SOTM 23—Prayer

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.5 "And when you pray, do not be as the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, so they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do. For they think they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore, do not be like them. For your Father knows what things you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:5-8). Reward: from God, or from others? Make a choice.The Closet: probably not literal (as demonstrated through Jesus' own example), although many have understood it this way. Get free from distraction. Jesus is not forbidding corporate prayer, of course. (E.g. Acts 16:25 – Paul and Silas in prison.)Chrysostom: “Let us then not make our prayer through the gestures of our body or by the loudness of our voice, but by the earnestness of our mind. Let us not do it with noise and clamor and for display—such that we even disturb those who are near us. Rather, let us pray with all modesty, with contrition of the heart, and with inward tears.” Homilies on Matthew 19.4.Vain repetition: avoid wordiness as well as worldly petitions. Chrysostom again: “Here Jesus calls frivolousness by the name of ‘vain repetition.’ This is when we ask of God things unsuitable—such as kingdoms and glory, or to get the better of our enemies, or to obtain an abundance of wealth, or in general to pray about anything that does not concern us.” Homilies on Matthew 19.5.Origen: “… According to the passage in the Gospel, only Gentiles babble. For they are quite ignorant about great and heavenly petitions. Therefore, they send up all their prayers for material and external things. The Lord dwells in heaven and above the heights of the heavens. So he who asks for things from below is nothing more than a babbling Gentile.” On Prayer 12. [XXI 1-2.]The Lord urges economy in prayer—which will be especially visible in the Lord's Prayer.Next: The Prayer