5 “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. 6 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. (Matthew 6)
Jesus was by no means saying to never pray in public. Otherwise, we would never be able to listen in on some of the great prayers prayed by men and women of God who are in fellowship with Him, and get a glimpse of a heart seeking after Him. What He is doing is warning us against the spiritual show. He is also telling us not to depend on everyone else's prayers to carry us through. We all have a responsibility, and privilege, to talk with God - to allow Him to lead us. And we all need a place where we do so regularly. It can be a "closet", a room, a bedside, a chair, in the car, or in the middle of a dark field, but we need a somewhere (or two or three), where we regularly talk with God not to impress anyone (especially Him), but to engage in a continuing conversation committed to submitting to Him.
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