What does the Bible say about repetitive prayer?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible supports persistent prayer as it was encouraged by Jesus using the case with the parable of the widow in Luke 18:1-8. However, Jesus also warns against praying "empty phrases as the Gentiles do” (Matthew 6:7-8) and instead teaches us how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. Prayer requests should honor God. God’s children can confidently approach Him through Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16). An example of persistent prayer in the face of trials is Paul. Many have speculated what his “thorn in the flesh” was (2 Corinthians 12:7), but we know for certain that he prayed more than once for it to leave him. Eventually, God responded (verses 8-9), though it was likely not what Paul had originally prayed for. No matter what trial or season we are in, our response should be the same: prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) and trust in God.Our daily prayers should include praying for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-6), confessing our sins to God (1 John 1:9) and praying for the Lord’s glorious return (Revelation 22:20).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Many of the Psalms show the psalmist in persistent prayer (Psalm 5:3, 55:17, 88:1).
• While persistence is fine, the Bible condemns rote, meaningly prayer. God condemns the Israelites for their prayers because their actions show they lack sincerity: “And the Lord said: ‘Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Bible speaks against repetitive prayer in the sense of chanting or speaking some sort of magical incantation or mantra. Jesus told His followers, "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:7-8). Specific or repeated words do not give power to prayer. The God to whom we pray answers prayer according to His will.
• In Jesus' model prayer (known as the Lord's Prayer [Matthew 6:9-13]), He included issues that we pray about daily, such as seeking God’s will, His provision for our daily needs, and asking Him to forgive our sins as we forgive others.
• Luke 18:1-8 recounts Jesus’ parable about the persistent widow. The lesson of this parable was "that they ought always to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). We should take after the widow’s example and pray continually.
• We see an example of Paul praying multiple times for an ailment to leave him: "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he [God] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).
• In Christ we can confidently approach God in prayer, knowing He listens and cares: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
• Persistent prayer should still be meaningful, not rote. Hebrews 4:14-16 indicates, "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." We must take prayer seriously since it is such an honor to have access to our Father through Jesus.
• As we recognize our own failures and God’s work in us, we should bring our sin before Him and receive His cleansing (1 John 1:9). Asking God to keep us away from temptation and deliver us from evil is a daily need.
• We should eagerly await Jesus’ return, and we can express this in prayer (Revelation 22:20).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Prayer is not a means by which we manipulate God or say just the right words in just the right way to bring about our desired result. Rather, prayer is a gift from God to His children as a means of communication. It can be useful to think of prayer like a conversation with a loved one. Our daily conversations with family members or friends often repeat the same themes, but generally they are not rote repetitions of words. Similarly, there are some issues we will pray for repeatedly over a period of time, or even a lifetime. Some of that is due to the nature of waiting on God to complete His plan for the world. For example, people remain unsaved, so we must repeatedly pray for their salvation. The fallen nature of our world continues to negatively affect our lives and the lives of those around us, so we must repeatedly pray for God's intervention. However, that does not mean we mindlessly repeat prayers. No, we persistently come by faith to the One who answers prayers. There is power in prayer, but the power is in the God to whom we pray—not in how many times we pray or what we say.

UNDERSTAND

• The Bible encourages persistent prayer.
• The Bible discourages rote, repetitive prayer.
• Our prayers should be sincere, show our submission to God’s will, and honor Him.

REFLECT

• How do you prevent your prayers from being rote while still consistently praying for important issues in your life?
• What issues do you bring before God time and again, and how do you keep your heart tender toward God as you wait for Him to answer?
• How do you ensure that you’re praying within God’s will?

ENGAGE

• What are the differences between persistent prayer and rote repetition?
• How can we model sincere, heartfelt prayer during corporate or liturgical settings?
• How can discussing challenges in praying sincerely encourage accountability and growth in our personal prayer lives?