Sometimes, we Christians can make prayer difficult. We read the Psalms or some of the great prayers of scripture, and beside these majestic compositions, our own prayers can feel inadequate; we may even feel as if we should not bother praying until we have something comparably worthy to say. We are, after all, going before the God of the universe with our petition; shouldn’t it be a grand and wonderful thing?
But is God concerned with the eloquence of our prayer? I think not. In fact, sometimes, the simplest prayer is the most powerful.
In Luke chapter 18, we read a parable told by Jesus:
“9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
By our standard, the Pharisee said a lot more than the tax collector. He used more words; he had more information – he was talking! But his prayer was all about himself and how great he was – in God’s eyes, he said nothing worthwhile. On the other hand, the tax collector says only one simple verse focused not on his greatness but God’s – and Jesus said that prayer was far more effective.
Long speech and well-thought-out, elegant wording can be beneficial when dealing with our human friends. After all, we are not inside each other’s heads; we need descriptions and explanations to understand what someone is saying. But scripture says God already knows what we need before we ask.
Matthew 6:7-8 “7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “
And even when we do not know what we should pray for, the Spirit within us can send the needed words.
Romans 8:26-27 “26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Too many prayers have been left unsaid because the person praying did not feel they had the correct words or the right idea for what they needed to ask. But God longs to hear from us even in our simplest terms. Don’t keep yourself from conversing with your Father.