What is your motive?

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” Matthew 6:5(KJV)

From our opening scripture it is obvious to you that your motive in prayer is what decides your results from prayer. For instance if I am praying loud so that you can hear me pray, then I have gotten my reward because you have heard me pray. Also if I do my singing in worship to God so that others can hear me singing, I have gotten my reward because they have heard me singing. 

So my rewards in prayer is determined by my reason during prayer. In other words, if you are trying to get noticed when you pray Jesus said you've gotten your answer to prayer because you have been noticed. So if there is anything you are doing in Church or for the Lord just so you can be noticed, the moment you are noticed you get your reward. So it matters why you do what you do.

Some one may decide to go on a fast by himself and then go about telling everyone that he is fasting for seven days so that others may think he is very spiritual. If you have that attitude, Jesus said you have gotten your reward because I know that you are fasting for seven days. At the end of the fast, you would not get any blessing out of it because everyone knows you have fasted for seven days because you wanted them to know so that you can be highly esteemed before them. So what reward did you get from God after that fast? Nothing. 

Therefore, it is important you understand that your reasons in prayer matters. It is what will determine your rewards or your results in prayer.

Prayer
Dear Father I present myself, my service, my abilities, my dreams, my deeds, and my entire life to you as a living sacrifice. Let it all be acceptable unto you, being sanctified of your Spirit in Jesus Name.Amen

Further Study
Matthew 6:1-8, Isaiah 58:3-12.          

Doing the Word
If you have been doing things for the wrong motives, repent and start doing what you do for the right motives.