Vain Repetition in Prayer

Question:

After reading Mat. 6:7-9 I am confused as to how I should pray. Could you please clarify.

Answer:

There is an important context here. The Pharisees encouraged lengthy prayers. Dave Guzik shares the following quote:

“Rabbi Levi said, ‘Whoever is long in prayer is heard.’ Another saying has it: ‘Whenever the righteous make their prayer long, their prayer is heard.’”

Scripture is at variance with this attitude.Ecclesiastes 5:2 shares these words which are the inspiration of an often sung worship song:

Ecclesiastes 5:2: God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.

The word "vain" indicates that which is empty or purposeless. Thus, vain repetition is when we are speaking because we enjoy the sound of our own voice.

Jesus own prayer, intended to be an example of how to pray, shows a great economy with words. I think Jesus is teaching us something about God. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we pray. We don't need to exhaustively explain our needs. There is a danger that is especially prevalent in corporate prayers: sometimes we are praying for the people in the room rather than talking to God. Brief prayers are often more humble and reflect our faith in the omniscience of God.

The great prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon once said, “Christians’ prayers are measured by weight, and not by length. Many of the most prevailing prayers have been as short as they were strong.”

Hope these reflections help you to sort out the exhortation in Matthew 6.