014 The Lord's Preamble (Lord’s Prayer series)

Even Jesus taught His disciples how not to pray before teaching them how to pray. In this episode, we study two things Jesus says we should avoid when praying. 

Hypocrites pretend to be someone they are not, especially in matters of religion, desiring admiration and praise. Spiritual hypocrites use prayer to seek attention and admiration from others rather than fostering a genuine relationship with God. Genuine prayer leads to a reward from God - the focused attention of God and the experience of His presence. Jesus warns against praying like Gentiles or pagans who use empty phrases and excessive words, encouraging sincere, simple, and genuine prayer to God. By praying sincerely in faith, without empty phrases and seeking attention from people, one can experience the true reward of a close relationship with God.