No, this is not the Lord's Prayer, but an example of a disciple's prayer. Jesus is teaching his followers how to pray. In this lesson, Jesus teaches us first where to pray: "Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" Matt. 6:6.

When you pray be not as the hypocrites, they love to pray standing in synagogues . . . that they may be seen of men. They have their reward. Men have seen (and heard) them, no more and no less. God closes His eyes to them. In the parable of the praying Pharisee and Publican, the hypocritical Pharisee prayed long and loud within himself, thanking God for his own self-righteousness, then informing Him how much he has spent in tithes and how often he fasted this week. The Publican's prayer was short--7 words: "God be merciful to me a sinner." The Publican's prayer was heard and answered. The Pharisee didn't feel that he needed anything. Since he didn't ask, he didn't receive

"Enter into thy closet." This suggests personal and secret prayer. Go to your bedroom and shut the door. I have heard some say that Jesus meant the closet of our hearts. Jesus didn't say go into your heart. I believe he meant a literal place of privacy. Often on Sunday mornings when there is a lot of commotion about the house, I walk out into the back yard where there is quietness and endeavor to talk with God. I want most of all to feel His presence. Then I must confess my need for Him in all things and in particular, for His presence with me when I go to stand before His people. Do not pray aloud. This is a secret prayer. If you prayed aloud it would not be secret. "When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrite. . ." This part of our lesson suggests public prayer and how we should NOT pray. Prayer should be our most sacred exercise, particularly in our public worship. We should approach the throne of prayer breathing the words of David: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, 0 Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer." Psa. 19:14.

Let us not be long and tedious in prayer. The hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees, for a pretense, make long prayers. They love to be seen and heard of men. If we weary the congregation with long prayers, I am sure we weary God. ". . . When ye pray, use not vain repetitions. . .' Now this gets close to home with the most of us who pray publicly, that is using vain repetitions.

Vain repetitions are expressions used over and over in prayer. An example is our addressing God. In Jesus' model prayer for his disciples. God is addressed once in the outset: "Our Father which art in heaven ... " To repeat this. Or other similar phrases such as "dear heavenly Father", "Oh righteous God", over and over, is vain repetitions. The heathen uses vain repetitions.

Let us observe the admonition of King Solomon: 'Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few." Eccl. 5:2. Elder E. B. Watts Boaz, Alabama (Reprint from the Pathway of Truth,  January 1988)