And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing

in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they
have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door
and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then you’re Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you. (Matt. 6:5-6)
At first glance, it appears that “private prayer” is the only authentic form of
prayer. Private prayer means to pray alone, and personally connect with God. This
gives a chance to spend time alone with God, and deepen relationship with God. We
don’t need to show others our spirituality. Remember, authentic prayer is all about the
heart. It is about putting away the selfish appeal of our old-self, and putting on the
selfless withdrawal of new life. Our prayer life should cause us to withdraw ourselves
and connect with God, not draw others to the appeal of our righteousness.

If you want to show that your prayer is authentic, don’t focus on others. Pray
because you want to commune with your heavenly Father. Pray because you want to
work in cooperation with God. Pray because you want to trust the Lord to work in all
situations. Pray because you want to let Him know that you view Him as worthy of all
honor and praise.
Pray because you want God to hear you, not to impress others. Being noticed by
others for your prayer life is a byproduct that happens when you are authentic and can
lead to teachable moments as others observe your example.