Deception in Public Praying

Deception in the park

Is public praying an indication of a pagan practice? This issue is related to public praying that we usually see in social and religious activities being promoted by priests, christian ministers and other religious leaders. 

In fact, these prayer activities are seen in televisions and may be heard in malls just like in the case of the hail mary prayer being recited at six o'clock afternoon. 

To guide the readers, quoted is the substance of the scripture:

5 “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. 6 But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.

7 “When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. 8 Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. 9 This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven:

May your holy name be honored;

10 may your Kingdom come;

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today the food we need.

12 Forgive us the wrongs we have done,

as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.

13 Do not bring us to hard testing,

but keep us safe from the Evil One.

14 “If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done. (Matthew 6: 6-14, GNT).

Based on the above, is public praying a pagan and hypocritical practice?