I don't get Matthew 6:5-8?

Answer 1

These verses are saying, don't pray for show, to show off in front of others how "holy" you are....do it quietly and without fanfare, God will reward you for your faith, but not for trying to show others how religious, etc. you are.

Answer 2

Matthew 6:5 is Jesus (the Word of God) telling the pastors and preacher men that they shall not pray from the pulpit (in church) nor on street corners so we can be seen by men as righteous. They have their reward is telling us that their reward is to be honored by one another, and not by God the Father.

Matthew 6:6 is telling us the correct way to pray is to pray to the Father in secret, from behind closed doors where no one can hear or see you, and if you do this the Father will reward you, not men.

Matthew 6:7 is telling us we shall not pray using a rosary, saying 10 our farthers, and 10 hail marys. Just because you say your prayers over and over again, God the Father will not hear you.

Matthew 6:8 is telling us that God the Father hears the grownings of our spirit, and knows what we truly need before we ask.

I thank you for asking about and hearing the Bread from heaven the Word of God.

Answer 3

Hi.... What my interpretation is on Matthew 6: 5-8 is that Jesus is saying not to boast or pretend to be praying to your God but actually you are not. In other words these so called individuals are 'faking' to pray when they really aren't. God knows what you need before you pray. He is saying to go to a quiet serene place to pray to Him not a place where those individuals are 'faking' the issue. Do not become a hypocrite in your own beliefs as a Christian. Have a blessed day!

Answer 4

+PAX

It means don't call attention to yourself whilst praying ("as the hypocrites do"-TV Evangelists come to mind). God, your Father, wants to speak with you privately, personally....when you are alone.

He already knows what you need and want so you don't have to say anything to Him- just be with Him and don't forget to Thank Him for everything He does do for you every day. Approach him humbly, with a contrite heart and love.

I'm reading a book right now called "When the Lion Roars" and it talks about God Almighty as a "friend". You wouldn't go in public and start jumping up and down and waving your hands all over and shouting to your best friend your innermost thoughts would you? No, you would be alone.

It's the same thing.

In Charity,
j

Answer 5

I can only tell you what it means to me. My understanding is that it is not necessary to make a spectacle of yourself in church or in front of your Christian brothers and sisters so they will think you are more righteous than you are. A lot of people use this venue to get attention for themselves instead of the Glory going to God. Some people put on an act at church or in front of others when praying or asking God for something when God already knows what we truly want or truly need. Being able to talk to God should be a reverent thing and not a public display of how well one acts. When We repeat a prayer over and over and over we are not truly trusting God in my opinion so we should ask that His will be done and go on and let the Father handle it.

Answer 6

Bottom line it means: Don't show off when praying. Like praying in Starbucks, or a cafeteria, in front of a bunch of people, trying to look pious. Any admiration or pats on the back you get from this by those who admire such action, will be the only thing you get. Maybe God will not answer these "show off" ways.

To not repeat over and over a phrase: It does bother me when some one prays and says "praise Jesus" or "oh Heavenly Father" between sentences. Maybe it bothers Him?

pray when you are by yourself, there you will find peace.

The Lord knows your needs already: maybe that means to give thanks for what you already have, then you will see that God does take care of your basic needs, and to focus on greater things that truly require His intervention.

Answer 7

Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the 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.
Mat 6:6 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.
Mat 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

It starts with When you pray, not IF, so prayer is to be part of the daily life. Then it tells us how not to pray, repeating expressions is not praying it is babbling (even if you have a string of beads to repeat the phrase on each bead). We are not to make a big deal about it when we ray. I have prayed in public places before and those around never even had the dea I was talking to the Lord. We do not need to ask God over and over for the same things,Ask then praise Him for the answer because you will get the answer that is a sure thing. If you still do not understand I will be glad to help you study out the topic of prayer and How it will change your life and circumstances.

Answer 8

Here is how I understand it. We should not say prayers in public for the sake of being heard and to show that we pray. This does not mean we should not pray at times in public but that it should be from our heart to our Father in Heaven and not set prayers written out instead of our own needs . If you read further it also gives an example of what a prayer should be like.

Basically the whole chapter is about worshiping for yourself and not for appearances sake. Going to church is not about being seen in the latest fashions driving there in the newest care and having the most to brag about but about giving your alms (tithes, etc.) in secret and not bragging about how much you are giving. Saying prayers from the heart and not to hear yourself sound important.

Answer 9

Our Lord and Saviour does know our every need before we ask but we don't. We have to take it one need at a time. And when we have a need and we take it straight to the Lord we are putting our trust in him and by doing this we are living by faith, Doesn't the Bible say that anything without faith is sin. We are to try to walk in the spirit, not fulfulling the lusts of the world, So we go to our closets or whereever is a nice quit spot and we Pray, And be assured God heres, because he promises that our Prayers in secret will be rewarded openly, Thanks for that question and may GOD BLESS YOU!!!

Answer 10

it's a teaching on how we should pray. we should pray not with babbling such many words that we don't understand. we should pray the things that we think and what's inside our hearts. we should pray the exact package we want so God would know what our hearts desire.when it says that let's pray with our rooms closed--it means that we should pray with all our hearts,that our mind isn't busy with other things, that our heart and mind is on the presence of our prayer.

im a christian, a roman catholic to be exact but i don't even know exactly how to pray the rosary and other prayers being taught by the roman catholic church.why?simply because i don't understand some parts of the prayers,and i don't wanna pray something just because someone told me so.i only practice what has been taught from the book of Matthew on how we should pray as far as i understand it--i talk to God using my simple words that i know He can understand what's my heart wanted to tell Him.

Answer 11

It basically means just what it says; when you pray, don't go out and pray just for the sake of being heard by others so they'll think you're good.
More than that, though, don't just use the same old trite sayings, or a set prayer, call upon God, tell him what you really need, he already knows what you need, but you have got to ask him for it.