When Prayer Isn’t About Saying the Right Thing
Not too long ago, I preached about Jesus’s teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount.
The interesting thing is that Jesus didn’t hand out formulas for how to pray. He didn’t guilt us into praying.
He invited us into something deeper—something more human, even more divine.
Let’s read the passage.
“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.
“Therefore, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.” -Jesus (Matthew 5:5-15 CSB)
The main thing I received from Jesus on prayer is this:
Prayer isn’t a performance. It’s presence.
And presence doesn’t need to impress.
We just need to show up.
Our world is so loud with noise— of self-made platforms and spiritual hustle. What Jesus does is he cuts through all that and simply says: “When you pray... go into your room and shut the door.”
Because prayer is personal.
This is about you and God.
Prayer is the daily rhythm that roots us in God’s love.
Prayer reminds us who we are as his beloved, and reorients our heart toward His Kingdom— not ours.
It’s how we return to center.
To grace.
To the God who already sees us and already loves us.
Today let’s try something. Let’s stop trying to say the right thing.
Let’s just sit with God in the same room— the secret place.
No show. No striving. Just you and God.
Something to reflect on:
Where is your prayer life driven more by guilt or routine than by desire for connection and simple presence just between you and God?
Prayer:
Father- teach me again how to pray.
I’m tired of trying to say things a certain way
or not knowing what the right words are.
I’m done performing and I want to be with You.
Root me in Your love.
Remind me who I am.
And help me live today from that place of presence.
Amen.
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