"Vain Repetition

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." Matthew 6:7

When you go to God in prayer, do you find yourself repeating the same thing over and over to Him again? I have thought about this when I lift up my praise to Him in prayer. I find myself repeating the same thing again and again. But just because we repeat the same thing over and over doesn't necessarily mean it is "vain" repetition. It can be repetitive but not vain. 

 

Vain repetition is when we just babble using a bunch of idle words-- we are saying a lot but saying nothing. Vain repetition is when we aren't even giving thought to what we are saying. We are saying it just to hear ourselves talk. 

 

When you start praising the Lord, you can't help but be repetitious because there are only so many words in our vocabulary that we can use to describe Him. He is so great and we are so limited in our ability to articulate who He is. He is the indescribable God-- therefore, we "run out of words" and have to start repeating ourselves. Even the host of heaven is at a loss and are repetitious as well. They sit around His throne crying, "Holy, Holy, Holy" over and over and over again. 

 

When you pray to the Lord or when you praise Him, it is all right to be repetitious, but it is not all right to do it in a vain manner just to hear yourself talk or think that He is going to hear you because you are speaking so much. If you have to keep repeating yourself because you are at a loss for words, then repeat yourself and don't let the enemy stop you because you think it is vain repetition.

 

Have a great day. It is all right to be repetitious in your praise to God because there are only so many words that we have to describe Him. Just don't use vain repetition. 

 

For further reading:

Revelation 4:8