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Why do some Christians/Catholics repeat prayers?
"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.9 “This, then, is how you should pray:" [LORDS PRAYER]
Matthew 6: 7-9
Does this not clearly indicate that Jesus (aka God to most Christian/Catholics) does NOT want you to repeat your prayers?
I'm an Atheist, but I was just curious what Christians think about it.
That's the problem, I don't see what makes you think he was encouraging its repetition. If I said, "Here is how you write a paper," I'm not telling you to copy MY paper, I want you to copy HOW I did it: short, direct and honest.
Where does it say vain? Mine just says babbling.
9 Answers
- LlanolynLv 61 decade agoFavorite Answer
The passage says that there shouldn't be "vain repetition" not just "repeating. If Jesus didn't wants us to re-use prayers, why did He follow that warning about "vain repetition" with a prayer He encouraged us to repeat? I believe it's called "The Our Father" or "The Lord's Prayer."
- capitalgentlemanLv 71 decade ago
When you great a friend, do you say, "hi," or, "hi there! How's it going?"
Having a relationship with God means talking to him. Sometimes, we don't have the words, so silence will do, or a prayer that we can repeat. This is not for God's benefit, but ours, to help put us in that "liturgical space" in which we can better talk to God. This is similar to why we go to Church; we could just as easily pray at home, but, it somehow works better in Church.
So, it is not the words that impress God, that's true. But, our hearts, and if we need to say a prayer 3 or 4 times to get our own hearts and heads sorted, that is a good thing in the end. Just saying lots of words to try to impress God is what this passage is against.
- TolstoyevskyLv 71 decade ago
Vain repetition? Saying the Lord's Prayer once a month and not meaning it is vain repetition. Saying "Lord, have mercy on me" 100-times is not.
Posting the same dumb question over and over most definitely is.
- lawrenceba549Lv 71 decade ago
No.
Vain repetition is not saying the same prayer over. Vain repetition is saying the same words over and over without knowing what you are saying.
Saying "Lord have mercy" one hundred times a day is not vain repetition; you know what you are saying. Saying it in a language you do not understand, and not knowing what you are saying, is.
Edit: The original text is "battalogein", battal is Hebrew for "vain" and "polugein" is a reference to plurality.
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- ?Lv 71 decade ago
I think the bible is clear on this. God thinks it's wrong. He hates Fancy prayers. He wants a REAL heart felt prayer. Not some traditional, memorized prayer.
The lords prayer is an example!
- sparki777Lv 71 decade ago
For the same reason a man tells his wife, "I love you," every day, several times a day, and for the same reason she says, "I love you" to him every day, several times a day: Because they mean it.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
The constant assertion of belief is an indication of fear.
