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Sunday, July 13, 2014

Really, really, really long, drawn out prayers

I just read an interesting article on long-winded prayers. We've all been there. In fact, we've all done them. Being one who has prayed a similar prayer before, I believe that these type of prayers are born either out of us not knowing how or what to pray for or in order to impress others that may be listening.

Matthew 6:5-8 tells us, "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 may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.  But 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. 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."

While there is nothing, per se, wrong with a long prayer when it is warranted, when asked to publicly pray, this is not the time to confess all that you've been holding back for the past year, nor is it the time to invoke the blessings of God in a long litany of "thee's" and "thou's".

We need to pray a prayer of substance... an honest prayer from your heart to the heart of God.