I still laugh at the time I prayed a very short and somewhat lame prayer at the installation of a judge. I was young and embarrassed by my performance. As I took my seat, a very seasoned and overweight newspaper reporter leaned over and whispered, “There’s no such thing as a bad short prayer.”
The word “performance” stands out. I wasn’t praying. I was performing, and the applause I received was from a kind and sympathetic newspaperman.
It won’t surprise you that Jesus had something to say about what I was doing that day.
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
But whenever 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” (Matthew 6:5-6).
There was a time when actors used masks to portray their characters and to project their voices. One actor could play several roles in a play simply by changing their mask and voice. “Hypocrite” originally referred to this practice.
On my day in court, I was playing the role of a young, dressed-up minister who invoked God’s blessing on a new judge. Even though this story is 40-plus years old, I still have a clear picture of the reporter and his words. I can’t recall a single thing that I prayed. Like Jesus said, “I received my reward”—the kind and humorous words of a man seated behind me.
The world can be thankful for the millions of invisible people who quietly speak to God about the needs of their families, churches, and global events. Enormous good takes place because of these faithful lovers of God who dot the landscape throughout the world.
If you read a daily devotional blog, I expect you are one of God’s invisible praying people. I am thankful for you, but you have someone infinitely more important than me who recognizes your effort: the Lord Himself.
Your Father Knows
Jesus’ first correction in prayer had to do with performance. The second correction involved attempted manipulation. I doubt people would consciously admit to attempting to manipulate God through prayer.
Without getting too specific about the problems with our praying, let’s take Paul’s advice:
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words.
And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).
As we begin our prayer time, let’s admit to the Lord that we don’t know how to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help us. Just as the Holy Spirit intercedes according to God’s will, He will assist us to do the same.
When we pray in alignment with the Holy Spirit, we will avoid empty words and trust that God is active in our lives.
“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8).
Prayer Like Art
Prayer is more like art than mathematics. A child may not be able to do long division, but they can draw a picture with crayons and receive high praise from their parents. Immature and childish prayers are welcomed by our loving Heavenly Father.
Just as children and their art mature, so do we. We may discover Paul’s words in Romans 8 and begin to rely more on the Holy Spirit’s guidance in prayer. We may learn to sit with the Lord in silence. We may encounter any number of experiences with the Lord. We are not confined to strict rules of prayer like doing math equations.
Every artist is unique, and the same is true with prayer. Each of us will discover our unique way of meeting with God. The words of Jesus in the Gospels will guide us, and the Holy Spirit will help us, but our prayer will be our own.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 