Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Matt.6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Is this commandment an act of law, or love? The law does not allows for secret rewards it promotes rewards by merit, merit earned before men that see your good deeds. In other words, when a legalistic minded Christian's reads Christ words here they start thinking: “ how can I make myself not brag and make a show so God will reward me in secret”.

Than the legal minded Christian's starts drawing up a one-side contract with God, looking for a clause, which in this case would be another legal scriptures to justify his/her show of faith in making public prayers, for a pat on the back from men. In other words, how do I get around this secret things? Hence, we find the flaw of sin, yes, sin of the fleshly mind always using words to justify itself instead of the truth, Christ Jesus righteous life, which actually does justify us.

Public or private prayer can be a sin before God when said out of a fleshly minded heart, that is, out of legal obligation, where the hearts sees God as a lawyer of faith instead of a God of love, this is the point, not praying, but a heart condition. We go to God from heart felt love for him, rather public or private. We do not approach God with the idea of making a show for reward. We confess our sins thanking God for His goodness in helping us with the precious life of His Son, Christ Jesus.

The fleshly minded Christian's uses words, and than they act like the words in mocked humiliated before men for a reward of those men praises. Christ Jesus publicly prayed the truth from his heart, not words of some religious teaching, said in certain ways, and at certain times in the prayer, and YHWH loved those words of heart felt truth.

See also: nu-truth.com