The Babbling Prayer
Matthew 6:7,8 (NLT) “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”
Did you know Jesus personally gave instructions to His disciples on how to pray? In fact, it was the disciples who asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. So Jesus took the time to teach them.
One of the things Jesus mentions is not to ramble and babble through vain repetitions like the Gentiles. The way Gentiles is used in this context refers to heathens or Pagans. Pagans worshiped other gods, and they would chant endlessly, nearly all day long. God is a person, and you can talk to Him like a person. Can you imagine if a person wanted to speak to you, they would start chanting your name over and over and over? E.g., Bob…Ohhhhh Bob, Bob, Bob,….Mighty Bob, Ohhhh Bob! You would say, “What do you want? I’m standing right here!” Those who worship pagan gods fall into the vain repetition, which is basically empty prayers. Vain comes from the word “Vanity,” which is focused on oneself. There are some folks who are so good at praying that they seem to impress many people with their eloquent words. Prayer is supposed to be personal, between you and God. Here is what Jesus said:
Matthew 6:5,6 (NLT) “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
Keep in mind that I’m referring to personal prayer between you and God. If someone comes to you and asks for prayer, that is different. Your circumstances may be such that you can’t get to a private place. Or you may be in public, and you are opening or closing the event with a prayer. The main point Jesus was saying is that prayer is about the sincerity of the heart. Talk to God as you would to a person. Don’t try to impress God with long, empty words. What impresses God is your faith in Him, and reading back His promises to Him that are written in the Bible.
Don’t worry about praying a perfect prayer. As the scripture says, the Father already knows what you need even before you ask Him. Just talk to Him.
Be Blessed!
Ron
Ron Cobbs Ministries © Copyright July 16th, 2026, All Rights Reserved
