17 Intimately related to constant joy is incessant prayer—the only way to cultivate a joyful attitude in times of trial. Uninterrupted communication with God keeps temporal and spiritual values in balance. "Continually" (cf. 1:2-3; 2:13; Ro 1:9) does not mean nonstop praying. Rather, it implies constantly recurring prayer, growing out of a settled attitude of dependence on God. Whether words are uttered or not, lifting the heart to God while one is occupied with miscellaneous duties is the vital thing. Verbalized prayer will be spontaneous and will punctuate one's daily schedule, as it did Paul's writings (3:11-13; 2Th 2:16-17).

6 Third, believers should be prayerful instead of "anxious". This verb can mean "to be concerned about" in a proper Christian sense (cf. 2:20), but here the meaning is clearly that of anxiety, fretfulness, or undue concern (cf. Mt 6:25-34). Paul is not calling for apathy or inaction, for as we make plans in the light of our circumstances, it is our Christian privilege to do so in full trust that our Father hears our prayers for what we need. The answer to anxiety is "prayer", a word that denotes the petitioner's attitude of mind as worshipful. "Petition" denotes prayers as expressions of need. "Thanksgiving" should accompany all Christian praying, as the supplicants acknowledge that whatever God sends is for their good. It may also include remembrance of previous blessings.

6 If Jesus were forbidding all public prayer, then clearly the early church did not understand him (e.g., 18:19-20; Ac 1:24; 3:1; 4:24-30). The public versus private antithesis is a good test of one's motives; those who pray more in public than in private reveal that they are less interested in God's approval than in human praise. Not piety but a reputation for piety is their concern. Far better to deal radically with this hypocrisy (cf. 5:29-30) and pray in a private "room." The Father, who sees in secret, will reward such disciples.