Motives Matter Series #2: To Be Seen By Man or God — How do you pray?

Welcome to the Motives Matter series, where we will explore not only what things we do in our faith, but why we do them.  We will explore what kind of relationship God really wants from His people, and the fact that He can read our hearts.  In the first Motives Matter message, we explored why we pray.  In this message, we will explore how we pray.

1 Samuel 16:7 “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

The Heart Behind the Prayer

Why do you pray? Be honest.  Is it to pour out your heart before God, seeking His presence and guidance?  Or is there a part of you that hopes others will notice your "spirituality"?  It’s a question worth asking because Jesus Himself warned us about the motives behind our prayers.  In Matthew 6:5, Jesus said: “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.”  What reward do you seek when you pray?  The Pharisees weren’t praying to connect with God — they were performing for an audience.  Their prayers weren’t about God at all; they were about looking righteous in the eyes of others.  What about us?  Are we any different?

The Wrong Motive: Seeking Approval

It’s easy to point fingers at the Pharisees, but if we’re honest, we can fall into the same trap.  Have you ever carefully worded a prayer in a group setting, hoping to sound extra "holy"?  Or maybe you’ve posted a prayer or verse online, subtly hoping for likes or comments about your faith.  Jesus’ words challenge us to examine our motives.  When we pray to impress others, we’ve already received our reward — human approval — but we miss out on the far greater reward of being heard by God.

The Right Motive: Seeking God

In contrast, Jesus taught a different way to pray in Matthew 6:6: “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.”  This isn’t about location — it’s about intention.  True prayer is not a performance.  No fancy words. No performance. Just a child talking to their Father.  God isn’t interested in eloquence; He’s interested in authenticity.  Look at David, the man after God’s own heart.  His prayers were raw and honest.  Whether he was praising God’s greatness or just crying out in despair, David’s prayers were aimed at God, not those around him, like Psalm 142:2: “I pour out my complaint before Him; I tell my trouble before Him.”  David didn’t care who was watching.  He prayed because he longed for God’s presence.

What About You?

So, what about you? When you say, “Dear God…” who are you really talking to?  Are you praying to connect with the heart of God?  Or are you subtly hoping someone will notice how “spiritual” you sound?  One leads to intimacy with the Father; the other is just noise. Today, God invites you to seek His presence, not the approval of others.  Because at the end of the day, being heard by God is the only reward that truly matters.