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“Pray in Secret” brings us to the very heart of Jesus’ teaching on prayer. Not prayer as a religious performance, but prayer as a covenant relationship with the Father.
Let us look at what the Word of God says:
> “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door,
> pray to your Father who is in the secret place;
> and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
> — Matthew 6:6 (NKJV)
And then, how we are to pray:
> “In this manner, therefore, pray:
> Our Father in heaven,
> Hallowed be Your name.
> Your kingdom come.
> Your will be done
> On earth as it is in heaven.
> Give us this day our daily bread.
> And forgive us our debts,
> As we forgive our debtors.
> And do not lead us into temptation,
> But deliver us from the evil one.
> For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
> — Matthew 6:9–13 (NKJV)
The central theme of this song and these scriptures is this:
True prayer is not a public show, but a private encounter.
True prayer is not many words, but right relationship.
True prayer is not manipulation of God, but submission to God.
The spiritual battlefield of our generation is noise, distraction, and performance. Jesus answers it with one simple command: “Go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father.” The secret place is not optional for a mature believer; it is the training ground, the meeting place, and the place of reward.
Matthew 6 is part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus is speaking to His disciples with the crowds listening. He is correcting the religious system of His day, especially the outward formality of the scribes and Pharisees.
He addresses three core acts of Jewish piety:
In each case He contrasts hypocritical religion with genuine relationship.
### Who were the “hypocrites”?
In Jesus’ time, certain religious leaders made a display of their spirituality. They stood in the synagogues and on street corners to pray in a way that attracted attention. Their goal was not God’s approval, but man’s admiration. Jesus uses a very sharp word for them: “hypocrites.”
This is not a gentle term. The Greek word meant an actor on a stage, a performer behind a mask. Their spirituality was a performance.
Jesus says of them:
> “Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”
> — Matthew 6:5
The applause of men was all they would ever get. Heaven was silent toward staged prayers.
### The disciples’ danger
Jesus is not speaking to pagans here. He is speaking to people who already believe in the God of Israel, people who already pray, give, and fast. His warning is uncomfortable:
You can be praying, you can be using all the right words, and still be out of alignment with the Father’s heart.
The song captures this:
> “When you pray, don’t stand on the street corners
> Shouting loud for everyone to hear and admire
> The hypocrites love that kind of show
> They’ve already got their reward right there”
The problem is not public prayer in itself—Jesus prayed publicly. The problem is motive. Whose eyes are we praying for—man’s or God’s?
### The setting of the Lord’s Prayer
After exposing wrong motives and empty phrases, Jesus does something profound: He gives them a pattern for true prayer—what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” It is not primarily a ritual to be recited mechanically, but a model:
“In this manner, therefore, pray…”
He first corrects the *where* and *how* of prayer (secret, sincere), then He corrects the *content* of prayer (Father-centered, Kingdom-centered, Word-aligned).
Two key words open this passage to us: “secret” and “Father.”
### 1. “Secret” – Greek: κρυπτός (*kryptos*)
> “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
The Greek word kryptos means:
It is used in:
So when Jesus says “pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” He is saying:
The lyric reflects this reality:
> “No crowd, no spotlight, no need to perform
> Just a child running into their Father’s arms
> In the secret place, everything changes”
The “secret place” is the inner chamber of the heart, expressed in a literal place of withdrawal.
### 2. “Father” – Greek: πατήρ (*patēr*)
In both Matthew 6:6 and 6:9 the emphasis falls on this word: “Your Father”, “Our Father.”
In Hebrew thought, God as Father (Hebrew: ’āb) speaks of:
In Greek, patēr carries the same idea: origin, head of the family, one responsible for care and discipline.
Notice how often Jesus repeats it in Matthew 6:
Prayer, then, is not approaching a distant deity, but coming to a Father in covenant with His children.
This exposes two lies:
1. The lie of religious performance: “If I say enough words the right way, God may listen.”
2. The lie of orphan thinking: “God is far away, disinterested, or reluctant.”
Jesus answers both: “Your Father already knows what you need before you ask.” (Matthew 6:8)
So the question is not: “How can I impress God?”
The question is: “Will I come honestly as a child to a Father?”
The song captures this relational center:
> “Just a child running into their Father’s arms”
God is not looking for religious actors. He is looking for sons and daughters in the secret place.
We will walk through the themes of the lyrics and show how they are rooted in Scripture.
### a) Prayer vs. Performance
> “When you pray, don’t stand on the street corners
> Shouting loud for everyone to hear and admire
> The hypocrites love that kind of show
> They’ve already got their reward right there”
This stanza echoes Matthew 6:5:
> “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.
> For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets,
> that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”
The spiritual issue is motive. Prayer motivated by self-display is idolatry of self under a religious cloak. The reward for that kind of prayer is tragically small: the admiration of men.
In spiritual warfare terms, this is a foothold for religious spirits—demonic influences that attach themselves to outward religion without inward reality. Jesus confronted this repeatedly:
Where the heart is far, prayer becomes a performance.
### b) The Secret Place and the God Who Sees
> “But you—find a quiet place alone
> Close the door and meet your Father there
> …
> 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”
Notice the divine paradox:
This aligns with Hebrews 11:27 about Moses:
> “He endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”
Faith is the capacity to treat the unseen God as more real than the seen world. The secret place is where that faith is exercised.
The “room” (Greek: *tameion*) in Matthew 6:6 often referred to:
Jesus commands: “Go… close the door… pray to your Father…”
This is deliberate separation from:
The song develops this:
> “Step away from the noise, shut out the world
> Meet Him in secret—your voice will be heard”
Spiritually, closing the door means:
The reward is certain: “Your Father… will reward you.” The reward may include:
Public authority is always rooted in private reality.
### c) Empty Phrases vs. Simple Honesty
> “Don’t babble on with empty phrases
> Like those who think long words will make God listen
> Your Father already knows what you need
> Before a single word leaves your lips
> Just come honestly, simply, from the heart
> He’s waiting there in the stillness for you”
This is almost a paraphrase of Matthew 6:7–8:
> “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.
> For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
> Therefore do not be like them.
> For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
The key phrase is “vain repetitions” (Greek: *battalogeo*). It carries the idea of:
This does not mean that repeating a prayer is wrong. Jesus in Gethsemane prayed “the same words” three times (Matthew 26:44). The issue is emptiness, not repetition.
The root error here is unbelief. The heathen think God must be persuaded, pressured, or manipulated. They imagine His attention is bought with many words. Scripture denies this:
Therefore Jesus says: “Do not be like them.”
Pray with few words if needed—but with a full heart.
The lyric’s emphasis on honesty and simplicity is deeply biblical:
God is not impressed by religious vocabulary. He is moved by contrite, honest hearts.
### d) The Pattern of Kingdom Prayer
> “Our Father in heaven, holy is Your name
> Your kingdom come, Your will be done
> On earth just like it is in heaven
> Give us today the bread we need
> Forgive our sins as we forgive others
> Lead us away from temptation, deliver us from evil”
Every phrase of the Lord’s Prayer is a theological pillar.
1. “Our Father in heaven”
Relationship first. We do not start with our needs, but with our Father.
We come as a family (“our”), not as isolated individuals.
We approach the One who is both intimate (“Father”) and exalted (“in heaven”).
2. “Hallowed be Your name”
“Hallowed” means “set apart as holy.”
We agree with heaven’s evaluation of God. We refuse to bring Him down to our level.
Prayer begins with worship, not petitions.
3. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
The priority of prayer is not “my will be done,” but “Your will be done.”
Prayer is the God-ordained way of bringing the rule of heaven into the earth.
Spiritual warfare is fought in this arena: whose will will prevail?
4. “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Legitimate, humble dependence.
“Daily bread” speaks both of:
God is not indifferent to material needs; but they are placed after His name, kingdom, and will.
5. “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
This is the only line Jesus re-emphasizes immediately afterward (Matthew 6:14–15).
Unforgiveness is one of the greatest hindrances to effective prayer.
A believer cannot walk in power and maintain bitterness.
Spiritual warfare often fails because the enemy has a legal foothold through resentment.
6. “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Prayer recognizes our weakness and God’s protection.
“Evil one” is personal—Satan himself.
Prayer is not only communion; it is protection and deliverance.
So the Lord’s Prayer is not a child’s recitation. It is a Kingdom template.
The song rightly links the secret place with this pattern of prayer: intimacy, worship, alignment, provision, forgiveness, deliverance.
### e) The Secret Place as Holy Ground
> “No crowd, no spotlight, no need to perform
> Just a child running into their Father’s arms
> In the secret place, everything changes
> Burdened hearts find rest, broken hearts find healing
> He bends down to listen, He moves when we call
> The quiet room becomes holy ground after all”
This is the practical effect of Matthew 6:6. The “room” becomes holy ground when God’s presence is welcomed there.
Moses met God at a burning bush in a desert (Exodus 3). Jacob met God alone at night and that place became Bethel, “house of God” (Genesis 28). Your closed room, your corner of the house, can become the place where:
Notice the verbs:
All of this is promised to those who actually withdraw and meet Him.
### f) Truth, Exposure, and Reward
> “No fancy words needed, no audience required
> Just honest and open, your soul laid bare
> He sees, He hears, He rewards what is true”
The secret place is where truth is practiced. No stage, no script, just your soul “laid bare” before God. This resonates with:
And again Jesus’ promise:
“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Notice: He does not reward perfection. He rewards what is true.
Truth in the inward parts. Honesty about sin. Sincerity in seeking.
This is where spiritual maturity is formed.
We are not merely to admire this teaching; we are to practice it. Here are four practical steps.
### 1. Set Apart a Physical Secret Place
First, we must obey Jesus literally.
> “When you pray, go into your room, close the door…”
Choose:
Make it a meeting place:
This physical act trains your soul: *“I am going to meet my Father.”*
### 2. Come as a Child to a Father
Second, we must renounce religious performance and come relationally.
Before you speak many words, say out loud:
Consciously reject:
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any area where you are “acting” instead of relating. Confess it and lay it down.
### 3. Pray According to the Pattern of the Lord’s Prayer
Third, we must align our prayers with Jesus’ pattern.
You can move through the Lord’s Prayer like this:
1. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name”
Spend time worshiping. Speak out who God is, using Scripture (Psalm 103, Psalm 145).
2. “Your kingdom come, Your will be done…”
Ask: “Father, what is Your will in this situation?”
Submit your desires to His. Invite His rule into your family, work, church, city.
3. “Give us this day our daily bread”
Bring specific daily needs—provision, wisdom, strength.
Thank Him in advance that He is your Provider.
4. “Forgive us… as we forgive…”
Ask the Holy Spirit: “Is there anyone I need to forgive?”
Name them and release them in forgiveness.
Confess any known sin and receive cleansing (1 John 1:9).
5. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”
Ask for protection from specific temptations you face.
Ask for discernment and deliverance from the schemes of the enemy.
### 4. Practice Honest, Simple Prayer
Fourth, we must cultivate simplicity and truth.
Combine this with the Word:
This is how the secret place becomes a place of revelation and transformation, not just routine.
### Proclamation
Speak this out loud, deliberately, as an act of faith:
> **In the name of Jesus, I renounce every form of religious performance in my prayer life.
> I choose the secret place over the spotlight, truth over pretense, relationship over ritual.
> My Father, who is unseen, sees me in secret and will reward me.
> I come to You as Your child, not as an orphan, not as an actor.
> You know what I need before I ask.
> I align my heart with the prayer of Jesus:
> Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
> Your kingdom come, Your will be done in my life, in my family, in my church, on earth as it is in heaven.
> Give me today the bread I need—spiritual and physical.
> Forgive my sins, and by Your grace I forgive those who have sinned against me.
> Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from the evil one.
> For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.**
### Prayer
Father,
In the name of Jesus, I ask You to restore the secret place in my life.
Deliver me from the fear of man and from every habit of religious acting.
Teach me to shut the door, to quiet my soul, and to meet You as my Father.
Holy Spirit,
Search my heart. Expose every hidden motive, every area of pretense, every root of unforgiveness.
Lead me into honest, simple, faith-filled prayer.
Lord Jesus,
Rule in my inner life. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in me.
Make my quiet room holy ground, where burdens are lifted, wounds are healed, and assignments are received.
I choose, from this day, to pray in secret, trusting that my Father who sees in secret will reward according to His wisdom and love.
Amen.
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