Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Don’t Pray to Impress

Don’t Pray to Impress

Last updated on: December 10, 2019 at 1:12 pm by Adrian Warnock

Don’t Pray to Impress 2019-12-10T13:12:35+00:00 Adrian Warnock

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We must pray for an audience of One, not to look good in front of others. God is listening when we pray. He is watching our hearts to see our motives. Are we praying to impress others, or even him? Or are we praying out of our love for him, and our sense of need for him.

What this all means is that multiple words are not necessary. Flamboyant expressions are not needed. Sometimes all that is needed is that simple one word “help”! And when times are really tough Jesus is eager for us to cry out to him in that way.

We have looked at the way God calls us to trust him and pray, whatever our circumstances. How sad is it that we often feel inadequate at praying, and so fail at the first hurdle. The less we pray the less we feel able to pray, and the less we feel we deserve to be heard. Yet whether you last prayed five minutes ago or five years ago Jesus is eager to hear from you right now!

Jesus is much more interested in the heart felt cry of the needy than the carefully polished prose of the religious:

“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 by others. 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.

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:5-8, ESV)

This whole series on the commands of Jesus, was inspired and prompted by John Piper’s fantastic book on the subject. He explains the simple point I am trying to make today really well:

The readiness of God to answer and his perfect knowledge of what we need before we ask means that we should be simple in our wording and reject anything like a repetitive mantra that would imply God is aroused by our monotonous incantations . . .

Jesus hates hypocrisy—like appearing to love God when what you really love is the praise of man. His most disparaging language was reserved for “hypocrites.” He called them children of hell, “blind guides,” “full of greed and self-indulgence,” “whitewashed tombs” (Matt. 23:15, 24, 25, 27). The demand is unmistakable: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). The implication for prayer (and fasting and almsgiving, Matt. 6:1–4, 16–18) is: Treasure God, and all that he will be for you, in prayer; but do not treasure the praise of man. And most of all do not turn a God-treasuring act of prayer into a man-treasuring act of hypocrisy.

Piper, J. (2006). What Jesus demands from the world (p. 107-110). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

I almost feel like leaving it here.

Of course this is not a command against spending long periods in prayer. Jesus himself often went off to quiet places for long periods of fellowship with God his Father. It is just saying we shouldn’t pile up meaningless phrases to sound good. And it is saying that God will accept even the briefest of prayers if our heart is in the right place.

It is also not a condemnation of corporate prayer. Jesus taught his disciples to pray “Our Father” and so the implication there is that there would be times of corporate prayer as well as individual times. And indeed the church in Acts was characterised by such regular gatherings to seek God together.

The point is that if you pray with a group of believers, you should also be praying alone in the secret place. And if you pray alone or in public, you must remember who you are speaking to, and simply be real, succinct, and brief.

Do we really believe that God will reward us for praying? If so why do we pray so little?

Learn More

Jesus Commands: Fast, but not to Impress Others

Slow Down to Meet God

Jesus commands: Pray Like This

“Pray Always” – Jesus

Trust Him and Pray

Keep Walking with Jesus

Keep Asking and Expecting

Three Phases of Faith

Coming soon (God willing) : the rest of the series “Jesus Commands”

Jesus said that if you obey him your life will be established on a firm foundation when the storms come.

Follow the link to read all the articles, or subscribe to our newsletter to be notified as they are published.

Complete the form in the top of the right hand column, or below if you are visiting on a mobile device.

Previous Post

November 28, 2019

Three Phases of Faith

Next Post

December 30, 2019 My 2019 Top Twenty

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 and 2 Corinthians 1 and 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2 Timothy 1 John 300 Leaders A Life of Joy Abortion Acts of the Apostles Adrian on radio Adrian on TV Adrian's Story Albert Mohler Amazing Grace Arminocalvinist Spectrum Assurance Atonement Atonement Series Attributes of God Barnabas Best of the Blog Bible Bible Software Bible Translation Biblical Inerrancy Billy Graham Bob Roberts Books C. J. Mahaney Calvinism Cessationism Charis Warnock Charismatic Spectrum Charles Simeon Charles Spurgeon Church Leadership Colossians Complementarian - Egalitarian Spectrum Complementarianism Conferences Culture Daniel Debates Deuteronomy DGM08 DGM13 Discernment Doctrine Don Carson Ed Stetzer Eddy Leo Ephesians ESV Bible Translators Interview Evangelism in a Post-Christian World evolution Exodus Expository Preaching Ezekial Faith and Feelings Family Florida Galatians General Genesis Get Wisdom - Proverbs sermons Gifts of The Holy Spirit Gifts of the Holy Spirit 2006 Global Faith Forum Godly Attitudes Gospel Gospels Grace Greg Haslam Grudem vs Piper: The Baptism Debate Healing Heaven Hell and Rob Bell Hebrews Henry Tyler Henry Warnock Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Baptism Hope Reborn Hugh Palmer Irresistable Grace Isaiah J. I. Packer Jack Hayford Joel Joel Warnock John John Lanferman John MacArthur John Newton John Owen John Piper John Smyth Jonathan Edwards Josh Harris Justification Justin Taylor Kenneth Ulmer Leadership Leadership Lessons from 1 & 2 Samuel Lex Loizides Liam Goligher Lig Duncan Limited Atonement Lou Fellingham Mark Dever Mark Driscoll Martyn Lloyd-Jones Matt Chandler Mental Health Missionary Methods: St Paul’s or Ours? My Story N. T. Wright Nehemiah NWA08 NWA09 NWA10 Opinion OT History Books Pentateuch Personal Personal Revival Philippians PJ Smyth Podcast Politics Preaching Prophecy Proverbs Psalms Raised With Christ Reformed Charismatic Regeneration Relationships Resurrection Resurrection & Salvation Revival Rice Broocks Rich Man and Lazarus Rick Warren Rob Rufus Roland Allen Romans Sam Storms Sanctification Series Sermons Sermons on Philippians Serving Jesus at Work Sexuality Sin St Paul Steve Chalke Strange Fire Suffering T4G T4G Statement TAB09 Tamasin Warnock Teamwork Terry Virgo The Atonement Debate - Chalke book The Soulwinner The Spirit-Filled Church The Traitor Within Theologcial Spectrums Theosis Tim Challies Tim Keller Titus TOAM06 TOAM07 TOAM08 TOAM09 TOAM10 TOAM11 Todd Bentley Tope Koleoso Total Depravity Video Water Baptism Wayne Grudem Worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 May 2025 April 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 February 2023 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 August 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 June 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Rabbi" mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Scribe Messenger Priest Teacher

Books by This Author Books by Adrian Warnock

See All Titles »