Many of us were taught that reciting or repeating a prayer, anything other than coming up with our own words, was the wrong way to pray. Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount has been put forward as the basis for rejecting all but extemporaneous prayer.
And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Matthew 6:7-8
The basic question is whether Jesus is declaring all repeated prayers to be meaningless, or if repetition can be either meaningful or meaningless, and we are to avoid the latter. Remember, Jesus prayed the exact same prayer three times in the garden (Matthew 26:44), and he also gave his disciples a prayer to say immediately after this criticism of repetition (Matthew 6:9-13). Therefore, Jesus is not rejecting all repetition but only meaningless ones.
The most obvious indication that Jesus is not criticizing all repetitive prayer is because he warns against the meaningless repetition of the Gentiles and says nothing of Jewish prayers. This is very telling, because the Jews had been praying and reciting the psalms for centuries. If Jesus opposed all repeated or recited prayers why not criticize Jewish daily prayer, synagogue prayers, and the temple prayers? The Gentiles were not the only ones who used repetition. Jesus is warning against what makes Gentile repetition meaningless and is concerned that his disciples might do the same. Jesus points out two reasons that the Gentiles use repetition, both of which are based on flawed understandings of how and why we offer prayers.
First, Jesus says that Gentiles are repetitive because they believe they will be heard if they use many words. They do not believe their gods are inclined to hear them. The situation reminds us of Elijah’s mocking of the prophets of Ba’al that perhaps their god was relieving himself, asleep, or had gone on a trip (I Kings 18:27). Their antics were to gain the attention of a disinterested or inattentive deity. Conversely, Jesus is insistent on how his Father is eager and willing to hear and help (Matthew 7:11) because of his great love for us.
On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. John 16:26-27
Second, Jesus implies that Gentiles think they are telling their gods something which their gods to not know. He reminds his disciples that God already knows what they need before they ask. This is also a mistaken understanding of God, and if believed, will lead to useless repetition as we imagine ourselves informing God.
These two underlying conceptions of their gods were why the Gentiles’ repeated their prayers, are not true of God. Jesus in fact wants us to repeat the prayer he gave, as the church has practiced since the beginning, but not for those mistaken reasons. Poor thinking about God may lead us to engage in meaningless repetition. What is in the mind of the one praying, the reason for reciting or repeating prayers, is what will either make them meaningful or meaningless.
Ironically, the person who believes his prayer will be more readily heard by God or is authentic becausehe is not repeating a prayer composed by someone else, is engaged in meaningless non-repetition! This is also a flawed understanding of what makes prayer meaningful because such a person relies improperly on the non-repetitive nature of his prayer as why God will hear. Neither repetition nor non-repetition is the secret to some prayer formula, but what matters is the act of lifting our hearts up to God.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my cry of supplication.
In the day of my trouble I call on you,
for you will answer me.
Psalm 86:4-7
You may pray these words daily and your repetition will never be meaningless. May we become the words we pray.
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