DON'T BE A BABBLER

 

DON’T BE A BABBLER

Matt. 6:7-8 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him.” NLT

Many people like to babble on when they pray. Some don’t seem to know when or how to pray short prayers, regardless of the setting they are in. Some seem to pray long prayers to impress others. Some pray on and on as if the world depended on their prayers. Some pray on and on and don’t really say much when they pray. Effective prayers are prayers that flow from the heart to God’s heart, no matter how long or short they may be.

There are some who pray the same prayer over and over again thinking they are being heard in heaven. Repetitious prayers are usually not from the heart; they are rooted in the head. Recited prayers are nothing but empty words. They may be okay when you are a child and first learning how to pray and give thanks, but they are not okay when you grow up. When I was a child I knew I should pray and the only way I knew how to pray was to pray the prayers of childhood: “Now I lay me down to sleep……” and “Thank you, Lord, for this food……” But as I grew up I learned how to talk to God as a friend should. I discovered I can talk to Him about anything that was on my heart and mind.

God already knows exactly what we need before we even talk to Him about it. There is no sense in beating around the bush. When we babble on we often miss the whole point and forget to even talk to the Lord about our needs. The direct approach is always the right approach when we approach God. We should never hesitate to be honest with God when we pray. It is alright to tell Him what we are feeling, what we don’t understand about, what is going on in our lives, what we need answers for, etc. God already knows exactly what is going on inside of us and invites us to share them with Him.