Matthew 6:7
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
When praying, do not heap up words without meaning, repeated often without thought, understanding, or true earnest desire, thinking that much speaking and length will gain a hearing, for the Father already knows what is needed before it is asked. It exposes the heathen idea taken up by the Pharisees that multiplying words earns merit, atones for sin, and compels God to listen, when such self-exalting prayer is really offered to be heard and praised by people. In kindness Christ answered the error by giving a short sample prayer that gathers up every human need, temporal and spiritual, as a pattern to keep prayer from asking amiss, not as a form confining prayer to those exact words. True prayer is a sincere offering of heart and mind and soul, a plain, direct, earnest appeal expressing genuinely felt need and humble dependence on God, especially hunger for the Holy Spirit and wisdom, which has no merit in itself to pay for sin and is unacceptable in eloquent speech if it does not express the heart. Therefore prayer should ordinarily be short and right to the point, plainly asking for what is needed in a minute or two, and public prayers especially should be brief and focused on the occasion rather than rambling over many subjects, while in private a person may pray at length and in detail with continued pleading like Jacob's struggle.
Words and Setting
Vain repetitions are words without meaning, words often repeated without corresponding thought or proper understanding, and words spoken without true and earnest desire. Frequent or needless repetition is forbidden, and careless, unmeaning repetition of many words does not please God but makes many prayers long and tiresome. Empty words or phrases repeated without felt need bring no refreshing grace to the soul, for prayer must instead be earnest and sincere, prompted by the Spirit of God in the heart.
People are not heard for much speaking, because the Father knows what things are needed before they are asked. Prayer must therefore not consist of empty, repeated words offered in the belief that many words will make God hear, nor treat length or repetition as a means of gaining His attention. Length, many words, and lofty or flowery display cannot inform God or compel His hearing, for He already knows what is needed; prayer is humble, simple, earnest asking for mercy and pardon with a broken and penitent and childlike spirit.
The warning exposes a heathen idea that multiplying words earns merit, atones for sin, and secures a hearing through self-expiation, an idea the Pharisees had adopted from paganism. Prayer itself has no power or merit to pay for sin, and eloquent words are idle if they do not express the heart, while repeating customary phrases without felt need of God shares the character of that self-exalting system and gives grounds for boasting. What is condemned is hypocritical, self-exalting, self-righteous prayer offered to be heard of men from the motive of desire to be praised of men, exalting supposed good works instead of depending on God and honoring Him.
The saying belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, in which Christ taught the foundation principles of God's kingdom, set forth the far-reaching principles of God's holy law, and corrected false ideas about the kingdom. There He corrected the religious leaders' false picture of God by presenting God as a loving Father to be approached with confidence in His paternal love. The state of the heart regulates life and character, so the claims of the law are lost unless its spirit is impressed on the heart, requiring love to God with the whole heart and love to neighbor in just and holy ways, without diverting mission means for ambitious designs, mingling human wisdom with the divine, or gaining means at another's expense to please lust for gain and power.
In kindness and mercy Christ answered the error by giving a short sample prayer that frames into words what comprehends every human need, temporal and spiritual, with gratitude, helping human infirmity since men do not know what they should pray for as they ought. That prayer is a brief pattern and model to keep prayer from asking amiss, in whose few words all personal needs are comprehended, not a required confinement to those exact words. Even those few words alone, offered in sincerity, are heart-service to God and in every way more acceptable to Him than long, tedious, pharisaical repetitions offered to be seen and praised of men. Offered in morning devotions after special private prayer to close personal petitions, such sincere repetition gives evidence of Christ as Helper, assurance of rich grace, and peace to go forth to the day's work.
Sincere Prayer in Practice
True prayer is a sincere offering with heart and mind and soul, prompted by God's Spirit in the heart, a plain, direct and earnest appeal that says plainly what is genuinely meant and needed from a real sense of need. It is shaped by soul-hunger, especially for the Holy Spirit and for wisdom, with faith and honest dependence on God and reliance on Jesus' merits, and with humility, a broken and penitent spirit asking for mercy and pardon, and childlike simplicity. The prayer Christ taught keeps prayer from asking amiss because in its few words every personal need is comprehended, and when sincerely offered it gives evidence of Christ as Helper with assurance of grace and peace for the day's work.
Prayer itself has no power or merit to pay for sin, and eloquent, lofty and wordy speech is idle and unacceptable when it does not express the heart's true desires. Repeating customary phrases without a felt need of God is formal and vain prayer, a cold recitation rather than sincere earnestness. Repeating words or stories is not wrong when they sincerely honor God, for the fault is vain, meaningless repetition, and prayer offered in faith for needed things, especially the Bread of life, strengthens faith and encourages others.
The verse calls for short prayers right to the point, plainly asking for what is needed, with an earnestness corresponding to soul-hunger for the Holy Spirit. Ordinarily a minute or two, or a few minutes, is enough to bring a request before God and tell Him what is needed, expressing actual needs and gratitude since the Father already knows what is needed before asking. Such heartfelt brevity is not wearisome to God, for it reveals a longing desire for needed strength obtainable only from the Source of all strength, and effectual fervent prayer avails much to the one who seeks God for wisdom in faith. The heavenly Father is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him than earthly parents are to give bread to their hungry children.
The instruction does not forbid public prayer but teaches dependence on God and honoring God rather than display, distinguishing public from private prayer. Prayers in social meetings and public worship should be short and focused, to the point rather than tiresome formal speech, addressing the blessing needed at that time and the needs of the occasion and the people. They should not range over many unrelated subjects, and a public meeting is not the place to disclose private matters about relatives, friends, personal difficulties, trials and temptations, which may be spoken of in detail in private. In private a person may pray as long as desired, including Spirit-led struggle like Jacob's with deep yearning and continued pleading for God's special help.
Long, mechanical, rambling and unfocused prayers weary those who join in them instead of refreshing and strengthening them, and needlessly prolonged prayer weakens interest in devotion and prayer. When continued after interest is lost, such prayer brings darkness rather than light, and may reflect self-exaltation, while repetitious public prayers can make worship empty. Short, earnest prayer refreshes and strengthens listeners and encourages others.
Applied, the verse requires that God's name, being holy, must not be spoken lightly or thoughtlessly but used with reverence even in prayer, avoiding frequent or needless repetition. It teaches that multiplying words does not secure God's favor, for God hears people wherever they live, so no shrine, pilgrimage, offering, prayer to saints, or religious garment can take the place of a heart turned toward God. Christlike humble prayer joined with simple labor, as in canvassing with books to educate people in truth, accomplishes more than many words without prayer, bringing the Lord to work with the worker, the Holy Spirit to impress minds as with preaching ministers, and the ministry of holy angels to attend.