Key Truth: God alone should be the main audience for our humble prayers regardless of where we pray.

Introduction:

Q: Is prayer a negotiable aspect of the Christian life? What role is it currently playing in yours?

“Q. 98. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.”

The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Don’t Pray Like a Hypocrite in the Open with Man as Your Audience:

Matthew 6:5

“The public versus private antithesis is a good test of one’s motives; the person who prays more in public than in private reveals that he is less interested in God’s approval than in human praise. Not piety but a reputation for piety is his concern.”

D.A. Carson, “Matthew” in The Expositors Bible Commentary

Q: What is the purpose of prayer? Is pride and self-focus consistent with the Biblical purpose of prayer?

Do Pray in Humility in Secret with God as Your Only Audience:

Matthew 6:6

“A man is what he is on his knees before God, and nothing more.”

Robert Murray M’Cheyne

Q: Who should be our audience regardless of where we pray? How does the private side of the devotional life inform and affect the public side?

Application:

“God is not interested in our public displays of piety. He’s not interested in religion in terms of outward show. He’s interested in godliness. Our spiritual lives are means to the end of godliness, and prayer is one of the key aspects of our spirituality.”

R.C. Sproul, The Prayer of the Lord

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:5-6 that:

- prayer is an expected part of the Christian life

- we should not pray like the hypocrites whose main audience and concern is man

- we should pray in humility knowing that our main audience is God

Benediction:

Psalm 81:13-16