THE LORD’S PRAYER PART 4 : DO NOT PRAY LIKE THE PAGANS

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. – Matthew 5:7

    Previously, Jesus said that we should not pray like the Pharisees who prayed in public in order to demonstrate their piety and gain the admiration of men. Jesus points out another wrong way to pray but this time with the type of prayer that Gentile nations practiced.

    Gentile or pagan prayer involved babbling. One translation calls it “using vain repetitions” while another describes it as “heaping up empty phrases”. The intent is that by using elaborate words their prayers will be heard by the gods or goddesses that they worship.

    It is still being practiced today.  Here is how Ceisiwr Serith describes it in his book titled A Book of Pagan Prayer and I paraphrase his instruction on how to pray here :

    Prayer consists primarily of words. You can speak them loudly, softly, silently, or in a sing-song voice accompanied by a rocking motion in order to add rhythm to your words. You can pray the same prayer over and over again and it is okay if you start slurring what you say. It isn’t necessary to pay attention to each word because it will block feelings and spirituality. Pay attention to a word that jumps out of your prayer because it may be an insight planted by the god or goddess into your mind. Now the prayers can become even more alive if a relaxed posture, rhythmic motion, dance, music or gestures are added to the words. All this is done in order to invite the presence of the deities (gods, goddesses, and ancestral spirits) and obtain a favorable response from them.

   The pagan approach to prayer has influenced even Christian prayers today. There are religious institutions that advocate repetition of the Lord’s Prayer as penance for sins committed. There is centering or contemplative prayer. It all sounds so spiritual but its form is no different from pagan practices as described by C. Serith.

   This kind of praying is clearly wrong. First of all, Jesus did not teach us to pray in this manner and we will see this clearly when we unfold the Lord’s Prayer. Second, God isn’t deaf and doesn’t need us to do anything in order to gain His attention and favor. He already knows our thoughts, attitudes and our emotions (Psalm 139). Lastly, in Matthew 5:8, our relationship to our Father is so close that He already knows what we need even before we ask Him!

A WOMAN'S ANSWER TO A MAN'S QUESTION

    I discovered this poem from the blog of Joshua Harris. It was written by Mary Lathrop (1838-1895). This is written to men (like me!) who love to tell our wives what they should be doing.

A Woman's Answer To A Man's Question

[Written in reply to a man's poetic unfolding of what he conceived to be a woman's duty.]


Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing
Ever made by the hand above—
A woman's heart, and a woman's life
And a woman's wonderful love?


Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing
As a child might ask for a toy,
Demanding what others have died to win,
With the reckless dash of a boy?


You have written my lesson of duty out,
Man-like you have questioned me;
Now stand at the bar of my woman's soul
Until I shall question thee.


You require your mutton shall always be hot,
Your socks and your shirt be whole;
I require your heart to be true as God's stars,
And as pure as heaven your soul.


You require a cook for your mutton and beef;
I require a far better thing.
A seamstress you're wanting for socks and shirts;
I look for a man and a king.


A king for the beautiful realm called home,
And a man that the maker, God,
Shall look upon as he did the first
And say, "It is very good."

I am fair and young, but the rose will fade
From my soft, young cheek one day,
Will you love me then 'mid the falling leaves,
As you did 'mid the bloom of May?


Is your heart an ocean so strong and deep,
I may launch my all on its tide?
A loving woman finds heaven or hell
On the day she is made a bride.


I require all things that are grand and true,
All things that a man should be;
If you give all this, I would stake my life
To be all you demand of me.


If you cannot do this — a laundress and cook
You can hire, with little to pay,
But a woman's heart and a woman's life
Are not to be won that way.

THE LORD’S PRAYER PART 3 : PRAYING IN PRIVATE

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  - Matthew 6:6 (NIV)

   As Christians, we are asked to bear witness to the world of our commitment to Christ and not hide it. We are to be the salt and the light to this world (Matthew 5:13-16). We are to show to the world our unity so that they will believe in Jesus Christ (John 17:23). There are three things though that we are to do in secret: giving to the needy (Matthew 6:1-3), fasting (Matthew 6:16-18), and prayer.

   This passage does not prohibit public prayer. Jesus condemned prayer done as a public performance. He called such practice as hypocrisy. This passage also does not say that we should only pray in our rooms. We can pray anywhere and at anytime. The point is to not pray in order to impress the audience with your piety, to get human applause, to gain admiration, and to be rewarded by men.

   Let us rather pray in a way that pleases God. Our prayer has an audience of one – God and God alone. When we pray with believers in church or when we pray in public areas remember that it is not to be a display. The promise is that God will reward those who pray with pure motives and a pure heart. God’s blessing is, by an infinitely wide margin, more satisfying and lasting than man’s reward.