Matthew 6:5 NKJV

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

Matthew 6:5 NKJV

Praying in the public is not the issue that Jesus is trying to address. It is the issue of the heart, it is about the purpose of why we do it.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees carry themselves with spiritual pride. Their prayer is to show people how holy and great they are.

Jesus is saying don't do anything for personal promotions but do it unto the Lord. Jesus commissioned us to go into all the world to preach and teach about the kingdom of God.

Today, many people stand in the street corner preaching the gospel and praying for the sick in the public. They are testifying of the Lord's goodness and that is great and God wants us to continue with that.

God is teaching us about the condition of our heart. Our prayers, our contributions, our sacrifices and our ministries must be unto the Lord and not for self promotion.

We don't pray to get rewards like the hypocrites, we pray because we have been rewarded with treasures of heaven and are blessed with every spiritual blessing.

Praying like the hypocrites is praying to get but praying like a child of God who is blessed with every spiritual blessing is a prayer of thanksgiving, giving God all the glory and honour.

As a child of God, we have been placed in a diferent place. It is a place of abundance, a place of health and prosperity.

Hypocrites have a mindset to manipulate and to pretend to be something they are not. If we have and act like we don't have, it is hypocrisy and if we don't have and act like we have, it is also hypocrisy.

Now in Christ we have become an heir of the kingdom and blessed with every spiritual blessing, we too need to start living like what Christ has done and like the one who have received the blessings from the Lord.

We have been made to be a giver just like Jesus because we have been filled with the abundance of God.

Therefore, in whatever we do, we do it in obedience, to glorify God our Father in heaven, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Live in the blessings,

Ps Ambrose