Matthew 6:5-15 (NIV)

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
​hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:5-15 (NIV)

General Context Questions

• Who wrote this? Who is or which groups of people are involved?
• Was this written before, during, or after Jesus’ lifetime?
• Is this a narrative, a parable, a praise, a suggestion, a command, an instruction, or something else?
• Is there anything that stands out to you?
• Did anything confuse you? Were there words or phrases that didn’t make sense?

Specific Questions

• What reward do people get when they “pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners”?
• If many words and public prayer isn’t what gets God’s attention, what does?
• If God already knows what we need before we ask Him for it, why should we have to ask?
• When verse 9 says, “This, then, is how you should pray”, do you think this means that this prayer is the only correct prayer? Do you think that it’s the words of the prayer that are important, or is it something else that really matters to God?
• Does forgiving people’s sin against you mean that you don’t seek justice or that there are no consequences for their actions? Can you have forgiveness and justice? If so, how?