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From "Back to the Bible"
Praying For the Right Reasons - June 25

Read Matthew 6:5-7 (ESV)

“And when you pray, 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. 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.”

Reflect

Do you think this verse means that it is never ok to pray in public? Why or why not?

In Jesus’ day, it was Jewish custom to pray in public three times a day — morning, afternoon, evening. At the set prayer time, if they were out in public, going about their business, they would stop what they were doing and pray. On the Sabbath day, Saturday, Jews would also meet at the synagogue to pray and read Scripture aloud. The problem was that many people used these public prayers as opportunities to make a show of their prayer life. They wanted to look super religious, so they prayed pretentious prayers for the purpose of being noticed.

In today’s verses, Jesus didn’t mince His words about people who engaged in public prayer in order to impress others. He called them hypocrites. In other words, these people are pretenders. They have a phony prayer life. The purpose of prayer is never to attract attention to ourselves. Prayer should always be about communicating with God. The purpose of public prayer is to point others to Him, not to ourselves!

Jesus then instructed His listeners to focus instead on their own private prayers. He said to go to your room, shut the door, and have secret conversations with God. We should never forget that our relationship with Jesus is meant to be a personal one. Prayer is a privilege we should never take for granted. We can have one-on-one access to the God of the universe through prayer! That’s amazing!

But does that mean that all public prayer is off-limits? No, of course not! After all, we see Jesus Himself praying in public on several occasions. For example, when Jesus fed the multitudes in Mark 8:6 and John 6:11, He gave thanks to God publicly for the food. He even prayed, “Father, forgive them…” from the cross (Luke 23:34). But Jesus’ longest and most detailed prayer that we have a record of is often called “The High Priestly Prayer.” It is recorded in John 17, and in this prayer, He prayed for Himself, for His disciples, and for future believers. And of course, Jesus demonstrated how we should pray in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 when He gave us the Lord’s Prayer as a model.

But Scripture also records instances when Jesus prayed privately. “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed (Mark 1:35). Luke 6:12 also says, “In those days He went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God.” After His all-night prayer session, He chose the 12 disciples.



The ESV Study Bible identifies Jesus’ prayers as a key theme of Luke’s Gospel narrative. The Gospel of Luke records that Jesus prayed, either publicly or privately, before every major event in His life. He wasn’t seeking recognition during those prayers; He was seeking guidance, fellowshiping with the Father, and interceding for others.

So what point was Jesus trying to make in today’s verses? His point was that prayer should never be a public spectacle. Our purpose in prayer, whether public or private, is to focus on God. Jesus said if your main purpose for prayer is to impress other people, you already have your reward. If you don’t already have a rich private prayer life, public prayers are simply hypocritical. They make you look like you have a habit of conversing with God, but you don’t. That is why Jesus condemned them.

Friends, the bottom line is sincerity. Praying out loud or in public is not wrong as long as God is your primary audience and your purpose for praying is to converse with Him and bring Him glory. Prayer should never be a “look at me, I’m so holy” moment. Public prayer should always call others to look to Him, not at us.

Respond

God, I am so thankful that I can talk privately with You through prayer. What a gift! Draw me closer to You through my private prayers this year. Amen.



Reveal

This week, ask a trusted friend how you can pray for them, then take a few minutes to pray specifically for that need when you're alone with God. Later, follow up and let them know you haven't forgotten. Quiet faithfulness often speaks louder than public displays.

We are all weak like lost sheep, worthless like lost coins, and wretched like lost sons. But praise God, He is the one who rescues, reveals, and receives sinners, and He eats with them.

Adrian Rogers said, “Show me anytime, anyplace, anywhere where anybody comes to God, and He doesn’t save them, I'll close my Bible and never preach again.”

Connect with God through today’s devotional!
https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/The-Fathers-Open-Arms

📖 Read: Hosea 14:1-7, 9

🙏 Receive: "Compassionate God, please open my heart and my arms to children and others who are in need around me."

❓Respond: How has God’s loving example led you to care for those in need?

When you spend consistent time in the Word and authentic prayer, the Holy Spirit will enable you to discern His will.
https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/how-to-know-gods-will

Psalm 34:8 (ESV)

How have you tasted the Lord's goodness?

Abimelech wanted a crown so badly that he murdered his seventy brothers to get it (Judges 9). He seized the throne, declared himself king, and probably thought he had won.

But his victory didn’t last.

The same ambition that put the crown on his head eventually led to his destruction. Abimelech died in shame, and his story became a warning for every generation.

Not every throne is worth taking. Not every opportunity is God’s will. Be careful what you’re willing to sacrifice just to get what you want.

A crown gained through selfish ambition may bring temporary success, but it will never bring lasting peace. Some doors open by force. Others open by God’s favor. Learn the difference. 🙏🏻🤍

From "Today's Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah"

Conquering Worry
June 25, 2026

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness ... by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises.
(2 Peter 1:3-4)

{Recommended Reading: Matthew 6:31-34}

Someone has said that it is hard to be mad at a person you are praying for! So the best way to deal with negative emotions about another person is to pray for them. Likewise, it is hard to worry when we consider God’s promises. So when we start to worry, the best thing to do is to immerse our minds in Scripture to be reminded of God’s promises to care for us.

The apostle Peter wrote his two epistles to Christians who were scattered in churches across Asia Minor. First Peter dealt with persecutions from outside the churches; 2 Peter dealt with radical attacks from within the churches. In 2 Peter 1:3-4, Peter prescribes a defense for withstanding both situations: God’s “great and precious promises” that provide “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” The defense against all sources of worry or anxiety is God’s promises found in Scripture.

When worry rises, go to the Word and meditate on it until the promise of peace is met (Isaiah 26:3).

Worry is like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.
(Anonymous)

From "Back to the Bible"
Does God Answer Prayer? - June 24

Read 1 John 5:14-15 (ESV)

And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.

Reflect

Why do you think God doesn’t answer all of our prayers with a “yes”? Why do you think He sometimes makes us wait a long time before granting our requests?

In the 90s, Garth Brooks topped Billboard’s country charts with a song about thanking God for not giving him what he thought he wanted. The famous line of the song in “Unanswered Prayers” is “...just because He doesn’t answer doesn’t mean He don’t care. Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

Now, I don’t know where Garth Brooks stands spiritually, and many would point out that no prayer actually goes unanswered. Sometimes God’s answer to our requests is “no,” and sometimes He makes us wait for a “yes.” But Garth’s old hit song brings up an important concept about prayer that we often overlook when we are praying fervently for something that we really, really desire. And that is the fact that God answers prayers according to His will and not our own. Sometimes, He doesn’t give us what we pray for, but He always cares, and He always works for His glory and our good. When God says no to a prayer, over time, we can often look back and see how God worked through that no. His plans are always better than ours!

In today’s verses, the apostle John wrote that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” But what does that mean? How do we know God’s will? In the song, Garth said, “I guess the Lord knows what He’s doing after all.” Yes, yes He does. He knows better than we do because He can see all aspects of a situation, and He knows the future. We don’t know all of the details of God’s plan for our individual lives, but the Bible spells out God’s will for us very clearly.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul wrote that all believers should “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” In Romans 12:1-2, Paul also told us that we will begin to discern God’s “good, pleasing, and perfect will” when we live holy and obedient lives and allow God’s Word to transform our minds. And in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Paul wrote: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” He went on in verse 7: “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.”

In other words, God revealed His will for our lives through His Word, and that will is to continue to be sanctified and live holy lives. When we pray according to God’s will, we are praying for what God wants, not what we want. The more we get to know Him, the more our will bends to His. The more we begin to want what He wants.

Jesus’ brother James said, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3). James was saying that God is not obligated to answer our prayers simply to gratify our selfish desires. He isn’t a genie in a bottle. He will not answer prayers with a yes that do not bring Him glory and will not fulfill His purposes. He answers prayers according to His good and perfect will.

Friends, God always answers our prayers, but sometimes it may not be the answer that we were hoping for or in the timeframe that we wanted. Still, we can be confident that if He says no to our heartfelt prayers, that what we were praying for was not His will for us. He knows what is best for us. He sees the complete picture. And we can trust Him. He knows what He’s doing after all.

Respond

Lord, thank You for answering my prayers according to Your will. I know that Your will for my life is always right, even when You don’t answer prayers the way that I hoped. I trust You with my unanswered prayers. Amen.



Reveal

Share a story with a friend or family member about a time when God answered a prayer differently than you expected, but you later saw His wisdom in it. Your honesty about waiting, disappointment, and eventual trust may encourage someone who is struggling with unanswered questions of their own.

Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."