Let’s read Matthew 6:1-6, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 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. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

This important portion is a warning that we should not act as hypocrites who would give their money and say their public prayers only to be seen of others “that they may have glory of men.”  It is so easy to fall into the trap of wanting to be respected and admired of others for what we do.  It is proper that we give to the Lord with a cheerful and thankful heart as we read in 1 Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7).  However, if we try to make a spectacle of ourselves so that others can see how much we have given, then we are not doing it for the Lord’s sake, but for the sake of our own pride.

The same goes for the prayers we offer to the Lord.  There are many instances where we may be called upon to pray publicly.  It could be in a church service, it could be giving of thanks for a meal in a public restaurant, it could be a public prayer at a wedding or funeral…the list goes on.  The problem that is being addressed is not public prayer, but the attitude in our prayers.  I was at such a public gathering recently and a man stood to give thanks for the food.  As I listened, I thought of how eloquent he sounded as he prayed.  I looked up and saw that he was simply reading a prepared prayer.  It struck me that his prayer was not addressed to the Lord, but to the audience that heard his prayer.  Imagine if we only spoke to each other through prepared speeches.  A true prayer comes from the heart and addresses the Lord in the present.  Otherwise, we are not waiting for the Holy Spirit to lead us in our prayers.

The Lord warned against these hypocritical practices from the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:5, “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments.”  Here, these men desired to call attention to themselves by the clothes they wore.  This is another manifestation of pride working in the heart.

Pride in the hearts of people is so destructive.  We are warned in Proverbs 16:18-19, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”  May we be humbled in the presence of the Lord and not be guilty of drawing attention to ourselves by our giving, our prayers, our clothing, or any other means. May we be reminded of the words of James 4:6, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”  (CC)  (664.6)