The Essence Of True Personal Prayer Is To Be Praying Secretly Alone With God (6:5-6).
Jesus now turns to the question of true prayer. He will deal with this in two stages, firstly as to the need for such prayer to be a secret between God and the one who prays, so that it is genuine prayer and not a public performance, and then secondly as to how to pray, and what to pray for. Both are to be seen as an essential part of prayer, a right attitude followed by a right approach. He first considers the right attitude to prayer.
Analysis of Matthew 6:5-6.
a A “And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites,
b B For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets,
c C That they may be seen of men.
d D Truly I say to you, They have received their reward.
c E But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber,
b F And having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret,
a G And your Father who sees in secret will recompense you.”
Note that in ‘a' they are not to be as the hypocrites, but in the parallel are to be as those who talk with their Father in secret. In ‘b' they are not to pray openly before men, and in the parallel they are to shut their doors and pray in secret. In ‘c' the hypocrites desire to be seen of men, and in the parallel the disciples are to enter their inner chambers so as not to be seen of men. In ‘d' it is made clear that the hypocrite has his reward. People think how wonderful he is and God has no time for him.