoid the temptation of vain prayer. Let us pray with sincerity and humility, seeking to connect with God in the deepest parts of our souls.
Let us remember that prayer is not a performance or a show, but a conversation with our Heavenly Father who loves us and desires to hear from us.
May God bless us all as we seek to draw closer to Him in prayer, and may our prayers be pleasing and acceptable to Him, now and forevermore. Amen.
Prayer key:
1. Lord, thank you for the blessing of today in Jesus Christ name.
2. Lord, help me not to pray amis in Jesus Christ name.
3. Lord, let my prayers be crowned with answers and testimonies in Jesus Christ name.
4. Thank you Lord for answered prayers in Jesus Christ name. Amen.