Pray the Wordنموونە

Praying in Secret

In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount from today's verse, Jesus is warning people about practicing deeds of righteousness in order to be seen by others. Instead of making a show of religious practices, Jesus instructs his disciples to go into their room, shut the door, and pray to their Father who is in “secret.” When we pray like this, God is the only one who sees us. The result of this kind of prayer, the kind that is focused on seeking God rather than impressing others, is this: “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” That’s a promise: every single day there is reward waiting for you as you spend time alone with the Father.

Is this not a picture of God’s love for us? He wants to give us this reward every day. It’s as if he’s saying, “I want you to enjoy me. I want you to receive a reward from my hand in my presence, all alone.” It’s amazing to think that you can spend time alone talking to the God of the universe—and that He will listen to you! Follower of Christ, unburden your heart before God, and let him speak to you through his Word in the power of his Spirit.

Prayer

God, we pray that you would help us take advantage of the reward that you have made possible for us. Lord Jesus, we praise you for the privilege of communion with you. We praise you for the reward that is found in being alone with you. Help us to prioritize this privilege over and above everything else in our lives. And, Jesus, we praise you for making this possible through your death and resurrection, and we pray that you would help us to experience the fullness of this reward on a daily basis. In Jesus’ name, Amen.