The Secret Place

When Jesus spoke about prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, He didn’t begin by teaching what to say. He began by teaching how not to pray. “When you pray,” He said, “you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:5).

Jesus cuts right through the performance and pretension that so easily creeps into our religious lives. He reminds us that prayer isn’t about appearance—it’s about intimacy. The Father is not impressed by eloquence or volume; He delights in the honest heart that seeks Him.

Christ continues, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” The “secret place” isn’t just a physical room—it’s the unseen meeting between a human soul and its Creator. It’s where you can be real, raw, and unfiltered.

Then Jesus warns, “Do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” This verse exposes our tendency to think we can earn God’s attention. But He already knows what we need before we ask (v. 8). Prayer, then, is not about informing God—it’s about transforming us.

In that hidden place, we learn dependence. We stop striving and start listening. We realize that the Father we’re addressing is not distant but near, watching and waiting to reward sincere fellowship.

When you next close the door behind you, remember: you’re stepping into the same secret place where Jesus Himself prayed. You’re joining the eternal conversation of love between the Son and the Father. And that’s reward enough.