“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”
If it’s time to pray and you don’t have much to say, what do you do?
One thing I’ve learned from writing blogs is that you have to be short and sweet. If the blog post is too long, people don’t make it all the way through…or they don’t read it at all. Hopefully, I’ve done a decent job of keeping these posts short.
In today’s passage from Matthew, Jesus tells us about prayer.
Jesus is saying that we don’t have to be long-winded when we pray. We don’t have to concoct elaborate prayers with fancy words to be heard by God.
I knew a guy in college who was in a church group with me. One day, we ordered pizza to eat during our Bible study because we were all starving. He offered to pray for the food. 15 minutes later he had finally finished. The pizza was cold and we never let him pray for the food again.
We don’t have to come up with long, elaborate prayers for God.
Why?
God already knows what you need and what is on your heart. In fact, you don’t have to even say a word and God knows.
This can free us.
We can feel more comfortable praying when we know that God isn’t concerned with us using the right words or being eloquent.
I like to think of it like a child coming to their father. Kids don’t use big, fancy words and they don’t tend to beat around the bush. They just say what they need. Their father understands and doesn’t expect long elaborate requests. He loves his child and wants to give them what they need. He’s happy his child came to him.
It’s like that with God. He simply wants us to come to Him and come to Him often.
Praying with People Who Don’t Know Jesus:
In fact, when praying with people who don’t yet know Jesus, short prayers are often the best. They don’t overwhelm the person and they provide an example for that person which they can repeat. Later, they may want to pray on their own and short, simple prayer is easier to imitate.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being a God who listens. Sometimes I feel like I don’t pray well. Remind me in those times that it isn’t about the words I say as much as it is my heart. Draw me to You in prayer throughout the day.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
