Prayer: Meaningful

(Post 4 of 10 posts about prayer.)

"...[D]o not use meaningless repetition..." - Jesus teaching how to pray in Matthew 6:7

It may look holy and spiritual when monks sit Indian style and moan mantras to God over and over again; but it's the equivalent of my son sitting and the breakfast table this morning saying "Oh yea!" 1.7 billion times. (He really did that this morning and I don't know why...) When you're talking with your earthly dad, you don't repeat meaningless stuff over and over again, do you? I hope not.

Our prayers are to be full of words and sentences and questions that have meaning to us. It's a conversation. It's so ironic that many of us repeat the Lord's Prayer so often when just before Jesus taught it He said "don't use meaningless repetition" when you talk to your Father. Instead, just like in other interactions you have, think what it is you want to communicate and use words to communicate it. Simple.

1. Prayer is secret.
2. Prayer is familiar.
3. Prayer is meaningful.