Prayer

When we pray, it should be for our benefit, that we are able to walk in His will and to be guided by His Spirit, rather than after the ways of the flesh and the world. We should pray that His Will be done – even if we certainly should know that it shall be, while at the same time we should pray that we are able to “stand in the evil day” as Paul put it at Ephesians 6:13.

Prayers to be made in Private

Matthew 6:5 And when you pray, do not be as the hypocrites, because they love to pray in the assembly halls and standing at the corners of the streets, that they should be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward! 6 But when you would pray, go into your closet and closing your door you shall pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees shall yield to you in secret.

In 1 Samuel chapter 1, we see that Hannah's prayer was answered when her lips moved, but she spoke it not, having prayed in her heart. Likewise, the prophet Daniel prayed alone in his room, and it was not necessarily his intention that he be seen through his window by his enemies, as it is related in Daniel chapter 6. Daniel and Hannah, while seen by others, were both praying privately. The apostles often prayed together, but they prayed privately, and not to make a show in front of others.

Christians who insist on public prayer, or that others must pray with them, are simply looking for a crutch. They want others to see how “pious” they are, that they may justify themselves. Real Christians do not need crutches, nor do they need outward displays of piety, which are pretentious. We should have no need to be seen praying publicly or with others. We should seek our God with our hearts and display our love through good deeds for our brethren, and not merely in the pretense of exhibition.

Prayers to not be Repetitious

Matthew 6:7 And those praying should not babble on repeatedly just as the heathens, for they suppose that by their many words they shall be heard. 8 Therefore do not become like them, for your Father knows that which you have need of before you ask Him!

This is a direct rebuke of what we see in Roman Catholicism, where for so-called “penance” one is instructed to repeat the same prayer any number of times, or where beads bearing idols are used to do the same. Yahweh knows what we need, what we have done, and what we need to repent of, as well as what we shall be rewarded for.

Ecclesiastes 5: “1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”

Do not “babble on repeatedly just as the heathens”, for it is absolutely vain.