Beware of the Doctrines of Pharisees

Jesus told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. “Leaven” here means ‘doctrine’ (Luke 12:1b). Leaven of Pharisees is hypocrisy. Pharisees were very religious, but verily ungodly. Today, we have such Christians who behave and conduct themselves like Pharisees. I call such ones Pharisee-Christians. Pharisee-Christians want position and worldly recognition.

Pharisee-Christians still believe that works of God should be done according to the laws of Moses. They are hypocrites practicing their religion to be known and saluted by men. They know every law in the Bible governing material things.

When Pharisee-Christians gather to pray, they want their voices to be heard by passers-by and in the entire neighbourhood where the place of Worship is located. Someone else must hold microphone and lead the rest in prayer irrespective of how many people are in the Church. They believe that if your voice is not loud, your prayer will not be answered. It is “pray, pray, pray, louder – I cannot hear your voice. If your Amen can be loudest, you will receive blessings from God”.  

God is omniscience; therefore you need not to shout before He hears you. I believe no father will be happy with his child who shouts while requesting for something from him. The father will rebuke the child and warn him not to talk on top of his voice while talking to him because he is not deaf.

We should obey Jesus’ warning concerning how to bring our requests to God in prayer.

“For when thou prayest, thou shalt not 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.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closest, 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.

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

“But not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him". Matthew 6:5-8.

Jesus has not condemned praying standing either in the Church or elsewhere, but He means if the motive behind standing while praying is to draw people's attention to yourself or show people how important you are, then you are not praying to God. Where few people come together to pray, once you can hear the person leading others in prayer, then the use of microphone is not necessary. You are not there to prove to the neighbourhood and passersby that there are people inside the hall praying to God. 

I do write as led by the Holy Spirit.