by Pastor Brian Phillips
Jesus’ first explicit mention of prayer in the Sermon on the Mount is in 5:44-45a – “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Other, less direct instruction in prayer is found in 5:24 and 6:25-34 (particularly when coupled with Philippians 4:6-7), but Christ gives explicit teaching on prayer in 6:5-15 and 7:7-11.
In the former passage, Jesus calls us away from the “hypocrisy” and self-righteousness of the Pharisees and their ilk, commanding us not to “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. 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.”
Jesus bluntly states there are some who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and street corners and pray with the intent of being seen. They have their reward. Jesus openly calls them “hypocrites” because they miss the true nature of prayer itself. The word “hypocrite” originally referred to an actor. They are merely playing the part of a praying man.
They also give to the poor (6:1-4), not because they care about the poor or the glory of God, but because they want to be seen. They pray, not because they are concerned with conversing with God, but to be seen by others. They are actors.
Instead, Jesus says that our prayers should be offered with God alone as focal point – “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.” St. John Chrysostom noted that Jesus is concerned with the motive and intent of the heart here, and not with our location when we pray. The locations (standing in the synagogue, on the street corner vs. in your room) are intended to contrast the motives of the hypocrite with the truly prayerful person.
Verses 7-8 say, “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. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” “Empty phrases” actually means to “babble” – probably with the idea of mindlessly repeating ourselves or of praying without giving thought to what we are actually saying. The heathen would use mantras, repeating the same words, hoping to be heard by their false gods (the prophets of Baal crying out all day while Elijah waited).
The Lord doesn’t hear us because of our many words, nor does He hear us because we repeat ourselves. The Lord hears us because we are His. Psalm 65:2 reminds us that the Lord is the One who hears prayer, and He’s not hard of hearing.
In verse 8, Jesus says something that can prove a bit puzzling – “Do not be like them (the heathen or hypocrites), for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” There is no need for vain repetition, no need to “heap up empty phrases,” no need to babble, because the Lord does not have to be convinced. He already knows what you need “before you ask him.” Yet, we are commanded to ask; commanded to pray. Why? If God already knows, why pray? Because prayer is a gift of grace from the Lord.
God gives us the means to speak with Him, not because, as bumper stickers proclaim, “Prayer changes things,” but because prayer changes us. When we go to the Lord in prayer, we do not (or should not) go so that we may change God’s mind, but so that He can change ours, to help us think His thoughts and change our ideas, motives, and desires. We pray “not my will but Thine be done” for that very reason.