Are longer prayers better than shorter ones?
When I truly see God for who He is, I become much more careful with my speech to Him.
Will longer prayers be heard by God more than shorter ones? Not necessarily. Longer prayers aren't necessarily better at getting God's attention than shorter prayers. Some people mistakenly think that longer prayers are better. This idea isn't found in the Bible. In fact, Jesus seemingly tried to dissuade us from having too lengthy prayers—especially the kind of prayers that contain little thought and meaning behind the words that are used. Jesus gave these instructions as part of His famous Sermon on the Mount: "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" (Matt. 6:7 ESV).
Some people believe that if they pray longer and with more words, God will hear them better. But according to Jesus, that's not how it works. The intention of the heart and the meaning behind the words are far more important things to consider when it comes to praying to God. It's not necessarily about the amount of words used. Short and simple prayers can be just as heard by the Lord, provided that the right intention and meaning is present. This doesn't mean we can't pray long prayers. It just means that if we do pray long prayers, we should do so with the right motivation and we should try to not use too many meaningless words. And we have to remember that we can't force God to answer our prayers by simply adding more words.
I try to be as simple as I can when I talk to God in prayer. In fact, when I truly see God for who He is, I become much more careful with my speech to Him. I remind myself that I am not just talking to anybody. I'm talking to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And with that perspective in mind, I become compelled to talk to God with less words and with more care.
I love this encouragement found in the book of Ecclesiastes: "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few" (Ecc. 5:2 ESV). There's an exhortation in this verse for us to apply great care in how we speak to the almighty God. And to know that it's actually quite acceptable and perhaps even more favorable for us to use less words when praying to Him.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
