A lovely sister asked me what I thought of lengthy prayers in church meetings, below is the answer I gave.
In my experience very long prayers, especially ones that repeat themselves to keep the focus on the person praying makes me very uncomfortable.
Matthew 6:6-8 "…6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.…"
Also:
Matthew 6:5-15
5 “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
6 But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."
The Lord’s Prayer
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
I once had a relative tell me she attended a seminar on how to pray. She came home with a book 700 pages long on how to pray. I told her; "if I thought prayer was that hard I would give up."
Sadly there have been protestant rituals that are not Biblical in some gatherings. God's instruction in the Bible was simple and from the heart.
Praying over bridges is not biblical, praying in front of people in the streets is not biblical and other things they taught in this lengthy book.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the way to pray and it is not hard nor is it less effective than those long, tedious, empty prayers of those who love to feel spiritual and be seen by others.
God is looking at the heart of the person praying, the humility and submissive attitude of the one praying, and not at all at the "eloquent delivery." The most uneducated person can bless God's heart because of their humility and sincerity.
Philippians 4:5-7
5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
May the Lord help those who feel inadequate in their prayers just learn to speak their own words from their own heart, this is what blesses God.
Hallelujah!!!
