“But when you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father. He is there in that private place. He can see what is done in private, and he will reward you.”

Our verse for today does not speak against public prayer in general. Jesus himself did not limit His prayer to private prayer. He prayed with His disciples (John 17). He even burst into individual prayer in public on occasion (Luke 10:21). Rather, Jesus was against ostentatious public prayer (Matthew 6:5). He was against prayer that is a conspicuous show designed to impress others, rather than to communicate with God.

Nevertheless, Jesus implies here that some people’s prayers should never be made in public. Some prayers are solely between a person and God. Jesus himself would often withdraw from the crowds and His disciples and pray by himself: “After Jesus said goodbye to the people, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. It was late, and he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23). There are some things that you can say to God in private that people should not say in public. Some things are nobody else’s business.

When we withdraw from the public to our private place of prayer, we can be sure that God is there with us. He comes near to us when we come near to Him (James 4:8). Psalm 91:1-4 tells us that the private place of communion with God is a hiding place of safety and protection from the troubles of life. In that place, God will cover and protect us like a bird that spreads its wings over its young. Like David, we can say in that place, “You are my place of safety, my fortress. My God, I trust in you.”

There are benefits to coming to the private place and communing with God. In harmony with our verse for today, Hebrews 11:6 says that God “rewards those who sincerely try to find him.” God is the Lord of heaven and earth. When we honor the Lord by turning to Him instead of turning to anything or anyone else, He is pleased with us. The peace and safety we enjoy when we rest in His presence are beyond compare.

By John Huisman, friend of Bible League International