Post by M.R. Hagerty on May 29, 2023 22:02:53 GMT -7
Matthew 6:7-8
7 ". . do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, . . . 8 . . for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
The Gentiles here means those of Gentile religions. The examples would be the Greeks and the Romans, but also historically the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Persians. His hearers would know this almost firsthand, for they were the living descendents of folks who were exiles among such people, who heard on a daily basis the kind of prayers being offered. Repetition was the mode of day in these prayers, to pray the same prayer over and over. This is characteristic of the Muslim prayers repeatedly called from minarets and loudspeakers today. Repetition is primitively viewed as “catching” the attention of the Almighty.
But Jesus explains that this kind of repetition is not needed because the Father already knows what we need before we ask. So it is not to be a case of attracting His otherwise busy attention to our insignificant human lives. It is to be personal and based on a knowledge that He is already listening.
Now this will seem to be soon contradicted when we get to the teaching on praying earnestly, as in the case of knocking incessantly at the door until the one inside opens to us. But we will see there that the context is to demonstrate our earnestness and sincerity in what we ask, not to arouse a sluggish God from the ease of His rest.
”not with many words”
To pray like this means we must think about what we will pray, and at least organize our thoughts. We are not to memorize a speech, or practice eloquence before the Lord, but are to be precise, specific and orderly. The idea is that simplicity is best, not a flurry of words. To be simple we need to understand the basic elements of what we wish to say and not just ramble on. But most importantly, we are not to waste time with fluff and flurry.
Have you ever noticed how some folks when praying in a group will end up telling a story as they pray about some need? It winds up being more of a communication horizontally to those listening not a vertical prayer to God. That’s what God desires, that we pray vertically not horizontally.
(Now it should be understood that the intentions of people praying are thoughtful and they wish to inform as they pray, but such a prayer has many times gotten out of hand to the degree that one almost feels that prayer has somehow ceased for the moment and sharing is now taking place. Believers just need to be more mindful of the One to whom they are praying.)
”knows what you need before you ask”
Some see this as a reason to question why prayer is needed at all? If He knows what I need, why doesn’t He provide it straightway and dispense with what now seems a charade?
The answer is simply that this is a relationship. And as such, we each have our responsibilities in that relationship. It is not that God is stingy. It is that the act of asking and praising bring objectivity to something rather subjective. We are putting into real words something that is felt or believed or hoped for. And this solidifies its reality for us.
But more than this, it involves us. To say “God knows so let Him provide” is terribly one-way-ish. – ‘Let me go about my business and let God do His thing with respect to me’. That’s not a relationship. Try it with your wife or husband and see what happens.
What should amaze us is that God is not so aloof, so “other” from us that He cannot be approached or spoken to. He is a God who has arranged the communications line between us. We should feel privileged that we can speak to the Creator of the universe, the Living God.
7 ". . do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, . . . 8 . . for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
The Gentiles here means those of Gentile religions. The examples would be the Greeks and the Romans, but also historically the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Persians. His hearers would know this almost firsthand, for they were the living descendents of folks who were exiles among such people, who heard on a daily basis the kind of prayers being offered. Repetition was the mode of day in these prayers, to pray the same prayer over and over. This is characteristic of the Muslim prayers repeatedly called from minarets and loudspeakers today. Repetition is primitively viewed as “catching” the attention of the Almighty.
But Jesus explains that this kind of repetition is not needed because the Father already knows what we need before we ask. So it is not to be a case of attracting His otherwise busy attention to our insignificant human lives. It is to be personal and based on a knowledge that He is already listening.
Now this will seem to be soon contradicted when we get to the teaching on praying earnestly, as in the case of knocking incessantly at the door until the one inside opens to us. But we will see there that the context is to demonstrate our earnestness and sincerity in what we ask, not to arouse a sluggish God from the ease of His rest.
”not with many words”
To pray like this means we must think about what we will pray, and at least organize our thoughts. We are not to memorize a speech, or practice eloquence before the Lord, but are to be precise, specific and orderly. The idea is that simplicity is best, not a flurry of words. To be simple we need to understand the basic elements of what we wish to say and not just ramble on. But most importantly, we are not to waste time with fluff and flurry.
Have you ever noticed how some folks when praying in a group will end up telling a story as they pray about some need? It winds up being more of a communication horizontally to those listening not a vertical prayer to God. That’s what God desires, that we pray vertically not horizontally.
(Now it should be understood that the intentions of people praying are thoughtful and they wish to inform as they pray, but such a prayer has many times gotten out of hand to the degree that one almost feels that prayer has somehow ceased for the moment and sharing is now taking place. Believers just need to be more mindful of the One to whom they are praying.)
”knows what you need before you ask”
Some see this as a reason to question why prayer is needed at all? If He knows what I need, why doesn’t He provide it straightway and dispense with what now seems a charade?
The answer is simply that this is a relationship. And as such, we each have our responsibilities in that relationship. It is not that God is stingy. It is that the act of asking and praising bring objectivity to something rather subjective. We are putting into real words something that is felt or believed or hoped for. And this solidifies its reality for us.
But more than this, it involves us. To say “God knows so let Him provide” is terribly one-way-ish. – ‘Let me go about my business and let God do His thing with respect to me’. That’s not a relationship. Try it with your wife or husband and see what happens.
What should amaze us is that God is not so aloof, so “other” from us that He cannot be approached or spoken to. He is a God who has arranged the communications line between us. We should feel privileged that we can speak to the Creator of the universe, the Living God.