Mathew Chapter 6 v 5-16

[Blessed 2 B Zoey]

Ok I have been trying to make some sense of this verse and kinda need help now. To me it is saying that if we pray in front of people then we are hypocrits. I think that it is telling us to pray when we are alone and not to ask for things that we are in need of as Jesus knows what we need and we should pray to give thanks for what he has done.

If any one could shed any light I would be most gratefull as I think I may have got lost with this one.

[pioneerchristianmomof3]

I'm not sure if you wrote the reference wrong... but I am not seeing how these verses talk about praying out loud...

Mark 6:5-16 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
[NKJV at Thomas Nelson] [Thomas Nelson, Inc.]

5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
Sending Out the Twelve

7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. 8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— 9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.
10 Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 11 And whoever[a] will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.[b] Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.
John the Baptist Beheaded

14 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “It is Elijah.”
And others said, “It is the Prophet, or[c] like one of the prophets.”
16 But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!”

[Cheeseburger]

I think you meant matthew and not mark? It is matthew chapter 6. :-) I mean if you got that from mark 6, I'd be really baffled LOL.

Well, it's not wrong to pray in front of/with other people. What it is warning against is praying in front of other people for your pride, so they will look and say "wow, what a holy person look how pious they are praying like that!" It is about what your heart motivation is for praying. if you are praying in a group, then it is probably not like that, but if you are trying to get people to notice you praying so they will think you are spiritual, then you need to check your heart.

If you are doing it in secret, just for God, then He knows that and will reward you. It is the same thing with giving money - if we flash money around, so people will see how much we give, God will not reward that because that is prideful and arrogant, but if we give in secret, God rewards us because we were not looking for the approval of man. We need to look to God's approval and not try to get men to think highly of us.

Besides that, when people are arrogant like that, it's usually blindingly obvious. I've known a few people that would often make a sideshow out of praying or make a big show of giving, and honestly it's so obvious, that it's almost pointless to try to do so because everyone can see right through you when you do.

[pioneerchristianmomof3]

Ahh, Matthew!...now it makes sense! :wink:

I agree with Nichole, it's not where or how we pray, but about MOTIVE! God wants us to pray with a pure heart for him, not for how "Christian" we look to others.

[Blessed 2 B Zoey]

:oops: Oops what on earth made me put Mark I will get that changed.

Now that you have explained it that way it makes more sense to me, you see I though the bible was calling us hypocrits for praying in church and out side. I think though I get more out of prayer if I do it on my own and prayer for the stuff that I am thank full for instead of praying for what I need. I do how ever lift to God the people that so need his help so I do not know if I have my wires crossed here. Sorry if I am not making sense I am trying to push forward with my religion as I have strayed due tothe depression and at the moment it is like being in Glue.

Is it ok if I ask questions about the stuff that I do not understand.

Zoey

[Cheeseburger]

Is it ok if I ask questions about the stuff that I do not understand.

Zoey

Of course it is OK zoey! It is important for us to ask questions of one another and edify each other. God wants us to help each other and learn from each other what we have learned from Him. There is lots I don't understand about the bible too. Nobody has ALL the answers - except God.

[pioneerchristianmomof3]

Is it ok if I ask questions about the stuff that I do not understand.

Zoey

Of course it is OK zoey! It is important for us to ask questions of one another and edify each other. God wants us to help each other and learn from each other what we have learned from Him. There is lots I don't understand about the bible too. Nobody has ALL the answers - except God.

Absolutely! Ask away. We will do our best to help you understand, and who knows maybe grow ourselves! :D

[HLButterfly]

Hi,
I tried posting this earlier - but something was wrong with my Internet - -

Anyway - I looked this up in a commentary online and here is what it had to say:
Righteousness When Only God Sees
Several observations concerning 6:1, the thesis statement for this section, are appropriate before we approach the following paragraphs of the passage in more detail.

First, we must impress God alone. In all three examples Jesus warns his followers not to be like the hypocrites (6:2, 5, 16; also 15:7; 22:18; 23:13-29; 24:51). This term originally designated actors in the theater, though both Greek and Jewish texts had long before come to apply it figuratively.

One of human religion's greatest temptations is to act piously to elicit the praise of others. A secret atheist could practice religion in that form without the slightest element of faith (compare 23:5). Such temptations were part and parcel of ancient religion; for instance, when some first-century Jewish leaders called a fast for unrighteous reasons, others feared not to observe it, lest anyone question their piety (Jos. Life 290-91). Yet the same temptation is no less real today. Jesus reminds us that true piety means impressing God alone-living our lives in the recognition that God knows every thought and deed, and it is his approval alone that matters. Matthew again praises the meek, whose only hope is in God, not in others' opinions of them. Those of us who are "religious professionals," making our living from public ministry, should take special heed: if we value the approval or pay of our congregations more than what God has called us to do, we will have no reward left when we stand before him.

Second, Jesus' warning does not preclude public acts of righteousness. Public righteousness, even when carried out in the knowledge that such acts will draw attention, is not wrong so long as we seek to be seen for God's glory rather than our own (5:16). This text warns us, however, how easy it is to justify our own desire to impress others as "being a light." We should do everything for God (Rom 14:6-8; 1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17); the repentant person who lives in view of the coming kingdom (4:17) is concerned more with God's evaluation than with that of others. Many people practice religion without paying attention to God, and this warns us to search our motives.

Third, Jesus demands practice, not just theory. Jesus' Jewish contemporaries agreed with most of what he was teaching here (ARN 28A; 40A; 46, 129B). Thus Jesus is not satisfied that we claim to agree with his ethics; he wants us to live accordingly.

Fourth, Jesus' three examples are random, so secrecy must apply to all acts of righteousness. Judaism often listed righteous works, sometimes in sets of threes (Jesus' list here resembles Tobit 12:8), but such lists were never more than random examples. We must thus apply Jesus' principle to all our acts of righteousness.

Fifth, Jesus promises eternal reward for those who seek to please God rather than mortals. Jesus concludes his warnings with another graphic image: businessmen regularly wrote the phrase received their reward in full (see 6:2, 5, 16) on receipts to indicate that no further payment was required (Deissmann 1978:110). Jesus is saying that those who give charity to be admired by others, or pray and fast to people rather than to God, already have what they wanted: others' approval. They will not be rewarded again for their deeds on the day of judgment.

Finally, Jesus defines true religion differently from the way many Christians do. If it is possible to pray, fast and give alms extensively and yet do it from wrong motives, we must reevaluate our religious values. Most people I know who pray four hours a day have a very close walk with God. But I know others whose calling may allow them only an hour a day of concerted prayer, yet their walk is probably just as close to God, since they are living according to his will. We should pray, fast and serve the needy because we love God-not in order to convince anyone, including ourselves, that we do.


So, I think this may be trying to tell us that in order for us to pray in public - we have to have the right motives!

I agree with Nicole as well ---

God Bless, Heather

PS - This can be found on Bible Gateway's Site
www.biblegateway.com at this location:
http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/index.php?action=getCommentaryText&cid=1&source=1&seq=i.47.6.2

[Blessed 2 B Zoey]

Ok so I think I have got it now, so we are not hyporcrits for praying in church but we come togther as a collective to worship christ and offer to him the struggles of the world. But if we went into the street of place of worship to pray to make our selves look better then thisis the worng motive and is therefore hypocritical of what Jesus said and therefore this will go un-noticed. I hope I have got it right now let me know if I am on the right track here.

I am reading away at the bible and have been adviced by a friend that I should read it slowly to digest the information and understand what is trying to be said. If I come across any pieces I do not understand I will let you know, Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I feel all tingly now thats weird.

Zoey

[4Angelz]

You've got it now Zoey! And your friend is right... don't rush it, read it slowly enough for you to digest :D And always pray that the Lord take you deeper into His word and prepare your heart to understand and be taught. This works for me!