This morning, we can continue our consideration of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 6, considering verses 5 through 8. You recall, our Lord began verse 1 by saying, Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. And then he gives three illustrations of acts of righteousness. Giving, prayer, and fasting. This morning we consider our Lord's teaching on prayer. But along with that, if you would turn to Luke chapter 18 as we just read together the familiar parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Luke 18, reading verses 9 through 15. And then turning back to Matthew 6, Luke 18, beginning at verse 9, this is God's Word. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, And he who humbles himself will be exalted. Turning back to Matthew 6, beginning at verse 5, we will read through verse 15, considering verses 5-8. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, and to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. This, then, is how you should pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if You forgive men when they sin against You, Your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. We pray that God would add His blessing upon the reading and consideration of His Word this morning. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus says, But when you pray, not if you pray, but when you pray. You see, he assumes that the Christian life will be a life that is founded on prayer. Prayer is indeed an act of righteousness for the kingdom citizen, as Jesus teaches us here. It is indispensable for the Christian life. But it seems not only for the believer, is it? For there are many who do not believe in the true God. Many who follow false religions or even unbelievers who find themselves in a time of crisis and will be quick to ask for prayer. There is much that is called prayer out there. There is much that is offered as prayer. Yet, true prayer, beloved, is communion and fellowship with the one true God alone for the sake of Jesus Christ alone. And that true prayer is offered only by those who are born again by the grace of God and those who then pour out their hearts to God in complete dependence upon the One who gave them new birth, who gave them the gift of faith, And anything other than this, any other thing that might be offered, any words that are offered, is nothing but emptiness. Empty words. Prayer is indeed indispensable for the life of a believer. And as you think about that, let me ask you and myself, do you find prayer then to be a delight or a drudgery? Is it a necessity for you? Or simply a matter of convenience? Is it something that is essential? for your life? Or is it simply optional? Is it something you desire? Or is it nothing more than a burden? You see, the hymn that we sang is correct. Prayer is the Christian's vital breath by which we come to God. In a sense, it is that lifeline that God Himself has given to us by which we are to come to Him. Now Jesus, of course, is teaching us here about the proper motive of kingdom righteousness, the proper motive of living the Christian life in contrast to hypocritical motives. And just as there is a proper motive and manner in the Christian's giving, the same is true when it comes to prayer. But when you pray, first of all, seek God's audience. That's the proper motive of prayer. seeking God's audience. Notice the text begins again, 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. Now, we need to understand that Jesus is not condemning praying in the context of a gathering of believers for worship or Bible study or whenever God's people are gathered together to pray. The Bible teaches us in other places as well that prayer is an indispensable part of the life of the church also. He is not condemning prayer before a basketball game between two Christian school teams. He is not condemning prayer before a meal in a restaurant unless one's motive is to be seen by those around and to make an impression on those who are around. He is not saying that when it comes to all those times and situations, He is not saying, well, don't bother to pray. He's talking here about personal prayer personal devotions, personal piety that may be done in public, but for selfish purposes. When you pray, seek God's audience versus the audience of others instead of the audience of others. That was the motive of the hypocrites, of the Pharisees, and the teachers of the law. They wanted to be seen by men. And that motive is seen in their place of prayer. Jesus mentions here the synagogue and the street corners. Now, the Jews had set times, times set aside for prayer, and often that prayer would then take place as they would make their way to the synagogue. But it is suggested that possibly Jesus is addressing that in those times, if one was not able to make it to the synagogue, somehow, conveniently, they found themselves at that set time for prayer on the street corner. But not just any old street corner. We're talking Main Street, a very wide and a busy street with traffic of people passing from all four directions. Now understand that Jesus is not so much singling out the synagogue or the street corner, the places themselves, but the fact that these are places where then many people could be found. There were many people around to observe you, which would then promote the hypocrite's posture. Again, He talks about standing for prayer, but there, standing was somewhat regular. Jesus Himself stood on occasion to pray, but standing as publicly as possible. We think of the synagogue like the Pharisee in the parable, standing forward, standing in a prominent place where everyone else could see and hear Him. Or standing before the eyes of many, again on that street corner, because they wanted to be seen because of their pride. You see, they didn't care if God heard them. They didn't care if God accepted their prayer. But they cared that man would admire them. That man would applaud them. That man would think of them, oh, what a godly person! Notice how that one, he just wants to be with God so much. He's not afraid to do it anywhere. He must be such a spiritual person. We think of the pride of the Pharisee. God, I thank You that I'm not like, but I do all these things. And the danger, beloved, is that pride is incompatible. It does not fit with true prayer, which again includes an expression of our needs, an expression of our dependence upon God. The farthest thing from pride. Like the tax collector who wanted to stand, he would have locked himself away. He would have preferred to not have anybody be around. praise the Lord, have mercy on me. An attitude of prayer, beloved, and any words that are not truly intended for God but are meant to impress man is the worst possible prostitution, misuse of prayer. Because it is to use what is to be reserved for God alone, namely prayer, and to use that to give the impression of having fellowship with, of having a relationship with Him, yet instead, really, to make a show to men. Forgetting all along that God sees, that God hears everything. It is to profane God's holy name, to insult Him. And Jesus speaks very clearly then about the product of their prayer, the result. They have their reward. And we hear those words as a simple little phrase and it's really heart-wrenching because we know what it means, don't we? They want the praise of men. They got it. As temporary as it might be. It's meaningless. As we said a couple of weeks ago, that it vanishes just as quickly as the breath that it took to speak whatever praise men might give. Now, we might hear these words, beloved, and we might think, well, this doesn't really, as we hear it, it doesn't really apply to us today because, you know, we don't really have a problem when it comes to praying in public. I mean, we don't stop on a street corner before everybody and just start praying. In fact, it might be more true to say that our problem is the fact that sometimes we are content if others don't know that we pray at all. Which is a danger because so often we want to blend in with the world because we're afraid of any ridicule the world might give us for showing any kind of spirituality. Yet even though Jesus is talking here about private prayer in public to be seen by men, the motive also applies to praying in the public assembly. From the pulpit, ministers have to exercise great care when they pray on behalf of the congregation. It applies to gathering in a Bible study or whenever God's people are gathered together and desire to pray with one another. It applies to praying in a restaurant. In a sense, Jesus is saying be careful that your motive in a restaurant is not evangelism. Now that may strike us a bit odd. But that's not the purpose of prayer. Indeed, we may and we ought to be a witness to whomever may see us at whatever time, but that is not the purpose of prayer. In a sense, Jesus is saying be careful when you pray in a public gathering that your goal is not to have an effect on those around you who hear, that it's not to have an effect on those on whose behalf you might be praying. For example, that your goal would not be to instruct others through your prayer or to have some sort of an influence that they might respond by saying, oh, he is so godly or she is such a great prayer or that the one praying becomes the automatic go-to person whenever an assembly is gathered and a prayer is needed. However, it's also possible to draw attention to oneself by declining to pray when asked. And I know this gets a bit touchy, doesn't it? For example, because I'm not good at it. Or because I don't feel comfortable with it. Or because I don't know what to say. Or simply because one is afraid of what others will say negatively or behind their back after the prayer is offered. You see, that is to put man first and to worry about what man thinks first. And that can also be a form of hypocrisy. You see, beloved, all believers are blessed and equipped by the Holy Spirit with the ability to pray, whether young or old, whether new to the faith or mature in the Christian faith, all are equipped by the Holy Spirit with the ability to pray. It's not about being good at it in the eyes of others. It's not about praying at a certain maturity level. It's not about praying in a way that sounds impressive to others. It's about simply talking to God, about pouring out your heart to Him. It's about having an audience of one. About being in His presence one-on-one. As Jesus says in verse 6, 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. Yes, we are called to pray for and on behalf of each other. Absolutely. Yet the gift of prayer is given to each child of God as his or her own special possession by which to come to God. That's why it is not, first of all, a tool of evangelism. For each and every one of us to come to God not with a divided heart that desires His attention and the attention of others, but with singleness of heart focused on God alone. The word room here has the idea of a lockable storage closet a secret chamber to be with god alone now of course most of the houses in jesus day were only one room homes but they would have understood this idea of a lockable storage closet and it suggested that very possibly the jews when jesus said these words they might have thought of the most secret place that existed namely in the in the temple the holy of holies which was closed to everybody except for the high priest who would go in one time per year and they all knew that he went in alone with God. And that's what Jesus is saying to you and me one on one. And we know that too, I believe, because verse 6 is filled with references to the second person singular. Eight times, I believe. The second person singular. You, yourself. As if Jesus looks each and every believer as if He looks you and me, each one of us in the eye and says you be alone with God in prayer. And it might take a special, secret, physical place. Jesus Himself would go off to the Mount of Olives to be alone. But ultimately the purpose was to remove distractions. You see, when you talk to your spouse or to your boyfriend or to your girlfriend on the phone, you might talk differently if there's someone a few feet from you listening to what you say than how you would talk if there was nobody there. I think we all understand that. And the same might be true with prayer. We might be tempted to talk differently to God if someone is listening. But the goal, whether one is actually alone or not, is surrounded by others, the goal is for us to be unobserved. to avoid the temptation to be on display. Maybe not literally unobserved, but in our minds, in our hearts, to not worry about them. The goal is to be undisturbed. To avoid distractions. Jesus knew that there are many things that distract us, especially in our day. Our schedules are so busy. We can hardly go into next week without thinking about the work and the activities of this past week. We can hardly keep things straight. We can hardly find time for prayer, let alone when we find that time to empty our minds of all those things that would distract us and to fill it with God. He knew there are many things to distract us like others or work or problems. And the goal, in a sense, is to be unheard. Again, for greater freedom in speaking from the heart. And we can sum it up by saying The goal is to shut out anything and everything from our minds and hearts except the thought of God and except the thought of our relationship with Him. And therefore, whether praying in private or in a public gathering, whether praying with others or for others, it is sincerity of heart, a heart alone with God that is pleasing and acceptable to Him. He can tell if one is praying to Him or if one is praying for the benefit of others. And Jesus teaches that He is the one who finds you anywhere. The second half of verse 6 says, then your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. You see, when locked in your room, as it were, all alone, or with all distractions, all disturbances put away, you are never alone. Because God is there. He's omnipresent. He fills every secret place. And that is to be our comfort always when you feel the weight of the world coming in on you, when you think that you have no one to whom you can turn to to talk with. God is there. And He will hear. In fact, that's His reward. He hears. He will notice. He answers according to our need. He gives peace of heart and mind knowing that the Father in His infinite love will give us what is best. And as Paul says in Ephesians 3, He is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think. But when you pray, seek God's audience alone. And then also, we are to have confidence in the second place as we know God's character. When you pray, know God's character. Verses 7 and 8, And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Jesus is shifting to the manner of praying, first of all negatively and then positively as He teaches the Lord's Prayer. Know God's character, which is unlike the character of pagan gods. Now again, Jesus is not condemning asking for the same thing more than once. Jesus Himself asked for the cup to be removed three times. Paul asked for the thorn to be removed three times. He's not condemning asking for the same thing more than once. We are taught in Scripture earlier in Luke 18 to persevere in prayer. But He's condemning lip service. He's condemning babbling without any sort of real content, but yet filled with so many words. It is believed that the heathen would try to wear out their God to try to tire out their gods like a child who simply will not take no for an answer and comes back again and again and says, please, please, please and finally wears down his parents so that the parents give in. It is believed that's what the heathen tried to do to their gods to wear them down. They thought they had a greater chance of success in getting what they want. And we think of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Oh, Baal, hear us from morning till noon well into the afternoon. The same thing again and again with no content, of course, because their God had no content. But the heathen tried to prove their sincerity by praying on and on and on. When it comes to what Jesus is saying here, we think of the Roman Catholic Church and the Rosary and saying so many Hail Mary. So we think of the Muslim religion that has so many times set aside in the day for prayer. those set times that become important. Jesus' warning is that it's not the length of the prayer, it's not set times for prayer, it's not certain repeated phrases that make prayer true and pleasing and acceptable as He shows, as He gives that beautiful example with the Lord's Prayer. But it is sincerity of heart, a heart of faith that understands the character of God, who He is. The pagans thought that their gods were not really interested in them. That their gods were reluctant to give to them. That their gods were holding back in order to see how the one who was praying first performs. And I think some probably think that our God is the same, but He is not like that. Because He is the one who is your Father. Jesus says, pray to your Father. He says in verse 8, Do not be like them for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Your Father, you see, is able to hear because your Father is God. He is the one and only Almighty God. His is power to hear and give when we block everything out. We are to meditate on God, on His divine attributes, including His holiness and power, His unchanging faithfulness. His infinite mercy. Your Father is God. And because He is God, He knows. He knows what you need. That's why you don't need to babble. That's why you don't need to try to convince Him by making up all kinds of things. He's omniscient. He's way ahead of us. He knows all that we need. He alone is able to hear and respond and do for us. And beloved, He is willing to hear because this God is our Father. He's our Father. Who loves us so much that He made us His children as John says in 1 John 3. He adopted us in Christ Jesus. He brought us into that intimate relationship that we understand, don't we, as parents and children. That intimate relationship of love and protection and care and compassion and provision. David in Psalm 103 says he has compassion on his children. He says so great is his love for those who fear him. This God who calls us to pray to Him is our Father. Beloved, God is not impressed with many fancy words. Or lengthy prayers that are nothing but emptiness? He does not depend on us to inform Him of anything. He is never unaware or surprised by our circumstances of life, whether good or bad. Sometimes we are surprised by them, and therefore we think that God is surprised by them. He's not. Remember many years ago when I was first diagnosed with cancer, one of the first cards I received from someone I barely knew, has said, God is not unaware of what you are going through. Wow! Boy, did I need to hear that. He's not surprised. He's never caught off guard. He never has an oops, missed that one, didn't see it coming sort of moment. Never. He is never ignorant. He is never left in the dark. And beloved, we ought not treat Him as if He is. And He does not need us to excite Him in some way to perform as if He is reluctant to give and we have to pour out so many prayers or get so many people to pray and I hope that we would never use, for example, our prayer posting that way. There are people in this world who think that we've got to flood heaven with prayer immediately with as many prayers as possible otherwise we might miss that window of opportunity for God to hear us. when we share our prayer requests with one another, it's a tool to help equip us to pray knowledgeably in our room. Indeed, beloved, prayer is a blessed means that God has given and uses by which to come to the aid of His people, to bless His people, yet He knows long before how He will answer. We are to ask for healing and blessing. We are to ask for the things, even as we see we need them, but most of all, we are to ask that those involved would be conformed to His will, that He would make His will acceptable to us, that He would equip us to handle His will, knowing that it is best, it is for the good of His people. Praise God that He doesn't need us to inform Him of anything. That He's not in the dark. Praise God that He doesn't need us to spur Him on to perform in any way. Praise God because often we don't even know what to pray for. But the Holy Spirit does. And He helps us when we don't know. You see, prayer is not for God's benefit. He doesn't need it. It's for our benefit. It's a blessed gift He has given to us by which we come to Him, by which we show childlike trust in the One who said, cast Your care upon me, by which we demonstrate dependence upon Him as the only fountain of all good. by which we demonstrate obedience to the One who calls us to pray. That gift by which He often does give what we want. It's for our benefit by which we glorify and praise Him because of who He is and for what He has done for us in Christ Jesus. You see, God's response to us, God's response to us is not, it never is based on our performance in prayer. but God's response to us is always and only singularly based on the perfect work of Jesus Christ who is even at this moment our mediator between us and the Father. He is the one by whom we come to God. He is the one alone by whom we are received by God. Guaranteed. Through prayer, with a sincere heart, we are brought into the very presence of God by the Holy Spirit. Imagine that, beloved. Almighty God who is sovereign over all things. He is our Father for Jesus' sake. He loves us. How can we not desire to be alone with Him in prayer? And the Father's promise for Jesus' sake, His promise to those who pray to Him with their heart and might and set on Him and His glory alone, His promise is that He will give us his full attention. He will delight in the conversation. But when you pray, seek God's audience alone gained for us by the Lord Jesus Christ alone. And know and rejoice in God's character, our Father, who art in heaven. Amen. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, You have blessed us with such a rich and a precious gift of prayer. We thank You. Help us by Your Holy Spirit to delight in taking advantage of that gift. of desiring to come to You in prayer through the door which Christ Jesus alone has opened for us. We thank You, Father, for hearing us. We praise You for answering us according to our needs. And we ask, Lord, that You would continue to bless us with that precious gift. O Lord, hear our prayer for Jesus' sake and in His name we pray. Amen.