Sabbath: A Time for Prayer

Scripture — Matthew 6:5; Acts 16:13 (NRSV)

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.”

On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.

Devotion

The New Testament Gospels do not describe all the things Jesus did on the sabbath. They show that he regularly participated in synagogue worship, reading the Scripture, teaching, and healing. We also see that he conversed with others who had gathered in the synagogue, often dealing with criticism aimed at his “work” of healing on the sabbath. But much of Jesus’s sabbath practice we must discern from other sources.

For example, we can be certain that Jesus prayed on the sabbath. Ancient Jewish sources specify that a particular blessing was to be spoken at the beginning of the sabbath as faithful Jews lit candles at home: “Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Shabbat candle[s].” Sabbath celebrations both in homes and in synagogues included many other prayers which became standard in the early centuries A.D.

An older synagogue prayer appears in Psalm 92, which is identified in the Bible as “A Song for the Sabbath Day.” The first verses of this song include an explicit prayer to the Lord:

Prayers like this were surely a regular element of Jesus’s sabbath observance.

The centrality of prayer to the synagogue can be seen in one of the common names for ancient Jewish assemblies. The English word “synagogue” translates the Greek word synagōgē, which meant “gathering place.” Another common name for the Jewish gathering place was proseuchē, the basic meaning of which was simply “prayer.” But proseuchē also meant “place of prayer,” as in Acts 16:13. The fact that Jews often referred to their synagogues as “prayers” or “places of prayer” underscores the centrality of prayer in what they did there.

Though Jesus surely prayed in synagogues, both on sabbath days and at other times, he was not enthusiastic about all ways of praying there. In Matthew 6:5 he says, “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.” Public prayer that is intended to glorify the person praying is unacceptable, according to Jesus.

I was challenged by this teaching of Jesus when I was a young pastor. I served on the staff of a church that had several mature pastors, all of whom prayed articulately and beautifully as well as genuinely. They were not putting on a show when they prayed so poetically. Thus, when I was invited to pray in worship services, I felt insecure and tentative. I wanted my colleagues and the congregation to think well of me. Thus, I struggled to keep God as my primary audience when I led in prayer. In time, by God’s grace, I was able to outgrow my insecurity and lead people in prayer without trying to impress them. I could focus on genuine communication with God even as I was leading others to God’s throne of grace.

The temptation to pray for the sake of our personal reputation is one reason Jesus urges us to pray in secret (Matthew 6:6). Several times in the Gospels we see Jesus leaving his disciples in order to pray when he is alone with his Heavenly Father (for example, Mark 1:35). We imitate Jesus’s example by setting aside time for private prayer. The sabbath provides an ideal opportunity for such intimate communication with God.

Like all faithful Jews in his time of history, Jesus prayed on the sabbath. He prayed in synagogue services, during traditional sabbath meals, and when he was alone with his Heavenly Father. The example of Jesus encourages us to make prayer central to our regular times of rest. The teaching of Jesus on sabbath prayer reminds us to pray with authenticity whether we’re with others or by ourselves. Prayer is not a show either for God or other people. It’s genuine, intimate communication with God. What could be more fitting for the day when we stop working in order to turn our hearts to the Lord?

Banner image by Sam Balye on Unsplash.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Businesswoman Lydia (Acts 16).

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