Vital Signs: Saturday, March 15, 2025

Praying with Purpose

When Christ instructed His disciples on prayer, He began by teaching them how not to pray. His instructions are particularly relevant in a world where people often seek admiration for their accomplishments.

Jesus said: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” (Matthew 6:5)

He also warned: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matthew 6:7)

How can we summarize Christ’s teaching on how not to pray? Pray not for the ears of others, but for God’s ears alone.

Does this mean we should never pray in public? Of course not. What it does mean is that our focus should be on God when we pray. We should bare our hearts before our Heavenly Father. We should never pray just to hear someone say, “That was a wonderful prayer.” Rather, we pray because we know our Father hears us.

Does this mean we shouldn’t pray a brief blessing over our food in a public restaurant? Or that we must offer a lengthy prayer to avoid “vain repetition”? No. Jesus, our model for successful prayer, is teaching us that our private prayer life should be honest and open. He was less concerned with the form of our prayers (whether public or private) than He was with their sincerity and substance.