“Thy Father Which Seeth In Secret”  

Matthew 6:1-18

           Our Lord did not say to his disciples, “If you give, pray, or fast.” He said, “when you give, pray, and fast.” Every true believer is a person of prayer. All God’s people are praying people. If prayer is not found in the heart, faith is not found in the heart. The Lord Jesus does not teach us in this chapter to give, or to fast, or to pray. All true believers are giving, earnest before God, and prayerful. Our Lord’s purpose here is to teach us how to worship him spiritually, how to give, fast, and pray without calling attention to ourselves.

Private Prayer

           Someone once said, “The secret to prayer is secret prayer.” As a general rule, it is best to make all matters of worship as private as possible. When you give, do not put an announcement about it in the paper. Believers are generous, giving people; but they do not seek and do not want any recognition for their gifts. Those who are most generous and most sacrificial consider their gifts the most insignificant.. Religious hypocrites are showy.

           When you fast, don’t even tell your husband or wife. Fasting, at the very least, suggests seriousness, zeal, and earnestness of heart in the worship and service of our God. Religious hypocrites gather others to fast with them, put on a show, and try to impress people with their dedication. Believers go about their daily business, endeavoring to conceal their devotion from others, and make it known to God alone.

           When you pray, enter into your closet, and speak to God alone. Religious hypocrites love to call attention to themselves in all their religious activities. After all, if no one knows what they are doing, no one can praise them for doing it.

           Many imagine that we ought to audibly pray and give thanks for our food in restaurants as a “testimony” to the people around us. Such behavior is not a testimony at all. It only calls attention to the one praying. This is exactly what our Lord tells us not to do.

           I cannot imagine a believing father not leading his family in prayer before family meals in his own home. Certainly it is proper for believers to publicly give thanks for their food whenever we have fellowship dinners, or social gatherings with other believers. But we must strive not to “be as the hypocrites are.” We must not make a show of religion. If you want to be a good witness in a restaurant, be polite, courteous, kind, and patient, and if you have received good service give the server a good tip.

Public Prayer

           The only place and time when it is appropriate to pray in public is when we are engaged in public worship, either in the assembly of the saints or when given the task and responsibility of leading an assembly (large or small) to the throne of God in prayer. At such times, those men who lead others in prayer, should speak thoughtfully, distinctly, and loudly enough to be heard by all in the assembly. If people cannot hear a man as he leads them in prayer, he is not leading them in prayer.

Don Fortner