5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
Matthew 6:5-8
The most remarkable claim of Christianity is not that God is powerful, but that He is personal. The Creator of galaxies invites you into friendship. He wants to speak with you. And you can speak with Him.
This is what Jesus taught His disciples about prayer. Not as a performance. Not as a magic formula. But as the heartbeat of life with God.
Jesus gives us a three-part masterclass on prayer, and it’s not what the religious crowd expected.
1. Prayer is Private
“Go away by yourself, shut the door behind you…”
Jesus isn’t condemning all public prayer—He prayed in public too (John 11:41–42). What He’s exposing is the heart behind it. Real prayer is not about being seen by others. It’s about being with God. Alone. Undistracted. Unmasked.
We live in a noisy world of notifications, platforms, and people-pleasing. But the secret place—just you and the Father—is where your soul comes home.
So find a quiet room. Go for a walk. Sit under a tree. Whatever you do, pray not for performance, but for presence.
2. Prayer is Rewarded
“Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
This is stunning. The God who owes us nothing promises to reward us when we seek Him in secret. That reward might not be flashy—it might be peace, clarity, strength, or breakthrough. But He sees. He hears. And He responds.
In Mark 9, Jesus’ disciples failed to cast out a demon. He told them, “This kind can only come out by prayer” (Mark 9:29). Not “saying prayers,” but being prayerful—living out of a place of deep connection with the Father.
Don’t underestimate what your hidden life with God can release in the visible world. What you sow in secret, God multiplies in public.
3. Prayer is Simple
“Don’t babble on and on… your Father knows exactly what you need.”
You don’t need fancy words. You don’t need a script. You don’t need to impress God. Jesus says: just talk to your Father. Bring Him your worries, your joys, your failures, your questions. Be honest. Be childlike. Be present. Sometimes all you can say is “Help.” That’s enough.
Talk to God as if He is a person and don’t chant or babble to Him as if you are performing a ritual.
Prayer is not just a spiritual discipline—it’s the doorway to intimacy with God. It is impossible to follow Jesus and not pray. Not because it’s a rule, but because it’s a relationship.
So today, go and find the secret place. Shut the door. Speak simply. And let your Father meet you there.
