SHARING BREAD
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. 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. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling
like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows
what you need before you ask him.”
Matt 6:5-8
(NIV)
The pious Pharisees – those who loved demonstrating their
supposed righteousness – enjoyed performing their act of public prayer before
the eyes of men - and an act it was. In
their long flowing robes with their long flowing religious jargon their prayers
were not directed towards God rather towards the ears and eyes of their hearers. They were famous for their long repetitive
phrases in liturgical voices in an effort to draw attention to their
religiosity. It perhaps drew the recognition,
attention and applause from man but not from God who directs His gaze to the
motive and the heart. Jesus states in
our verses for today they received their reward in full. Make no mistake about it; God is never into the
exaltation of self. I am reminded in
Luke of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector:
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness
and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple
to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 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. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all
I get.’” 13 “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.’” 14 “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.” Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
“Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which
cannot be refused.” Charles H. Spurgeon
“Tears have a tongue and grammar and language that our
Father knows.” Samuel Rutherford
We are not to trust in ourselves for our own righteousness nor
are we to show contempt for others. This
Pharisees’ prayer consisted of telling God how good he was and what a low life
the tax collector was. Jesus states the
one justified was the one who was humbly repentant not sanctimoniously
smug. Peter tells us true humility is
the proper attire for the child of God:
All of
you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God
opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand,
that he may lift you up in due time. 1
Peter 5:5-6 (NIV)
“There
is no true holiness without humility.” Thomas Fuller
“Humility
is nothing else but a true knowledge and awareness of oneself as one really
is.” The Cloud of Unknowing
Next
the Lord Jesus tells us we are to handle prayer privately. Christians are to be a praying people. If prayer-less then grace-less. Prayer is to be a conversation between man
and his Maker. It is to be earnest not
trifling, humble and not demanding – vain glory and vain repetition are not
acceptable practices for a child of the King.
What passes between God and the deep expression of our own souls must be
out of sight and not on stage. Public
places are not proper for earnest private prayer. Out Father in heaven is ready to hear and
answer - ever graciously willing to help and aid us. He is especially near to those who call upon
Him who lift up their soul and pour out their heart. Children need not make long speeches to their
parents when they are in need. Our
simple cry for “Help” is not a bad prayer.
God, who knows and sees all, often gives before we ask and even more
than we ask:
24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still
speaking I will hear. Isaiah 65:24
(NIV)
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than
all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Eph 3:20-21 (NIV)
Our
most powerful intercessions are made with groans that words cannot express:
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for
us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the
Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's
will. Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
What I glean from this:
· As a child
of the King I am to be humble.
· God is
never into the exaltation of self.
· God, Who
knows and sees all, is more willing to give that we are even willing to ask.
