Get Real - by Elizabeth Reynolds

Matthew 6:7-13

In praying, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need before you ask him. Pray like this:

"'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.'

When I came across this scripture recently, (just the verse 7 part at the beginning), I immediately thought of the Lord’s prayer and how that is sometimes rattled off in a repetitious way. I looked the verse up and found that ironically, it was Jesus’ lead-up to teaching us the Lord’s Prayer or the “Our Father” prayer.

The prayer (in verses 9-13) has become a guideline for some, and a literal word-for-word repeatable prayer for others. For some, it is both. Did Jesus really mean for us to repeat His words exactly? Or did He mean it as a pattern for prayer in general? While I’m not here to answer that question (sorry for any disappointment, but I don’t know the easy answer), I will say that it probably doesn’t matter, and as long as our prayers just don’t become like ‘Gentiles’’ or ‘heathens’’ prayers, as stated in verse 7. Other translations and paraphrases of the Bible say that these repetitive prayers are:

  • Babbling

  • Meaningless repetition

  • Heaped up empty phrases

  • Repeating the same thing over and over

  • A flood of empty words

  • Talking on and on

  • Showing off

  • Saying the same things again and again

  • Saying things that mean nothing

  • Rambling

  • Using a lot of meaningless words

…You get the picture I guess. There seems to be an emphasis on repeating too much, and the words being empty or meaningless. And it’s how people pray who don’t know God.

So whatever you pray, even if you’re praying a well-known prayer that you’ve learned by rote (for example, the Lord’s Prayer above), make sure you are praying mindfully, giving meaning to each word – don’t just rattle it off. You are speaking to your King! And if you’re praying words thought of on the spot, like we may usually do, just be REAL. God hears you. And He hears you the first time. While we are also called to be persistent in prayer (Ephesians 6:18), this doesn’t mean to repeat empty words over and over again. As always, with God, it’s about the heart.

Just get real with Him.

Bible, Growth, PrayerBFCprayer, Jesus