"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." [Matthew 6:6]
How is it that as a Christian I was always taught to pray openly, publicly, with as much grandeur and eloquence as possible? instead of as Jesus taught? How did I miss this? Maybe the better question is WHY did I ignore it? The answer: Because secret worship and prayer and fasting, etc., is rewardless. We are geared to "show what we have done", to make constant reports at work on our achievements and progress, to hone our résumés until we appear supernaturally gifted and herculean hard-workers.
But Jesus doesn't self-advertise. And in spiritual matters, nor should we. Jesus prayed mostly in private, sometimes with his disciples nearby. His life was immensely blessed and every prayer answered. But his public prayers were extremely short. Yet God answered them immediately. Until now I had the idea that, if we want to glorify God, we must pray openly and especially pray in Jesus' name. Then others will hear this prayer and see it answered and recognize the hand of God. I still believe this.
But there is another side to prayer that I totally missed: That we must be continually in secret prayer, as Jesus teaches here and as Paul stresses in 1st Thessalonians 5:17. The fact that we pray in secret generally known, but it is known our Father, "who sees what is done in secret." What is the result? I believe those who have a regular time of secret prayer have a relationship with the Lord that is strong. If that means God answers our prayers, it is because we come to really know His will and pray in accordance with His will.
Lord, why did I miss this? Please renew my desire and the urging of the Spirit in me to prayer. Help me, Lord, an unspiritual oaf, to become a regular before your throne, to be with you always, with all the free time I have, for the glory of your Son Jesus. IJNA
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