"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 –
– Matthew 6:7-8 –
In
these verses the Lord teaches His disciples not to pray with mindless
repetition, but with a restful confidence in the sovereignty and
omniscience of God.
The Heart Matters More Than the Mouth
The pagans would pray to their deities by reciting particular phrases
over and over again, thinking that their gods would reward them for
their ritualistic devotion. This kind of thinking about prayer reduces
it to a mechanical, heartless ritual. Here, however, Jesus teaches that
simply repeating words without engaging your heart is not acceptable
before God. In fact, our God has always been more concerned with the
internal than with external.
- Psalm 69:30–31 – I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please Yahweh better than an ox or a young bull with horns and hoofs.
- Hosea 6:6 – For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
- Isaiah 29:13 – This people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote…
(See also Psalm 51:16–17; Isa 1:11–15; Amos 5:21–24; Micah 6:6–8; Malachi 1:6–14.) Continue at Mike Riccardi
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