Introduction
A. Brother Dave Said that some people believe that prayer ain’t nowhere and meditation is a stroke. But, beloved, prayer is asking for it and meditation is waiting.
1. Turn to Ecclesiastes 5:2
B. Among the religious there is often a tendency toward long prayers, particularly in public.
1. Too often people measure prayer by its fluency and length, thinking that length means devotion.
2. But Ecclesiastes 5:2 says
Ecclesiastes 5:2 (NKJV)
Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.
a. Now lets examine our Matthew passage
Matthew 6:7-8 (NKJV)
"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. {8} "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him
3. Christ puts the matter very simply, yet strongly: "When you pray," follow three great rules.
a. Rule 1: do not use empty repetition (v.7)
b. Rule 2: do not speak much (v.7)
c. Rule 3: trust God (v.8)
II. Body
A. Rule 1: do not use empty repetition
Matthew 6:7 (NKJV)
"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen
1. The first great rule of prayer is striking, do not use empty repetition
a. There are several things that lend themselves to empty repetition
(1) Memorized prayer: just saying the words of a form prayer, for example, the Lord's prayer
(a) Now, there is nothing wrong with praying a memorized prayer, but it should be prayed through and not just repeated with no thought behind the words
(2) Written, well-worded prayers: thinking that what we say is so expressive and so well worded, it is bound to carry weight with God
(a) The words may be descriptive and beautifully arranged, but the heart must be offering the prayer, not the mind and ego
(b) Such prayer is empty repetition.
(3) Ritual prayer: saying the same prayer at the same time on the same occasion, over and over again
(a) This can soon become empty repetition
(4) Formal worship: praying in the same way on a rigid schedule can lead to praying by habit with little or no meaning to it, that is it stops being part of conscience thought
(5) Thoughtless prayer: speaking words while our minds are wandering
(a) Being tired is no excuse
(b) It is better not to pray than to pray insincerely
(6) Religious words and phrases: using certain words or phrases over and over in prayer, just because they are religious sounding
(a) Compare using such words over and over as mercy, grace, I thank thee O God, in Jesus' name
i) Habitual references to God: using such empty repetition as "Lord this," and "Lord that," and "Lord here," and "Lord there," and "Lord...," "Lord...," "Lord...."
ii) How little thought is really given to approaching Him whose name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
2. There are several things that will keep us from using empty repetition in prayer
a. A genuine heart: really knowing God personally and having a moment by moment fellowship with Him all day long
b. Thought and concentration: really focusing upon what we are saying.
c. Desire for fellowship with God: praying sincerely, really meaning it
d. Preparation: preparing ourselves for prayer by first meditating in God's Word
3. Notice something of extreme importance in discussing "vain repetition."
a. Christ does not say repetition in prayer is wrong
b. It is not wrong
(1) Turn to Matthew 26:44
c. What is wrong is vain, empty, meaningless, foolish repetition. Christ Himself used repetition in prayer
Matthew 26:44 (NKJV)
So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words
d. In Daniel 9:18 - 19, the man Daniel used repetition
Daniel 9:18-19 (NKJV)
"O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. {19} "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.
4. Note six lessons
a. First, there is one major problem with the praying of believers: they do not pray enough
(1) They do not take enough time to pray and to pray in earnest
(2) There is one major problem when believers do pray: prayer is often vain, empty, thoughtless, meaningless, and repetitive
(3) Too often a believer prays and does not concentrate
(4) His mind wanders off somewhere else; he only mouths the words
(5) Such thoughtless and meaningless prayer is clearly seen in public prayer and in the powerlessness of believers today
(a) Turn to 2 Timothy 3:16
b. Second, there is one sure way to prepare our hearts for prayer: meditating in God's Word.
2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
(1) It is in the Scripture that the believer learns about God, himself, and the world, the nature and truth of all things
(2) It is the Spirit of God who takes the Word of God and moves upon the believer's heart revealing that for which the believer should pray
(3) Therefore, the believer is stirred to pray for whatever the Word of God and the Spirit of God has shown him
c. Third, vain repetition in prayer, whether formal or thoughtless, is dull
(1) It discourages the sincere and the newly converted
(2) It cools the willing and the gifted
(3) It stifles the committed and the mature
(4) It turns away the seeking and the lost
d. Fourth, repetition in prayer is dull
(1) Empty repetition affects worship, interest, and attendance at services
e. Fifth, vain repetition is tragic
(1) Prayer should be one of the most meaningful experiences in life
(2) God is certainly willing to meet the believer in a very special way, anytime, anyplace
(3) So much praying is merely going over and over the same things ranging from "bless Mom and Dad" to "give us a good day tomorrow."
(a) Turn to Matthew 15:7-8
f. Sixth, empty repetition turns God away and cuts the heart of the committed
Matthew 15:7-8 (NKJV)
"Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: {8} 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me
(1) Lets look again at Matthew 6:7
5. Vain Repetition
Matthew 6:7 (NKJV)
"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
a. Vain means to babble much; to use many phrases; to say idle things; to say meaningless things
b. Vain repetition means at least two things
(1) It means saying the same words over and over again without putting one's heart and thought into what is being said
(2) It means using certain religious words or phrases, sometimes over and over again, and thinking God hears because one is using such religious talk
B. Long prayers
1. The second great rule of prayer is an eye-opener-do not speak much
a. Turn to Luke 18:13
b. Too many think that length equals devotion; that is, the longer they pray the more God will listen to them, that they are showing God their sincerity, and the more spiritual they will become
c. God does not hear a person's prayer because it is long, but because his heart is genuinely poured out to God
(1) Length has nothing to do with devotion, but a sincere heart does
(2) In Luke 18:13, Jesus parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector note the length of the acceptable prayer of the tax collector
Luke 18:13 (NKJV)
"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!
(a) And note Jesus comment about this prayer in the next verse
Luke 18:14 (NKJV)
"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
2. Long prayers are not forbidden
a. What is forbidden is the idea that long prayers are automatically heard by God
b. Christ prayed all night
c. The early disciples prayed and fasted, and sought God for ten days and nights waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit
d. A believer should sense the needs of the world so much that he is driven to seek God and His intervention for long periods of time, and the seeking should be often
3. Why do some pray long prayers?
a. Some feel long prayers convince God
(1) They feel God has to be moved, nudged, and stirred to hear and answer
b. Some feel they need long prayers to explain the situation
(1) They feel God needs to be informed and made to understand a particular situation and how it has affected them
c. Some feel long prayers make them more spiritual, more mature, and more devoted
d. Some feel long prayers are just demanded of believers
(1) It is expected; it is the religious and godly thing to do
e. Some feel long prayers show God their sincerity
(1) They secure God's approval by long prayers
f. Some feel long prayers impress people
(1) They show people just how deeply spiritual they really are
(a) Remember Ecclesiastes 5:2
4. What are ways to prevent the sins that arise from long
Ecclesiastes 5:2 (NKJV)
Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.
a. "Do not be rash with your mouth" Control your mouth.
(1) Do not let your mouth rattle on and on without thought
(2) It will often rush and hurry with every thought that crosses your mind
b. “And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God", it still, be quiet, without saying a word for awhile
(1) Do not rush forward to speak
c. Think about who God is
(1) Picture a man: his mouth is quiet; he has been still for some time
(a) He has been preparing, gaining control of his mind and thoughts so he can appear before the Sovereign Majesty of the universe
(b) He focuses his thoughts upon God, the One who is in heaven far above the earth
(c) He meditates upon God's sovereignty and majesty. God is the center of his thoughts
d. "Therefore let your words be few." Speak, but make your words deliberate, just as deliberate as the words of any interviewer before a sovereign ruler
(1) Request, just as any obedient son would request of a revered father
(2) The person who approaches God like this speaks with respect and thought, with care and love
(3) He speaks few words and straight to the point, all from a prepared heart and mind
5. When should the believer spend a long time in prayer?
a. There are special times when an extended prayer time is necessary
b. Some of the times are clearly seen in Scripture
(1) Sometimes a special pull to praise and adore God is felt within
(2) When the believer feels this pull, he should get alone and spend a long time praising and worshiping God
c. Sometimes a special need arises
(1) This may be the believer's own need or a friend's need
(2) He should intercede until God gives the assurance that the need will be met
d. Sometimes an unusual experience or event has taken place or is about to take place in the believer's life or ministry
(1) He should get alone and share the event with God
(2) And he should stay before God until the experience has taken place
e. Sometimes a great trial or temptation is faced
(1) A long session of prayer may be needed to gain strength and to keep the believer away from the trial or temptation
f. Sometimes a matter needs to be worked through or a major decision needs to be made
(1) Help and direction should be sought from God. God should be acknowledged in all of the believer's ways
(2) He should remain before God until the answer is given
g. And sometimes the child of God just wants a prolonged conversation with the Father
(1) Once when my kids were small, my son crawled up on ,y lap, took my face in his hands, turned my head and said that he wanted me to listen to him.
6. Prayer is a matter of the heart, not a matter of words and length
a. Praying is sharing; it is sharing with God just like a person shares with any other person
b. Just as he shares thoughts, feelings, praise, and requests with others, so he shares with God
7. Prayer is a personal relationship
a. Prayer is not speaking into thin air
(1) God may be "in secret;” He may be invisible, but He is there
(2) He is there more than any other person who may be in our presence
(3) He is the One whom all men are to know and to whom all men are to be vitally related
(4) Too often, the awareness and consciousness of His presence are allowed to fade, and we just go through our long prayer with a wandering mind leaping from thought to thought
(5) Long prayers lend themselves to this danger
(6) How insincere! How irreverent! How often the heart of God must be cut and hurt!
8. There are prayers of believers and prayers of the heathen
a. A distinction is made by Christ Himself
b. He says that both pray
(1) Turn to Matthew 23:14
(2) The heathen pray using vain repetition and speaking empty words
(3) The believer is vitally related to God; therefore, he prays to God who is his Father
(4) He prays to God just as a son shares with his revered father
Matthew 23:14 (NKJV)
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation
(a) Look back at Matthew 6:8
C. Prayer: the third great rule of prayer is forceful, trust God
Matthew 6:8 (NKJV)
"Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him
1. God knows the believer's need even before the believer asks
2. Why then should the believer pray?
a. Prayer demonstrates our need for God and our dependence upon God
b. Prayer gives time for concentrated sharing and communion between the believer and God
c. It is not enough for man to carry a knowledge of God in his mind as he walks through life, Man needs to have times when he is in the presence of God and can concentrate his thoughts and fellowship upon God
d. He needs such time with God just as he needs such time with his family and friends
e. Man is not meant to live in isolation from people nor from God. He must have times when he is in the presence of both man and God and can concentrate his thoughts and attention upon both
3. The believer, therefore, does not pray only to have his needs met, but to share and fellowship and to enrich his life with God
4. God knows the believer's needs
a. The believer does not have to worry about God knowing or meeting his needs
b. The believer's concern should be living hi the presence of God, taking enough tune to share and to fellowship with God
c. The more he shares and fellowships with God, the more he will know God and learn to trust and to depend upon God's care and promises
5. God is the believer's Father
a. The believer is God's son
b. The believer can, therefore, rest in God and His promises
c. He does not have to strain and pray long in order for his Father to hear him
d. His Father already knows and cares. He is to get with His Father for long periods of time sharing and fellowshiping, learning and getting to know his Father intimately
(1) Lets close with Psalm 32:10-11 and Psalms 33:1
Psalms 32:10-11 (NKJV)
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. {11} Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Psalms 33:1 (NKJV)
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
