Reward in Prayer

Wednesday, May 17

Reward in Prayer      

But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6

In Matthew 6 Jesus is warning us about practicing deeds of righteousness, religious actions to be seen by others. He says, “When you pray, go in your room, shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret,” like nobody else but you and God, “and your father who sees in secret will reward you.” That’s a promise. That every single day there is reward waiting for you and me in a room alone when we decide to talk with the Father.

In Jesus’ day, there were people who loved to make it known that they were praying. These individuals would put on a public show of their religious life and let everyone know how righteous they lived. It is comforting to read where Jesus says they were missing the point — prayer is not a performance, it’s a conversation with our Heavenly Father. If we’re tempted to make a public show of our relationship with God, then it’s best we move much of that practice out of the eyes of others.

For many of us, the temptation isn’t so much to make a public show of our prayers as it is to put on some show in our own closet prayers. As if the God we serve is not the One who looks not at the outward appearance but the One who sees deep within. With our fancy efforts we attempt to impress God with flowery language, cover up the dark corners of our lives, or feel that our prayers don’t measure up to someone else’s’ more eloquent prayers.

Yet all the while, He is asking us for nothing more than a conversation. Just a talk with Him. We should instead come to the throne as we are to make our petitions known. If we feel we need to resort to showy or inauthentic prayers, we’d best remember that God wants us to express ourselves with humility, honestly and simply. Prayer isn’t about impressing God or others — it’s about being fully present with the God whose love we don’t have to earn by any performance.

Prayer for today: Loving God, may my prayers be open and honest expressions of who I am. Help me to avoid the temptation to make my prayers a show to impress you. Instead I want to come to you in a place of desperation as I am undone without you. Continue to be my strength. Amen.