She Reads Truth: Prayer in the BibleSample

Private and Corporate Praying

Until now, we have learned and studied examples of prayers of praise, confession, petition, intercession, and Kingdom advancement. We could call these the What’s of prayer. But for these final three days, let’s look together at what God’s word says about the Who, Where, and When of praying.

Let’s begin by reading Matthew 6:1-6, particularly focusing on the last two verses. Christ is instructing us to avoid the temptation to impress others with our prayers. While not all of us struggle with praying loudly in synagogues or on street corners in particular, many of us do struggle with the synagogues of the 21st century - the social media street corners that affirm our righteousness in the language of “likes” and hearts.

Eesh.

I write humbly today as a guilty sister, having publicly used His name for my own glory.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them...” (Matthew 6:1, emphasis added)

It’s all about the heart here, sisters. Whether it’s on Instagram or as a guest at your neighbor’s table, each time we call out His name publicly, we must carefully examine: am I doing this to be impressive, or am I doing this because He’s impressive?

And the answer to that question is between you and Him. In the quiet times.

Our Lord is calling us to quiet prayer so that we can give Him our undivided attention, free of any ulterior motives, free to hear Him and to speak humbly to Him.

But, it doesn’t end here. Private prayer should not be the only praying we do.

James 5:16 charges us to confess our sins to one another and to pray for one another.

Acts 2:42 shows us the fellowship of the believers in the early church devoting themselves to breaking bread and praying together.

And in Acts 20, we see Paul preparing to leave Ephesus, his goodbye flowing naturally from thanks, to warning, to quoting Christ’s own words, and finally into a time of prayer and embracing in Christian community.

Why?

Because the Christian life is personal, but it is not private.

God requires pure motives and contrite spirits when we go before Him. He also loves to see His people come together to come to Him - corporately seeking His face, lifting one another up in intercession, praising Him for His works.

Christ Himself invited His disciples to join Him as He talked to the Father (can you imagine???) in Luke 9:28, John 17, and of course in Gethsemane (Mark 14:32).

The simple “Who” of prayer is first you and Him, alone and unimpressive; and second, believers together before Him, corporately praising, confessing, petitioning, interceding, and asking that His Kingdome come and His will be done.

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