I confess. I have been told that I pray well in public.

I don’t quite know what do to with that compliment. I mean, on one hand I’m not talking to her. I’m talking to God. It is almost completely irrelevant whether she loves to hear me pray. What matters far more is whether God loves to hear me pray.

In fact, there have been times that people have expressed concern that I pray too quietly or that my voice gets softer when I want to say, “I’m not talking to you.”

On the other hand, I have times when I am responsible for praying so that people can hear.  There are times that I am leading in prayer, helping other people to focus on conversing with God. At those times, I’m like a spokesperson for a large group. One person talks, the others nod and agree and say, “Yes, that’s how we feel, that’s what we think, too.”

There are other times when I am praying for (in place of) someone else. They are so consumed with whatever is happening in their lives that they cannot give voice to what they are feeling, to the depth of their pain. Or they cannot think clearly. In those moments, I am praying aloud so that they can share in my words.

I give these examples to help us think through what Jesus was saying when he told those listening to not pray on street corners and out in public, but to go home, go into a room, and shut the door.  [Matthew 6:5-6] Does this mean that God only hears when no one else can?

Clearly not. There are prayers of Jesus and his followers recorded, which means someone heard.

So here’s the core question: Are we praying for compliments?