Episode 40: Praying in private

Some prayers are public, which is as it should be. But there will always be the temptation to turn it into a performance of piety, using more sophisticated words than we would normally use, or using the catchphrases that mark us as part of the in-group. We might even try to sneak in a mini-sermon, or a bit of gossip disguised as prayerful concern. Against such things, Jesus teaches his hearers to pray in secret to God alone.