Praying in Vain

In modern Christianity, we have often misuse the term and concept of "prayer". I can personally think of several instances in which I've personally done this. The most common way that I do this is by saying "I pray that" instead of "I hope that". Instead of saying something like "I hope that it doesn't rain", I say "I pray that is doesn't rain". When I say that, I have lied, because I really haven't prayed that (that doesn't mean that every time I use the phrase "I pray that" I'm lying, this is just one example). I'm not praying about it, but I hope it doesn't happen, so I just Christianize my jargon to make myself seem more spiritual. What happens when I do this in the small things? It starts expanding. I eventually find myself just paying lip service to prayer when it comes to the big things. I get to the point (hypothetically) where I say things like "I pray that my sons become better men than I have been", but I don't really pray for that. It's a sincere hope, but it's not part of my prayer life. What I've done is taken the concept of prayer and turned it into nothing more than common wishing.

As Christians, we also pervert prayer with our "vain repetitions" (Matthew 6:7). "Vain repetition" is just saying the same thing over and over again to the point that it loses the point. You may remember a few years back the big thing to hit Christianity was "The Prayer of Jabez". Bruce Wilkinson released a book on this small prayer found in the Old Testament, then told people to just pray this prayer every day and God will work like a cosmic genie, granting you your every wish (my summary). People started just saying these words (the actual words varied based upon the translation of choice) and not MEANING any of it. And this fad swept through Christianity (if you don't remember how crazy it got, just check out this search of Amazon.com). God is not interested in us just reciting words at him.

But where do we see these "vain repetitions" in our day to day life? Nowhere is this more evident than at the dinner table. If you honestly think about it, when you pray for your food, are you HONESTLY thanking God for it, or just saying the words? Are you REALLY thankful for this day, or just saying what you always say? Are your prayers a heartfelt extension of your thoughts and emotions, or just words that sounds trendy and snazzy? Jesus Christ has torn the veil and provided us with direct access to the loving and omnipotent God. He wants to have a conversation with YOU, not just hear you recite empty words and lyrics. He doesn't want rehearsed lines. He doesn't want to hear you repeat what your pastor says. He wants to TALK to you, plain and simple. So next time you bow your head or bend your knee, remember that it's supposed to be a conversation, not a script-reading.