It’s so important for us to have a continual communication with our Lord God, because He is our ‘All In All.” He wants to be our best friend, and is always willing to give us His wisdom; all we have to do is ask!
James 1:5-8 “5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
I feel certain both my grandmothers and parents prayed for me and my seven little brothers, because I can see God’s big hands protecting me throughout my life!
In Luke 18:1-8 it is written “1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
There is a difference between vain repetitious prayers and repeating prayers. I would think that a vain repetitious prayer would be something like saying “Lord, please heal me in Jesus’ name” – “Lord, please heal me in Jesus’ name” – “Lord, please heal me in Jesus’ name” over and over and over for about an hour and then go on your merry way and not think about it again.
I’ve been told once you ask God for something if you ask Him again it negates your first request!
Well, repeating your prayer would simply be to pray to the Lord one evening to mend a broken marriage for example, or send His Word to a wayward child; and then the next evening ask the Lord for the same thing again, or perhaps the situation has changed, so you may amend or update your petition. Perhaps God has already answered part of your prayer so you have reason to thank Him, but something else has come up during the day, so you bring that new situation before our Lord the following evening, and then the next day there is something new that’s happened, so you amend your petition again. Each day or night there is communication between you and our Lord, and you are faithful to keep Him in your mind and heart, because you are concerned about keeping God in the middle of your circumstances because you love Him and believe He loves you, too and that He hears you AND will answer you! That’s faith. That’s love of God. And that is not a vain repetition; that’s being like the widow in the parable. Persistent, relentless, believing and trusting, and just plain not giving up! We can’t give up on our prayers!
“I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10
In the book of Jeremiah it is written “5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8
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