Matthew 6:7

The Gentiles prayed the same thing over in over in a mechanical fashion, hoping that this prayer would be answered.  However, their hearts were not in it, just like the Pharisees. Our prayers need to be pointed and genuine, not just saying certain things because they sound good. 

You may set out a time to pray, and you may do it a lot, but are your prayers genuine? Do they truly come from your heart, or is it a prayer that just checks off a box or something you think sounds good?  Be thoughtful in your prayers. Search your heart to find the nitty gritty things that you should be praying for, not just a flowery, feel good prayer.

Matthew 6:6b

Unlike the reward of public praise that the Pharisees sought, we gain so much more when we come to God when we are alone. We gain peace, no matter what is going on in our lives, for we have a Heavenly Father who hears our prayers. We find contentment in knowing that we can confess our worst sins, and He still loves us and cares about us. If you think about a time you poured out your heart to someone, did you not feel better after doing it?  It is the same when we pray to God.  We can get it all off our chest with Him, and we know that He listens and sustains us through everything. Prayer is a joy in itself, and we often forsake it. 

What is going on in your life right now that is troublesome?  Think about prayer, and how praying can give you peace.

Matthew 6:6a

In contrast, Jesus says we should go into a secluded room and pray to God by ourselves. He is not shunning public prayer, but He is telling us that when we are alone we can focus more exclusively on God. We can let our hair down (so to speak), and come before the Lord with all our problems. We can confess our sins, seek repentance, and say things we would never want to say in public. It is in this one-on-one time that we can come before the throne of God and be honest with Him. We can tell Him our needs and our struggles, and we can pour out our hearts in a way that we may not be able to do in public. 

Do you set aside time each day to be alone with God?  Even if you are busy, when can you make time?

Matthew 6:5b

Jesus explains that these hypocrites pray for show. They get up in front of crowds and pray so eloquently in order that others would see them and praise them for it. They were going it about it in a wrong and sinful way. They received the reward they wanted, the praise of others, but they ignored the enjoyment of conversing with God. You can have prayers that would wow any crowd, but if your heart is not in it, you gain nothing lasting from it. 

What is your motivation for prayer, and how can putting your heart in your prayers help you grow in Christ?

Matthew 6:5a

Is there a wrong way to pray? Jesus tells us that there is, and those that pray like that are hypocrites. He is pointing right at the Pharisees, who are wearing hypocritical masks. They were supposed to lead God’s people not just by their actions but with their hearts, however, they had long forgotten the reason for the Law. They had become legalists, forgetting to love the people. In the same manner, they prayed because that was what the prominent leader was supposed to do, but they didn't thoughtfully come before God with their prayers and their prayers were without heart. 

Do you pray because you have to even though your heart is not in it, or do you truly seek to commune with the Heavenly Father?

John 21:20-25

John ends his Gospel with Peter asking about what would happen to John. Jesus basically said it is not Peter’s concern what the Lord has in store for him. John declares that he has written this account and all that was written was true. He again declares that this was not an exhaustive account of Jesus. It would be impossible to do so and he closes with an illustration of this impossibility. If we were to write books to tell all about who Jesus was or what he had done, it would be more than the whole world could hold. But, God has given us enough in the Bible to know and believe in Jesus Christ.

John 21:15-19

Peter is restored in this passage. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him. This clearly refers to Peter’s three denials of Jesus. Jesus restores Peter with a command to feed His sheep. He then goes into some detail about how Peter will die. It is said that Peter was crucified upside down on a cross at the hands of Nero. Jesus does not tell us where our lives will lead us as we follow Him. It was not just the disciples who were called to follow in hardship. Many ordinary people, young and old, educated or peasants, have heeded Jesus call to follow Him. Some followed even to death. Jesus bids you to follow him!