“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. 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.” Matthew 6:5–6 (KJV)
Prayer is among the greatest privileges bestowed upon mankind. It is the sacred invitation to enter the presence of the living God, to commune with the Creator of heaven and earth as children speak with a loving Father. No earthly monarch grants such unrestricted access to his subjects, yet through Jesus Christ every believer is welcomed into the throne room of Divine grace. Prayer is therefore not merely a Christian discipline; it is the very expression of a living relationship with God.
Yet it is striking that when our Lord began teaching about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, He did not begin by explaining how to pray. Instead, He first addressed why people pray. Before correcting words, He corrected motives. Before teaching the posture of the body, He examined the posture of the heart. This reveals an enduring truth: God is never impressed by eloquent language, impressive vocabulary, lengthy petitions, or outward displays of spirituality. He searches the hidden motives that lie beneath every spoken word.
The greatest danger in prayer is not distraction, nor even ignorance. It is hypocrisy. It is possible to appear deeply spiritual while remaining far from God. A person may pray beautifully in public while seldom seeking the Father in private. Such religion satisfies human observers but leaves heaven unmoved.
Jesus therefore begins with a solemn warning.
“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are…” Matthew 6:5 (KJV)
Notice that Jesus did not say, “If thou prayest.” Prayer was expected. Every disciple would pray. The issue was never whether God’s people should pray, but whether they would pray sincerely.
The Pharisees: Religion Without Relationship
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly confronted one particular group — the Pharisees. They were admired by society as guardians of religious tradition. Their knowledge of Scripture was remarkable. Their outward morality appeared exemplary. Their ceremonial observance was meticulous.
Yet Jesus exposed a tragic reality hidden beneath this outward appearance.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27 (KJV)
Nothing reveals the heart more quickly than prayer.
The Pharisees transformed prayer from communion with God into a public performance. They deliberately positioned themselves where they would receive maximum attention. They prayed loudly, elegantly, and at great length — not because God required it, but because people admired it.
Jesus declared:
“For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.” Matthew 6:5 (KJV)
Their audience was never God.
It was the crowd.
Prayer had become theatre.
Their reward was precisely what they desired — the admiration of men.
Therefore Jesus added these sobering words:
“Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” Matthew 6:5 (KJV)
Those words are among the most tragic in Scripture. God owes nothing further to those who seek human applause. They have already received the only reward they wanted.
The Hypocrisy Jesus Condemned
It is important to understand that Jesus was not condemning public prayer.
He Himself prayed publicly before raising Lazarus.
“Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.” John 11:41–42 (KJV)
He prayed publicly in the Upper Room.
He prayed openly before His disciples.
The early Church prayed together continually.
The problem was never public prayer.
The problem was publicity.
Prayer becomes corrupt when its purpose shifts from pleasing God to impressing people.
This danger remains as real today as it was in first-century Jerusalem. One may pray eloquently in church, lead powerful prayer meetings, or speak with moving emotion, yet secretly desire admiration more than communion with God.
The heart quietly asks:
“Did people notice how spiritual I sounded?”
When that becomes our concern, prayer ceases to be worship and becomes self-promotion.
The Father’s gaze immediately moves beyond our words to our motives.
The Secret Place
Jesus now offers one of the most beautiful invitations found anywhere in Scripture.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet…” Matthew 6:6 (KJV)
The “closet” is far more than a physical room.
It symbolises a life that seeks God even when no one else is watching.
The secret place is where masks fall away.
There, reputation has no value.
Titles carry no importance.
No congregation applauds.
No audience listens.
Only the Father remains.
It is in that hidden place that genuine intimacy with God is born.
Many believers desire public usefulness while neglecting private fellowship.
Yet throughout Scripture, God consistently prepares His servants in solitude before sending them into public ministry.
Moses spent years in Midian.
David learned dependence while tending sheep.
Elijah stood alone before God.
John the Baptist grew in the wilderness.
Paul disappeared into Arabia.
Even Jesus Himself repeatedly withdrew from the crowds.
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Mark 1:35 (KJV)
The public ministry of Jesus flowed naturally from His private communion with His Father.
If the sinless Son of God considered solitary prayer indispensable, how much more should His disciples?
The Father Who Sees in Secret
Jesus then makes an extraordinary promise.
“…thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6 (KJV)
God sees what nobody else sees.
He notices every whispered prayer.
Every silent tear.
Every sigh too deep for words.
Every act of hidden devotion.
Nothing offered in genuine love escapes His notice.
The world celebrates visible achievements.
God treasures invisible faithfulness.
Many believers worry that their quiet life of prayer accomplishes little because no one recognises it.
Jesus assures them otherwise.
Heaven records every unseen moment spent in fellowship with the Father.
Often the greatest works of God begin where no human eye has ever looked.
History remembers sermons.
Heaven remembers prayer.
History celebrates platforms.
Heaven celebrates secret places.
Public ministry may influence multitudes.
Private prayer moves the heart of God.
Prayer Changes the One Who Prays
Prayer is often misunderstood.
Many imagine prayer exists primarily to persuade God to act.
Jesus teaches something far deeper.
Our Father already knows.
He already loves.
He already cares.
Prayer is not informing an ignorant God.
Neither is it persuading an unwilling Father.
Rather, prayer transforms us into people capable of receiving His will.
As we remain in His presence, pride gradually disappears.
Self-centred ambition loses its grip.
Fear gives way to trust.
Restlessness becomes peace.
Prayer is therefore not merely asking God to change circumstances.
It is allowing God to change us.
The person who spends much time with Christ increasingly begins to resemble Christ.
That transformation is the greatest answer to prayer.