“Say That Again”

Friday, November 29, 2019

I pray everyday and sometimes feel like I'm sayings the same things, asking for the same things, giving thanks for the same things.  It seems all so repetitive even though I pray from my heart.  I wonder if God thinks the same thing sometimes, and it kind of weighs heavy on my heart.  Can you help me with this?  I can't imagine not talking to Him everyday just because I worry that I'm being repetitive.

Sincerely,
It’s Me Again

Dear It’s Me Again,

Feel free to pray for the same thing as often as you’d like, but avoid lengthy speeches just for the sake of repetition.  If by repetition, you mean that you are saying the same things over and over in hopes that God will listen because you use a lot of words… that is wrong (Matt 6:7).

But if you are praying meaningfully for the same things consistently, that isn’t wrong at all.  Jesus gives the example of the widow and the unrighteous judge as the standard for repetition in prayer.  In Lk 18:1-7, we are told to always pray and never grow weary in it.  Samuel said that he would never cease to pray for the good will of Israel (1 Sam 12:23).  Jesus says to pray constantly for our daily bread (Lk 11:3).  Both of these are examples of repetitive prayer.  Lk 11:5-8 explains that prayer is like constantly knocking at a door until the homeowner gets up to answer.  As long as we preface our wishes with a willingness to submit to God’s will (1 Jn 5:14-15) – we should keep on praying.

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