Hypocrites Love Public Prayer!

“For they [hypocrites] love to...pray...that they may be seen by others” (Matt. 6:5). Hypocritical prayer is prayer wherein one prays not that God may be pleased, but that others may be pleased with us, that is, that through making our prayers a public spectacle we might invite the admiration and favor of others. How does this speak to our felt need to inform others that we're praying for them? Should we let those whom we're praying for know that we are indeed praying for them? If so, why do we feel they know we're praying for them? Can God work in the life of others whom we pray for even if they do not know we're praying for them?