[ZNPaaneah]

The Lord taught us to pray “thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven”. Ellicott sums up the paradox very well:

“The real difficulty in the prayer is, that it lands us, as before, in a mystery which we cannot solve. It assumes that even the will of God is in part dependent on our wills, that it will not be done unless we so pray. The question, “Who hath resisted this will? Does it not ever fulfill itself?” forces itself on our thoughts. And the answer is found, as before, in accepting the seeming paradox of prayer. In one sense the will of God, which is also the eternal law, must fulfil itself; but it is one thing for that law to work in subduing all things to itself, another for it to bring all created wills into harmony with itself. And in really praying for this we, as before, in part fulfill the prayer.”

The first mention of prayer was concerning the building of the house of David and building the house of God. It was to be a house of prayer. A place where the people of the world could come and lay their petition before God. But that got abused and false prophets turned the house of prayer into a den or thieves.

This is one of the cornerstones of prayer. The second is that the prayer of the upright is God’s delight. It is the mystery of God’s will that He desires us to pray for His will to be done and to do it. Just as Jesus said “all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”. This is how God glorifies Himself and how his servants prosper, something else that God delights in.

The third cornerstone is to “persevere in prayer”. As James said, patience is required for a perfect work. God delights in a perfect man. This can never happen without perseverance in prayer.

The fourth cornerstone is that God delights in loving kindness. This matter of prayer stands on faith and lovingkindness. As a consequence it reveals the faithless, and the wicked. It reveals those who devour widow’s houses, and those whose hands are full of blood. God delights in loving kindness, but this reveals those who are perverse in heart and those who have turned a deaf ear to the Lord’s instructions.

Look at the context of the Lord's instructions on prayer:

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

What did Peter say to the poor beggar -- "silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give to thee"

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.

This is clearly a continuation. Hypocrites make a big show of giving to the poor, and that show is their reward. Likewise, the religious hypocrites make a big show of their prayers.

Likewise, "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."

This babbling reveals faithlessness.