Doing Our Religion (part 2): On Prayer

Here in Matthew 6:5-8 Jesus addresses two wrong ways to pray along with his corrections.

Questions for Reflection:

Here are the relection questions that Pastor Paul mentioned in his sermon*:

• Do I pray frequently or more fervently when I am alone with God than when I am in public?
• Is my public praying an overflow of my private prayer?
• What do I think of when I am praying in public?
• Am I looking for “just the right” phrase?
• Am I thinking of the worshipers more than of God?
• Am I a spectator to my own performance?
• Is it possible that the reason more of my prayers are not answered is because I am more concerned about bringing my prayer to men than to God?

*These questions come from Carson, D. A. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5–10. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1999.