Our Scripture reading for today is Matthew 6:5-8.
[5] And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. [6] But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
[7] And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
From reading our text today, here are five great truths.
1. Prayer should be genuine and not a performance.
[verse 6] But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father.
2. God values the intent behind prayer more than its eloquence
[verse 7] And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.
3. God does not reward public pretentious prayer.
(Verse 5) Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
4. Faithful prayer reflects trust in God.
This is the truth behind every praying person and it is absent in every person who does not pray as they should.
5. God knows our needs before we ask.
Jesus plainly says this in verse 8, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
For our devotional thought, I urge you to consider this last point. If that is true (and it is), that God knows our needs before we ask, then why should we even pray? Since God already knows, then what is the point?
The answer to that question goes to the question of why we pray. Here is the short answer: While God indeed knows our needs before we ask them, prayer is not merely about asking for things. It is about developing a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Creator, and aligning our hearts with His. It’s a spiritual discipline that shapes us, comforts us, and connects us more profoundly to the heart of God.
In short, prayer is a relationship. At its core, prayer is about cultivating a personal relationship with God. It’s a means of communication that helps us grow closer to Him, understand His heart, and align our will with His. In any relationship, communication is key to intimacy; through prayer, we enter into an act of communication with our Father.
Lonnie Davis