Help! Need bible quote about God or Jesus or whoever preferring private worship

[CanuckAmok]

Can any scholars help me?

The meat and potatoes of the quote is that God doesn't really have much patience for "vain" worship, meaning people who are overly conspicuous in their prayer. Basically it says that God prefers sincere people praying in private than hypocrites blabbing it up in the town square.

Anyone??

[GoddessOfGuinness]

1. "When thou prayest,

enter into thine inner chamber and, having shut the door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall recompense thee" (Matthew 6:6)

[plcdude]

2. Matt 6

has good discussion on prayer

[AlecBGreen]

3. Matthew 6:5

"Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward."

Jesus's worst denunciation was to call someone a hypocrite. He was especially hard on the Parisees ("O ye brood of vipers!" ... ouch!) and he called them out incessantly, most notably for their vanity and flase piety.

Hope this helps!

-Alec

[WritingIsMyReligion]

4. Matthew 6:5-8.

The KJV version is especially damning:

5 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.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

[dolo amber]

5. "Stfu with that damn prayin' shit you jerks."

Oh wait, that's not the bible...that's me.

[Guava Jelly]

6. try a bible verse search

http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/