Matthew 6:5-6

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen my men. 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” (Matthew 6:5-6 RSV).

Comment:

Like so much of the Sermon on the Mount, this passage offers a practical guide to the Law of Mind Action. What we receive from prayer, Jesus is saying, will always be exactly what we are truly seeking. But that may not be what we think we are seeking. The ‘hypocrites’ make it a point to pray very publicly, so that their prayers impress others around them. They may, indeed, impress others, but “they have received their reward.” They will not receive whatever they think they are asking in prayer because impressing others is the real point of the prayer. In order to receive the abundance, healing, grace, guidance we really want, we must forget about other people or outer circumstances, and turn within. It is in that inner room at the heart of our being that we are connected to the Power of God. And it is by shaping our prayer at that deep, inner level that we create for ourselves the Good we seek.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed