Hypocrites and Disciples in Prayer

Heart of Prayer

Jesus assumed his disciples would pray often

Jesus identifies two ways to pray in this passage. He starts by looking at how hypocrites pray, and then he sets the model His disciples should pray. Jesus isn’t just concerned with how much we pray, but how we pray.

The way that we pray reflects what we believe.

Hypocrites

Matthew 6:5 ESV

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

The hypocrites Jesus is talking about would stand as they prayed to make themselves more visible in synagogues that were packed with people. They would do the same on busy street corners; places where they were openly seen and “admired” for how they prayed.

Their reward for this kind of praying is given to them in the moment that they pray. They are seen as spiritual. They get attention. They want to be seen by others.

Disciples

Matthew 6:6 ESV

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

On the other hand, disciples should practice their prayers in secret. The purpose of prayer isn’t to impress people, even our family members. God hears our prayers and gives rewards for these sincere prayers. The issue isn’t public or private prayer here. It’s praying to make a spectacle of yourself instead of making a spectacle of God.

Hypocrites

Matthew 6:7 ESV

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

These hypocrites would lump flattering words and titles and names for God together and repeat them. Why do this?

You know when you really want something from your parents? You say nice things, you clean your room, you are nice to your siblings. You’re not doing those things because you’re so good, you’re doing them because you’re trying to manipulate your parents to give you what you want.

It’s the same here. The hypocrites are trying to get something from God and they think that He’ll hear them if they complement Him or are nice enough to Him. God doesn’t need badgered into action.

Disciples

Matthew 6:8 ESV

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Don’t do that! God is eager to give good gifts to His children without needing to be manipulated.

Jesus the lays out this model of prayer.

The first Word of this prayer is super cool. Saying, “Our Father” reminds followers of Jesus that we are brothers and sisters in a spiritual family under the same father.

I’m going to suggest that there are six requests, or petitions that Jesus wants us to pray when we pray.

Six petitions

Three things of God and His Kingdom

1 – God’s name should remain holy

Matthew 6:9 ESV

9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Let me read for you out of Ezekiel 36 for a second.

Ezekiel 36:22–23 ESV

22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.

Instead of showing God’s holiness to the nations, Israel profaned the name of God and his holiness to the nations. Later in Ezekiel, God promises to restore Israel and to put a new heart in her and to show Himself to all the nations. When we say “hallowed be your name,” we are saying “show your holiness to all the nations. May your holiness be known by all.”

We should pray that all would know God’s holiness.

2 – The Kingdom of God Will Come

Matthew 6:10 ESV

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

An ancient prayer for Jews called the Kaddish asked, “May he let his kingdom rule in your lifetime and in your days and in the lifetime of the whole house of Israel, speedily and soon.” Jesus’s disciples likely prayed this way. We’ll see God’s Kingdom in its fullest when Jesus returns again and establishes it over the whole earth.

We should pray that God’s Kingdom comes soon.

3 – God’s Eternal Plan will be Completed

Matthew 6:10 ESV

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

“Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew Exegesis

The angels in heaven stand poised to enact God’s plan immediately and to perfectly fulfill his desires.

Disciples of Jesus pray that God’s desires on earth are fulfilled in the same way and degree. Again, human rebellion will be squashed, unrepentant sinners will be punished, and God’s people will enjoy God’s promises for them when Christ returns.

We should pray for God’s eternal plan to be completed.

The prayer shifts from God’s Kingdom to our present needs.

Three Present Needs

4 – God’s Provision

Matthew 6:11 ESV

11 Give us this day our daily bread,

This petition is different. Jews used to pray for food for an entire year. Jesus is now asking His disciples to pray for their daily bread. It’s a kind of reminder and dependence that feels like when the Israelites were given manna in the wilderness. Manna would fall in the night, and they would collect it each morning before it would spoil.

We should pray for dependence on God for our daily needs.

5 – Debt of Sin

Matthew 6:12 ESV

12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Look with me at Luke 11:4. The Lord’s Prayer is in this gospel too.

Luke 11:4 ESV

4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

This isn’t just a pray for forgiveness of financial debts. It’s a prayer for debt of sin. The petition doesn’t say that only when a disciple forgives someone else of their sin that God will forgive the disciple. But if a person doesn’t respond to God’s gracious forgiveness by forgiving others, what does that say about how they view God? We’ll read the last bit of this section to show how serious God is about this.

(Matthew 18:23-35) if needed

We should pray that God would forgive our sins and that we would be quick to forgive others.

6 – God Delivers from Temptation

Matthew 6:13 ESV

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

This last petition is a prayer for protection from situations where we’re enticed to do evil. Earlier in Matthew 4, Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan.

Matthew 4:1 ESV

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

We’re literally praying that we aren’t led into that situation. Later in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus asks the disciples to resist temptation to deny him during his arrest, trial, and crucifixion.

Matthew 26:41 ESV

41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The word, “deliver” means to rescue from a fate that they can’t escape by themselves. We need delivered. This is another example of how we’re totally dependent on God for spiritual victory.

We should pray that we would not fall into temptation.

Conclusion

Matthew 6:14–15 ESV

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Application

I was convicted going through this passage this week. It’s not a wrong thing to pray for healing, for needs, for help with school or friendships. It’s a good thing to make our requests known to God! (Philippians 4:6). But this example shows how vital it is for us to pray for God’s work to be done. It reflects how our prayers should be dependent on God for His Kingdom to come, and our Spiritual Dependence on God.

When was the last time you thought about your prayer life?

How often do you pray?

When you pray do you pray for the things Jesus lists for us in this prayer?

How many of these prayers are about our physical needs?

How much of your prayer life is about Spiritual needs instead of physical needs?

Final Thoughts

Perpetua and Felicitas