Secret Prayer Distinguishes Sincerity from Hypocrisy

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Good message Mike!
I guess we all need to work on this.
Interestingly one of the reasons we don’t have many examples of these types of prayer is that they are private. Easy to fall into the gift machine trap.
Often I find a simple… Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Is all we need in that area, and depending on our circumstances, and what we are praying about for others, the bread of the day might have many different forms. Old John Gill described it this way.

“ By “bread” is meant all the necessaries of life, and for the support of it: it is called “our’s”; not that we have a right unto it, much less deserve it, but to distinguish it from that of beasts; and because it is what we need, and cannot do without; what is appointed for us by providence, is our’s by gift, and possessed by labour. It is said to be “daily” bread, and to be asked for “day by day”; which suggests the uncertainty of life; strikes at all anxious and immoderate cares for the morrow; is designed to restrain from covetousness, and to keep up the duty of prayer, and constant dependence on God; whom we must every day ask to “give” us our daily bread: for he is the sole author of all our mercies; which are all his free gifts; we deserve nothing at his hands: wherefore we ought to be thankful for what we have, without murmuring at his providences, or envying at what he bestows on others. All kind of food, everything that is eatable, is with the Jews called לחם, “bread” .”

I tend to see it as a broad spectrum but try to submit to God’s sovereignty in determining what is necessary.

I do think we are encouraged to ASK, I,e Ask, Seek, Knock in our prayer life.

Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?