But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
As Christians, we are asked to bear witness to the world of our commitment to Christ and not hide it. We are to be the salt and the light to this world (Matthew 5:13-16). We are to show to the world our unity so that they will believe in Jesus Christ (John 17:23). There are three things though that we are to do in secret: giving to the needy (Matthew 6:1-3), fasting (Matthew 6:16-18), and prayer.
This passage does not prohibit public prayer. Jesus condemned prayer done as a public performance. He called such practice as hypocrisy. This passage also does not say that we should only pray in our rooms. We can pray anywhere and at anytime. The point is to not pray in order to impress the audience with your piety, to get human applause, to gain admiration, and to be rewarded by men.
Let us rather pray in a way that pleases God. Our prayer has an audience of one – God and God alone. When we pray with believers in church or when we pray in public areas remember that it is not to be a display. The promise is that God will reward those who pray with pure motives and a pure heart. God’s blessing is, by an infinitely wide margin, more satisfying and lasting than man’s reward.
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