Lesson Context: The disciples’ interest in learning about prayer was sparked by their awareness that John the Baptist had taught his own followers the correct way to pray (Luke 11:1). While no one has any of John the Baptist’s prayers, there are examples of Jesus’ prayers (John 17:1-26), which consists of a lengthy prayer given by Jesus in the upper room during the Last Supper. The church tends to use the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew more often because it is more detailed than the wording in Luke’s Gospel. Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer had a multi-part address to God, several petitions or requests, and a concluding acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty. (International Sunday School Lessons KJV 2024-2025).
l. Directives for Prayer (Matthew 6:5-8):
A. For Public Praise (v. 5). “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as 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.” Jesus assumed that His disciples would give, so He told them the right way to give (Matthew 6:1-4). He also assumed that His disciples would pray, and it was important that they not pray in the same manner as the hypocrites. “For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets.” There were two main places where a Jew in Jesus’ day might pray in a hypocritical manner. They might pray at the synagogue at the time of public prayer, or on the street at the appointed times of prayer (9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m.). (David Gutzik’s Blue Letter Bible Commentary). Note: Before the time of Jesus, the word hypocrite was used to describe actors on a stage, people who pretended to be what they were not. (International Sunday School Lessons KJV 2024-2025).
B. In personal Privacy (v. 6). “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.” Rather, we should meet with God in our room (or “closet”). The idea is of a private place we can impress no one except God. The specific ancient Greek word “room” was used for a storeroom where treasures were kept. This reminds us that there are treasures waiting for us in our prayer closet. Jesus certainly did not prohibit public prayer, but our prayers should always be directed to God and not towards man. (David Gutzik’s Blue Letter Bible Commentary).
C. Without Prattle ( v. 7). “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
The right kind of prayer does not use vain repetitions, which is any and all prayer which is mostly words and no meaning; all lips and no mind or heart. One can pray long-but to the wrong god. The true God isn’t impressed by the length or eloquence of our prayers, but the heart. “Prayer requires more of the heart than the tongue. The eloquence of prayer consists in the fervency of desire, and the simplicity of faith.” (Clarke)
D. With Purpose (v. 8). “Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” We don’t pray to tell God things that He didn’t know before we told Him. We pray to commune with and appeal to a loving God who wants us to bring every need and worry before His throne. (David Gutzik’s Blue Letter Bible Commentary)
ll. The Prototypical Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):
lll. Addendum on Forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15):