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. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. Matthew 6:5 (NIV)
When Jesus was asked how to pray, He started with some things not to do. In this verse, He does not want people to pray like the hypocrites. They made a show out of prayer. They did it to be seen by others – to make themselves be seen as better than others. In this verse, Jesus said to not be like that. Don’t make a show out of prayer. Instead, think of your relationship with God and pray from your heart. Prayer is not something to boast about or use to show off. When thinking about the right ways to pray, sometimes it’s helpful to learn what not to do.
Questions:
1. Did anything challenge you? Why?
2. What do I learn about people?