Catholics and Christians, repetitive prayer?

Question

Jesus gave a commandment:

Mat 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

One may look at this and think that means asking for the same thing over and over again, but he also gives another example:

Luk 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
Luk 18:2 saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.
Luk 18:3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, "Get justice for me from my adversary.'
Luk 18:4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, "Though I do not fear God nor regard man,
Luk 18:5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."'
Luk 18:6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.
Luk 18:7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?

The question is, seeing that he isn't talking about asking the same request over and over again, but rather praying in repetition, why do people justify mediation and such? Should the church be doing these?

I meant meditation and such. (in my actual question).

Answer 1

Catholicism includes a rich tradition of both informal (in our own words) and formal prayer just like our Jewish forefathers.

The Church teaches "the memorization of basic prayers offers an essential support to the life of prayer, but it is important to help learners savor their meaning." In other words, the Church emphasizes that formal prayer should not be mindless lip moving but instead a formal expression of clearly understood and heartfelt sentiments.

The verse in question reads, in the King James Version, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

The important Greek word here for "vain repetitions" is battalogeo, or babbling. The heathens had a magical perception of prayer and thought the more they babbled to their gods, the more that that god would respond. I Kings 18:26 is an example of this:

"And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered."

Then, two verses after the warning in Matthew against "vain repetitions," Jesus gave us the "Lord's" prayer, which most Protestant Christians pray with no qualms about praying "in vain."

The same command in Luke 11:2 reads: "And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father..." -- "when you pray, say..."

In addition, Christ prayed in repetitions:
+ Matthew 26:44: "And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words."
+ Mark 14:39 reads: "And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words."

The angels pray repetitiously:
+ Revelation 4:8: "...and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

The Psalms are a collection of prayers and litanies, which were prayed formally in the Jewish synagogues and early Christian churches, are still prayed in synagogues and Catholic churches today -- and were even prayed by Christ from the Cross.

The liturgy of the synagogue was (and is) filled with repetition and formalized prayer. Christ said "use not vain repetitions, as the heathens do.” Were the Jews heathens? Jesus also prayed in the synagogue in this way.

They prayed (and still pray) the sh'ma twice a day and, in their liturgy, the Shemoneh Esrei, the Kaddish, the morning blessings, the Aleinu, etc. Check out a Jewish siddur (missal) sometime; does it look more typically Protestant or Catholic?

Hymns are prayers. Is it "vain" to sing "Amazing Grace" more than once?

Catholics do not babble but pray from the heart in formal and informal prayer.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, part four: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt4sect1.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Matt. 6:7 - Jesus teaches, "do not heap up empty phrases" in prayer. Protestants use this verse to criticize various Catholic forms of prayer which repeat phrases, such as litanies and the Rosary. But Jesus' focus in this instruction is on the "vain," and not on the "repetition."

Matt. 26:44 - for example, Jesus prayed a third time in the garden of Gethsemane, saying the exact same words again. It is not the repetition that is the issue. It's the vanity. God looks into our heart, not solely at our words.

Luke 18:13 - the tax collector kept beating his breast and praying "God be merciful to me, a sinner." This repetitive prayer was pleasing to God because it was offered with a sincere and repentant heart.

Acts 10:2,4 - Cornelius prayed constantly to the Lord and his prayers ascended as a memorial before God.

Rom. 1:9 - Paul says that he always mentions the Romans in his prayers without ceasing.

Rom. 12:12 - Paul commands us to be constant in prayer. God looks at what is in our heart, not necessarily how we choose our words.

1 Thess. 5:17 - Paul commands us to pray constantly. Good repetition is different than vain repetition.

Rev. 4:8 - the angels pray day and night without cessation the same words "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty." This is repetitious prayer that is pleasing to God.

Psalm 136 - in this Psalm, the phrase "For His steadfast love endures forever" is more repetitious than any Catholic prayer, and it is God's divine Word.

Dan. 3:35-66 - the phrase "Bless the Lord" is similarly offered repeatedly, and mirrors Catholic litanies.

Answer 3

The simple act of repeating liturgical prayers each time you pray does not violate Matthew 6:7, because what you're *supposed to be* doing is meditating on the specific issues of your life to which the prayer applies. Especially for those people who have a hard time coming up with the "right words," such liturgical prayer is a valuable tool to free them from that difficulty, allowing them to communicate through more than the mere words, with the God who knows their thoughts and intent.

Liturgical prayer is valuable on so many levels, I don't think I could cover them all here. Another point worth considering is that if you look at the verses preceding Matthew 6:7, you'll see that one of the things Jesus addresses is people's tendency to "show off" when praying. Liturgical prayer combats that problem by eliminating that sense of competition that some people feel about praying out-loud in groups--which causes some to want to show off, and absolutely terrifies others.

The irony of using Matthew 6:7 to condemn liturgical prayer is that immediately after that Jesus gives us the Our Father, which is the most famous and widely used liturgical prayer of all.

But liturgical prayer can be abused. This is one of the concerns we Lutherans have about the Rosary--that it involves repeating the same set of short prayers so many times that it ceases to add meaning and so violates the passage you cite.

Answer 4

Checkout this repetetive prayer, which has been going on from eternity around God's throne in heaven:

Rev 4:8 And the four living creatures had each of them six wings: and round about and within they are full of eyes. And they rested not day and night, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
Rev 4:9 And when those living creatures gave glory and honour and benediction to him that sitteth on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever:

The reason the pagans were mentioned is because they prayed fervently to false and powerless gods.

Our God is real, and our God never fails to receive and appreciate our prayers ... ALL of them.

1Th 5:16 Always rejoice.
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
1Th 5:18 In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all.

Answer 5

The rosary isn't useless repetitious in any respect. The rosary is probably the most strong Catholic devotion. My mother taught me approximately it. At first i concept it was once useless repetitious and vain however then i noticed it isn't. It's valuable and significant. Whenever i am on my lunch breaks, i regularly mediate at the rosary and repeatedly i put on a rosary round my neck. And no, I'm now not ashamed of my ideals. In reality one time on Father's day, i obtained my dad a couple of rosary beads. Hoping it might support him come again to the religion. But not anything but. I pray for his conversion.

Answer 6

I think repetitive prayer is more for yourself rather than GOD. Everyone knows GOD is intelligent and doesn't forget something we've asked of him, but repeating a prayer somehow gives us as an individual mental relief. You know its already in God's hands and timing the minute you ask it but somehow repeating that one thing that really aches your heart is comforting knowing someone of a higher power and intelligence cares and is listening.

Answer 7

Prayers and meditations allow us to transcend our plane of existence and be one with the Universe and the world surrounding us in its most basic and fundamental form. When we are lost in meditation, our brain waves are tuned to the frequencies of the electrons and cosmic particles bombarding the Earth... the chants and repetitive prayers is a tuning device....

Answer 8

"vain" repetitions. Meaning they have no meaning. It doesn't mean you can use repetitive prayers, just that you shouldn't say prayers without feeling the meaning of what you are saying.