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“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites…”
Let us look at what the Word of God says. The central scripture behind this song comes from the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:
> “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are:
> for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets,
> that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
>
> But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,
> and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret;
> and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
> — *Matthew 6:5–6 (KJV)*
These verses reveal a foundational principle of the Christian life:
God is more concerned with the reality of your heart before Him than with the appearance of your spirituality before men.
The song “Whispers Behind Closed Doors” is built around this contrast:
vs.
Jesus exposes a dangerous counterfeit of prayer—religious performance—and then reveals true prayer: secret, honest, child-to-Father, without pretense, without show.
The spiritual battle here is subtle but real. It is the battle between the fear of God and the fear of man, between worship and performance, between intimacy and hypocrisy. Many believers lose power in their spiritual lives at exactly this point. They pray, but not in the way Jesus commanded. They talk much, but connect little. They are heard by people, but not necessarily by God.
The song calls us back to the “secret place” where real authority, real purity, and real power are born.
---
Matthew 6 is part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), spoken by Jesus to His disciples and the gathered crowds in Galilee. Israel at that time was under Roman rule, but religious life was dominated by different Jewish groups—Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and others.
Among them, the Pharisees were regarded as the most devout, the most strict, the most “spiritual.” Outwardly, they were impressive: long prayers, public fasting, meticulous tithing, and rigorous observance of religious practices.
Yet Jesus confronts them repeatedly. Why? Because their righteousness was largely external.
In Matthew 6, Jesus addresses three core practices of Jewish piety:
1. Giving (alms) – Matthew 6:1–4
2. Praying – Matthew 6:5–15
3. Fasting – Matthew 6:16–18
In each case He warns: Do not do these things “to be seen by men.”
His words on prayer are sharp:
> “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are…” (v. 5)
There were set times of prayer in Jewish life. People might pray in the synagogue, or if the time caught them in public, they might stop in the street and pray. That, in itself, was not wrong. The problem was motive:
“they love to pray … that they may be seen of men.”
The key issue was not the location, but the intention. They were using the sacred act of communion with God as a tool to gain admiration from people.
Jesus then gives the alternative:
> “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet (inner room), and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret…”
He moves prayer from the public stage to the private room, from the admiration of people to the gaze of the Father.
He is not forbidding all public prayer. Scripture elsewhere validates corporate prayer (Acts 1:14; Acts 4:24–31; 1 Timothy 2:1–8).
He is attacking the spirit of religious show and establishing a new standard:
The Father’s approval, not man’s applause.
This is the world into which Jesus speaks. Imagine devout people, surrounded by strong religious culture, used to seeing their leaders perform public piety. Then Jesus says: “Do not be like them.” That is radical. That is costly. It means swimming against the religious current.
The song captures this same confrontation: Will we pray for God, or for people? Will we seek His reward, or theirs?
---
To understand these verses more deeply, we will look at two key words from the Greek text:
1. “Hypocrites” – ὑποκριταί (hypokritai)
2. “Closet/room” – ταμεῖον (tameion)
### 1. “Hypocrites” – ὑποκριταί (hypokritai)
The Greek word *hypokritēs* originally meant an actor, a stage performer.
It refers to someone who wears a mask, someone who plays a role that is not their true self.
In the New Testament it comes to mean:
So when Jesus says, “Do not be like the hypocrites,” He is essentially saying:
Do not turn prayer into a performance. Do not put on a religious mask.
The song repeats:
“True prayer isn’t a show for the crowd.”
That is exactly what *hypokritai* describes—people who turn prayer into a “show.”
This word exposes a key deception in much of modern Christianity. One can “look prayerful,” “sound spiritual,” “appear devout,” and yet be acting. God is not impressed by religious acting. Hell is not threatened by religious acting. Only real prayer, from a real heart to a real Father, carries spiritual authority.
### 2. “Closet/room” – ταμεῖον (tameion)
The word *tameion* means an inner room, storeroom, private chamber—a place in the house that is hidden from public view, often used for storing valuable things.
Jesus’ choice of this word is significant. Prayer belongs in the inner room, where:
You do not store jewels on the sidewalk. You put them in the innermost place.
Jesus is saying: Treat your communion with the Father as a treasure. Put it in the safest place: the secret place.
The song says:
“Close the door, meet Him there alone…
He’s waiting in the secret place.”
This aligns perfectly with *tameion*: the hidden chamber where the greatest treasure—intimacy with the Father—is kept.
This also points to a spiritual reality:
The most decisive battles of your life will not be fought in public meetings, but in the hidden chamber of your will and your prayer life—when no one is watching except the Father and the unseen spiritual realm.
---
Let us walk through the themes of the lyrics and connect them with Scripture.
### A. “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites”
> “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites
> They love to stand in synagogues and on street corners
> Praying loudly so everyone can see
> They’ve already received their reward in full
> Just the praise of people, nothing more from God
> True prayer isn’t a show for the crowd”
Jesus’ own words:
> “for they love to pray… that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
> — *Matthew 6:5*
First, notice Jesus says: “When you pray…” not *if*.
Prayer is assumed to be a normal, essential part of the believer’s life.
The problem is not prayer, but the love of being seen. Their reward is complete—*paid in full*—when people admire them. God owes them nothing more, because they were not really praying for Him in the first place.
This aligns with John 12:43:
> “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
There is a terrible spiritual trade here:
The song rightly calls this out: “True prayer isn’t a show for the crowd.”
This is vital for spiritual warfare. A praying church that seeks reputation is weak. A praying believer that seeks God alone is dangerous to the kingdom of darkness.
### B. “Go into your room… Close the door… Pray to your Father who is unseen”
> “But when you pray, go into your room
> Close the door behind you
> Pray to your Father who is unseen
> He hears every quiet word you speak…”
Jesus:
> “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,
> and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret;
> and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
> — *Matthew 6:6*
Three critical truths appear here:
1. Prayer is to the Father
Jesus does not say, “Pray to God” in a general way. He says, “Pray to your Father.”
Prayer is not just petition; it is relationship. The basis of prayer is sonship.
Romans 8:15:
> “ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
Galatians 4:6:
> “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”
True Christian prayer flows out of this: I am a child; He is my Father.
2. Prayer is in the secret place
“Shut thy door.” This is decisive action—cutting off distraction, shutting out the world, closing the channel of human approval.
Psalm 91:1:
> “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
The secret place is the place of protection, intimacy, and authority. This is where you receive strategies for battle, strength for temptation, and wisdom for decisions.
3. The Father sees in secret and rewards openly
Your whispered, hidden prayers are not lost. They are seen. They are recorded. They will be answered in visible ways.
1 Samuel 2:30:
> “for them that honour me I will honour…”
Hebrews 11:6:
> “he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Secret prayer is a declaration of faith:
“I believe my unseen Father hears. I believe He rewards.”
The song rightly says:
“He hears every quiet word you speak…
The crowd may never hear your whispered prayer
But heaven leans in close when you draw near…”
This is not sentimental language. It is theological reality. Heaven is attentive to the one who prays in secret faith.
### C. “Don’t heap up empty words… your Father knows”
> “Don’t heap up empty words like those who don’t know God
> Thinking they’ll be heard because they talk so much
> Your Father knows exactly what you need
> Before you even ask Him
> Come simply, come honestly, come as you are
> He’s waiting in the secret place”
Jesus continues in Matthew 6:7–8:
> “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
> for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
> Be not ye therefore like unto them:
> for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
Two more errors are exposed:
1. “Vain repetitions” (battologia) – empty phrases, mechanical repetition, wordiness without faith.
The problem is not repeating words if they are sincere and Spirit-led (Jesus repeated His prayer in Gethsemane—Matthew 26:44). The problem is emptiness—words without heart, speech without faith.
2. Thinking more words = more power
“They think they shall be heard for their much speaking.”
This is religious superstition. It treats prayer like a formula. If I say enough, or say it the right way, God will be forced to act.
Jesus combats this with a simple truth:
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
We do not pray to inform God, but to align with God.
We do not pray to manipulate God, but to cooperate with God.
The song echoes this truth:
“No need for long, fancy phrases to impress…
Come simply, come honestly, come as you are.”
That does not mean we should never pray long. Jesus Himself spent entire nights in prayer (Luke 6:12). Paul prayed “night and day” (1 Thessalonians 3:10). Long prayer is not forbidden. Showy, empty, self-conscious, man-oriented prayer is forbidden.
The key issue again is motive and reality.
### D. “Just a child and Father, hearts aligned”
> “The crowd may never hear your whispered prayer
> But heaven leans in close when you draw near
> No stage, no spotlight, no applause required
> Just a child and Father, hearts aligned
> What’s spoken in the quiet changes everything
> Your Father who sees in secret will move”
This language reflects one of the deepest truths of the New Testament:
Christianity is not primarily a system of ritual, but a relationship of Father and child.
Galatians 4:6–7:
> “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
> Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
“Just a child and Father, hearts aligned” is a perfect description of true prayer.
Amos 3:3 says:
> “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
Prayer is the place where our hearts come into agreement with the Father’s heart. That is where power lies. That is why, as the lyric says, “What’s spoken in the quiet changes everything.”
We see this pattern throughout Scripture:
The lyric sums it up:
“Prayer in secret—power unleashed.”
That is not exaggeration. That is biblical law. What happens in secret will shape what happens in public.
---
The teaching of Jesus must be obeyed, not admired. How then do we walk in this lifestyle of secret, powerful prayer?
### 1. First, we must renounce religious performance.
You cannot walk in the power of secret prayer while clinging to the desire to impress people.
This requires repentance.
Proverbs 29:25:
> “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
Say, in the presence of God: “Lord, I choose to fear You more than I fear people. I choose Your approval over theirs.”
### 2. Second, we must establish a real secret place.
Jesus commanded: “Enter into your closet… shut your door.” This must become a concrete habit, not just an idea.
Make it a daily rhythm if at all possible. Not under legalism, but under hunger.
Psalm 5:3:
> “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee…”
The secret place becomes the center of gravity of your life. Everything else flows out of that chamber.
### 3. Third, we must approach God as Father, in simplicity and honesty.
Reject the pressure to “sound spiritual.”
Pray as a son or daughter who knows they are loved.
Be simple, but not shallow. Be honest, but full of faith.
Hebrews 4:16:
> “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
> that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Boldness here is not arrogance. It is the confidence of a child who knows they are welcome.
### 4. Fourth, we must believe in the reward of secret prayer.
Jesus did not say “might reward.” He said “shall reward.”
You will not persist in secret prayer unless you are convinced of this.
Mark 11:24:
> “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
Hebrews 11:6:
> “he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Feed your faith with testimonies from Scripture and from your own life. Keep a record of answered prayer. This builds confidence in God’s faithfulness and breaks the lie that your secret cries are wasted.
---
### Proclamation
Speak this out loud, as an act of alignment with the Word of God:
> I declare that I am a child of God,
> bought by the blood of Jesus,
> and accepted in the Beloved.
>
> I renounce all hypocrisy,
> all love of human praise,
> all religious performance and pretense.
> I refuse to be an actor in my spiritual life.
>
> I choose the fear of the Lord over the fear of man.
> I choose the secret place over the public stage.
> I choose the Father’s reward over man’s applause.
>
> I enter my inner room by faith.
> I shut the door on distraction,
> on pride,
> and on the desire to impress.
>
> I come to my Father who is unseen,
> believing that He sees in secret
> and that He will reward me openly.
>
> My prayers are not empty words.
> I do not trust in many phrases,
> but in my Father’s knowledge,
> His goodness,
> and His promises.
>
> From this day forward,
> I commit myself to a life of secret prayer—
> simple, honest, faith-filled,
> as a child speaking to a loving Father.
>
> What is whispered behind closed doors
> shall release the power of God in my life,
> in my family,
> in my church,
> and in my nation,
> for the glory of Jesus Christ.
> Amen.
### Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
You taught us not to pray like the hypocrites,
not to perform for people,
but to come in secret to our Father in heaven.
I ask You now:
cleanse my heart from all hypocrisy,
from all desire to be seen,
from all religious acting.
Let truth reign in my inward parts.
Holy Spirit,
lead me into the secret place.
Teach me to shut the door.
Teach me to pray as a son, as a daughter,
to say, “Abba, Father” with sincerity and faith.
Father in heaven,
thank You that You see in secret.
Thank You that You know what I need
before I ask.
Thank You that You are a rewarder
of those who diligently seek You.
I offer You my “whispers behind closed doors.”
Let my hidden life before You
be real, strong, and pure.
Let what happens in secret with You
shape everything that happens in public.
Release, through my secret prayer life,
deliverance where there is bondage,
restoration where there is brokenness,
and revival where there is dryness.
I ask it in the name of Jesus,
the Son who perfectly pleased the Father.
Amen.
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