Introduction
When it comes to the practice of prayer, it is perilously easy to slip off the point. Most Christians feel inadequate about their prayer life, but when we try to fix it, we too often employ tricks that we assume God wants. But He might not want what we invent to offer Him.
The Text
“Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Ecc. 5:2).
Summary of the Text
This text was selected because it runs clean contrary to many of our pious assumptions about prayer. We admire those “prayer warriors” who spend so much time in prayer, acting as though quantity were everything, and we urge others to employ that metric as well. But the author of Ecclesiastes warns us to be careful and deliberately slow with our tongues when in the presence of God. Why is this? You must understand that God is the transcendent God; He dwells in the highest heaven. You are a creature who sticks to the ground as he walks along, breathing through your nose, and this has the clear implication that when you are in the presence of God you ought not say very much. Let your words be few.
Sinful Repetition
Scripture is very clear that we must not come into the presence of God chattering. When Jesus teaches on this subject, the word he uses for “vain repetition” is battalogeo. Take that as stammer, yammer, chatter, yada yada. “Dear Lord, we just come to You today, Lord, just to pray, Lord, and we just come before You just to say just a lot.”
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”Matt. 6:7 (KJV)
Conversing with God is not an assignment for a class, with a specified word count for your term paper. You are not to look at your prayers as something that need to be plumped or fluffed up with extraneous adjectives.
A certain kind of hypocrite likes lengthy prayers. It gives him scope to display his devotional plumage.
“Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.”Luke 20:47; cf. Mark 12:38-40 (KJV)
Righteous Repetition
So we are to avoid the kind of repetition that relies on word count. We are to avoid chattering and verbosity. But there are three kinds of repetition that are encouraged in Scripture, and which are righteous.
The first is the repetition of recurring prayer. Instead of one long, drawn out prayer session, you have the prayer offered up, and then the next day you offer it up again. Then again, and again. This kind of recurring routine is greatly to be encouraged. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). This is the lesson taught through the parable of the importunate widow. She makes the request. And then she comes back and makes it again. And then she comes back and makes it again. This is repetition, but it is the repetition of dedication.
“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man.”Luke 18:1–2 (KJV)
The second kind of righteous repetition happens in a moment of crisis or high danger. You cry out to God because of the circumstances. You need deliverance, or strength, or comfort, and you need it now. If you were sitting by your child’s bed at the hospital, praying that God would spare his life, you would likely pray all night, but you would not dream of thinking to yourself that you were being a “prayer warrior.” All you would be thinking about would be your kid.
Paul was afflicted with his thorn in the flesh, and so he repeated his request for deliverance. Three times he repeated it (2 Cor. 12:7). Jesus was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, and three times He pleaded with the Father to take the cup from Him (Matt. 26:44). Jesus prayed all night prior to the selection of His disciples (Luke 6:12-13). My take is that He wrestled with the selection, knowing from the beginning what Judas would do (John 6:64). And when Peter was arrested, likely to be killed, the church was in crisis and prayed for him accordingly.
“Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”Acts 12:5 (KJV)
The last kind of righteous repetition is the practice of the presence of God. If you are a living sacrifice, then everything you stand on, or sit on, or sleep on, or drive, is an altar. You are to be a living prayer. God is with you all the time.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”Rom. 12:1 (KJV)
Hindrances to Prayer
There are two basic hindrances to effective prayer. The first would be sin in your life outside your prayer life.
“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”1 Peter 3:7 (KJV)
Mistreatment of wives appears to be a common problem—it shows up in Malachi as well. “God, why do You not receive our sacrifices?” The answer is because of your faithlessness to your wives by covenant (Mal. 2:13-14).
The second hindrance is because of sinfulness in the prayer itself. It could be thinking you were earning something from a lengthy prayer, already mentioned. It could be because you were showing off, and you already have your reward.
“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”Matt. 6:5–6 (KJV)
It could also be the result of praying in order to fulfill your selfish lusts.
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”Jas. 4:3 (KJV)
Submission and Authority
Always remember that we see two basic attitudes set before us in Scripture when it comes to our petitions. Walking by faith and growing in maturity means learning how to discern which form of prayer the current moment calls for.
The first demeanor is one of submission and surrender. This is modeled for us by Jesus in Gethsemane.
“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”Luke 22:42 (KJV)
The second stance is one of true authority.
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”Mark 11:24 (KJV)
See also Matt. 7:7-8; John 14:13-14; John 16:23-24; John 15:7; Mark 11:22-24; Matt. 18:19-20; 1 John 5:14-15.
The Structure of Christian Prayer
In the main, Christian prayer is addressed to God the Father. The way it goes it this: We come to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father is where we are going. The Son is the road that we take to get there. The Holy Spirit is the vehicle that takes us there.
“For through him [Jesus Christ] we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one Spirit [in the Spirit’s power] unto the Father [the one we approach].”Eph. 2:18 (KJV)
This is the meaning of Our Father in Heaven. “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven . . .” (Matt. 6:9). This is the meaning of in Jesus’ name, amen. If we are to do everything in the name of Jesus, then this would certainly include our prayers. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col. 3:17).
This is the usual pattern—it is how we should generally pray. But because the Lord Jesus is fully God, and because the Holy Spirit is a divine person as well, it is appropriate (upon occasion) to address them.
“And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”Acts 7:59 (KJV)
But be thoughtful how you do this. You don’t ever want to begin a prayer with “Dear Jesus” and end it with “in Your Son’s name, amen.”
And Amen
Approach God daily in prayer. Remember who you are. Remember who Christ is, and present your requests in faith in His name. Check the motives of your heart—don’t covet, lust, compete, or show off in your prayers. Maintain a prayer list that you return to again and again. Remember to thank God for His answers. Keep it short. Amen.