Sound Doctrine, the Bible above all. by E.G - HTML preview
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VAIN REPETITIONS

REPETITIVE PRAYERS OR PRAYERS
What does it mean to use vain repetitions in prayer?
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, like the Gentiles, who think that by their words they will be heard" (Matthew 6:7). The word vain means "empty" or "useless"; therefore, Jesus is warning us that the useless repetition of phrases in our prayers will not help them to be heard by God. Our heavenly Father is not interested in the number of words or poetic expressions; he "loves the truth in the innermost being" (Psalm 51:6). God is pleased when we open our hearts to Him as Hannah did (1 Samuel 1:10-18) or as Jabez prayed (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).
Matthew 6:7 |
And in prayer, do not use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do, who think that they will be heard by their words. |
Psalm 51:6 |
Behold, you love the truth in your innermost being, And in secret you have made me understand wisdom. |
Prayer of Jabez:
1 Crónicas 4:9-10 “Y Jabes fue más ilustre que sus hermanos, al cual su madre llamó Jabes, diciendo: Por cuanto lo di a luz en dolor. And Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, O that thou wouldst bless me, and enlarge my territory, and that thy hand be with me, and deliver me from evil, that I may not harm me. And God gave him what he asked for." |
Jesus points out that the use of repetitive words or phrases is a "pagan" or "idolatrous" practice and should not be part of Christian prayer. Our prayers should be more like the short, simple prayer of Elijah on Mount Carmel and less like the long, repetitive prayers of the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:25-39).
1Kings 18:25-39 |
25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose an ox for yourselves, and prepare it for yourselves, for you are the majority; and call on the name of your gods, but do not put fire underneath. 26 And they took the ox that was given to them and prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, !! Baal, answer us! But there was no voice, no one to answer; Meanwhile, they were jumping near the altar they had made. 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, saying, "Shout with a loud voice, for he is a god; perhaps he is meditating, or has a job, or is on his way; perhaps he sleeps, and must be awakened. 28 And they cried out with a loud voice, and cut themselves with knives and lancets according to their custom, until the blood dripped on them. 29 Noon passed, and they went on shouting frantically until the time of the sacrifice, but there was no voice, no one to answer or listen. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come to me." And all the people came to him; and he fixed the altar of the Lord that was ruined. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord was given, saying, Israel shall be thy name, 32 He built an altar with the stones in the name of the Lord; then he made a trench around the altar, in which two measures of grain could fit. 33 Then he prepared the wood, and cut the ox into pieces, and laid it on the wood. 34 And he said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." And he said, Do it again; and again they did. He said, "Do it the third time; And they did it the third time, 35 So that water flowed around the altar, and the trench was filled with water. 36 When the time came for the burnt offering to be offered, the prophet Elijah came and said, "O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be manifest today that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your command." 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you turn their hearts to you. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the ditch. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell down and said, "!! Jehovah is the God, Jehovah is the God! |
When we pray, we are talking to God and worshiping Him. It's like a conversation of the heart. Many religions, including some branches of Christianity, have routine prayers that advise them to be repeated over and over again. Some churches even go so far as to require their members to recite a specific prayer a certain number of times in order to be absolved of sin. This is paganism and superstition; Such prayers are "vain repetitions" that have no place in the church. Jesus has already atoned for our sins once and for all (Hebrews 10:10), and we can approach the throne of grace with confidence based on Christ's sacrifice (Hebrews 4:15-16), not because of our "much talk" (Matthew 6:7).
Hebrews 10:10 |
In that will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. |
Hebrews 4:15-16 |
15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in all points according to our likeness, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we may obtain mercy and find grace for help in time of time |
Matthew 6:7 |
And in prayer, do not use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do, who think that they will be heard by their words. |
It's easy to get caught up in vain repetitions, repeating the same words in our prayers, instead of thinking about our words or letting them come from the heart. We must be God-centered when we pray and honor Him in our hearts. In Isaiah 29:13, God says, "For this people draw near to me with their mouths, and with their lips they honor me, but their heart is far from me..."
Isaiah 29:13 |
Therefore the Lord says, For this people draw near to me with their mouth, and with their lips they honor me, but their heart is far from me, and their fear of me is but a commandment of men taught them; |
Being persistent in prayer is not the same as using vain repetitions. There is nothing wrong with praying about the same thing more than once (2 Corinthians 12:8), and waiting according to God's will. After all, Jesus taught us that we should "pray always, and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). But it is understood that our prayers should be heartfelt, spontaneous, and God-honoring, not the repetition of words written by someone else.


