Why do some Protestants say we should not make repetitive prayers?

[flameburns623]

It looks as if mcmullan has made the point that I was going to make: that Protestants in non-liturgical traditions see prayer as communication with God. Explicitly, exclusively, with God, because for most Protestants prayer is also worship, something which can be directed by it’s nature only at God Himself. Properly speaking, prayer is not ‘conversation’ with God, because God is an absolute Sovereign and one does not ‘converse’ with one’s Sovereign. So some sort of emotive distance–what we call ‘reverence’–is in order during prayer.

Frankly, I don’t share this allergy to repetitive prayer: even in Heaven there are celestial beings circling the Throne of God worshipping Him and say “Holy, Holy, Holy . . . .” ad infinitum.

By the way I don’t think Martin Luther had an issue with repetitive prayer. He encouraged the memorization and praying of the Lord’s Prayer and even wrote a small book on it, called “A Simple Way to Pray”.

 

[rmcmullan]

Protestants in non-liturgical traditions see prayer as communication with God. Explicitly, exclusively, with God, because for most Protestants prayer is also worship, something which can be directed by it’s nature only at God Himself. Properly speaking, prayer is not ‘conversation’ with God, because God is an absolute Sovereign and one does not ‘converse’ with one’s Sovereign. So some sort of emotive distance–what we call ‘reverence’–is in order during prayer.

Yes, this is a fundamental difference but surely there is enough room here for a multi-fauceted approach and not just one true (and shining) way. Whether you’re praying the rosary or saying a spontaneous prayer, you usually expect some kind of answer.

I am a little reluctant to be too strict in proscribing the proper way to pray. I always laugh when we have a meeting and one of the speakers (usually the last one) gives a long talk on how to pray properly and then, after the hymn, the person who has to say the closing prayer is afraid to even open their mouths. SO I want to stay fairly liberal in this regard. Better to say a messy prayer than to not pray at all.

 

[Syele]

I would say it depends on weather the repetitions are vain or not. My 5 year old can recite the Our Father but only recently knew what a word of it ment! It cannot be heartfelt if you don’t even know what you are saying. Also if you say the same thing over and over, after awhile… is your mind still on what you are praying or are you saying the words while worrying about what all you have to do later?

IF you can say the same prayer over and over and mean every word and remain focused, Great!! If not, I’d think it’s vain repetitions. I focus on prayer time WAY better if I pray in my own words from my heart, every word is focused on God. The Lord’s Prayer is a great model to learn how to do that.

 

[mark_a]

Those jackasses are not supposed to be proselytizing your kids at school and it should be stopped forthwith.

It comes from other KIDS! Which tells me that’s what they are being taught at church, reinforced by the parents or by their parents’ silence.

 

[BaldwinIV]

The key to this is not to quit, but instead to keep saying it until you’re praying it. I find that it takes me a really long time to “get into” the Rosary, especially if I’m under a lot of stress, but like I say, the key is to just keep going until you get there.

It’s amazing what happens when you persevere in the Rosary - it really is a miracle prayer.

The Rosary is really just a substitute for the psalter. If you have trouble praying the rosary, try reading the Psalms, instead.

Or you could try the Jesus Prayer, or the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos.

Variety is the spice of life.

~Baldwin

 

[Marilena]

jackasses QUOTE]

Is that language really necessary here? no.so please refrain from using that kind of terminology here please. for those of you who haven’t noticed, please keep the post in line with the question asked. thanks.

 

[Alexius]

One word: RITUAL

It is amazing how many times I’ve heard the Rosary objected to by Protestant friends on the sole basis that it is repetitive!
Just a thought…

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Most point to Matthew 6:7, which states that:

“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 (KJV)

In the Greek, the word used is “battologeo”, which means to repeat idly, referring to meaningless and mechanically repeated phrases.

In context, Jesus is referring to pagan (not Jewish) prayer.

I believe this is correct.

There is nothing wrong with praying the same prayer multiple times; it shows faith and persistence. It is pagan praying that God is not interested in. In light of this, most protestants are not against repetitive prayers.

As for praying the rosary, my fiancee gave me one and explained it to me. We adapted the prayers to suit a protestant and I see no problem with it. Praying the rosary is fine; what matters is what you pray.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

Protestants today are taught repetitive prayer is wrong because that is what Rev. Martin Luther, O.S.A. (he was an Augustinian priest - theologian) taught as part of his gospel.

Of course they are taught this is Scripture based but what they aren’t taught is that this is irrelevant and misleading. The Apostles learned the Gospel they preached and taught directly from Jesus and the Holy Spirit, not from Scripture. This Gospel was handed down orally (same way the Scribes, Pharissees & Jesus taught) to Luther and to us, generation by generation.

They also are not taught that virtually no one had this belief until Fr. Martin Luther made it up out of his own whims & fancies in the 16th century, making it a tradition of men. Protestants are misled into thinking they are following the bible when they are really following the theology of Luther who made up his own gospel after hearing the Gospel as preached by the Church and deciding he couldn’t follow it.

In making up his gospel, in part based on his own personal guesswork on bible verses, he found some verses to support his new doctrine/practice even though he knew the Gospel as preached & taught by the Apostles didn’t originate from the bible, but was taught to them by Jesus himself during his three years of public ministry.

How can you say Luther “couldn’t follow it”? He tried to reform the Catholic church (apparently to what it used to be, hard to believe) and the Church wouldn’t have it. They wanted to keep scamming people of their money and keeping them in religious bondage. Luther was such a bad guy…

P.S. His “guesswork” must have really wracked his brain. How dare he take “the just shall live by faith” literally…

 

[jmcrae]

The Rosary is really just a substitute for the psalter. If you have trouble praying the rosary, try reading the Psalms, instead.

Or you could try the Jesus Prayer, or the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos.

Variety is the spice of life.

~Baldwin

These are all great suggestions.