Prayer is an opportunity God gives us to draw closer to Him. Though He knows what’s on our minds, He also knows how much it will benefit us to verbalize our thoughts and feelings. That we see Him as a person and want to rely on Him by talking to Him, is a joy to Him. So He patiently listens.

He becomes impatient, though, when we fail to talk to Him as we would a friend, a father, a person. Quality time of plain talk is what He desires from us. It stirs His heart and respects His intelligence.

Intelligence is a faculty given to us by Him when He created us in His image. He expects us to use it instead of engaging in mindlessness when we come to Him in prayer. Repeating the same thing over and over is an insult and a waste of time.

God doesn’t want us speaking to Him the way those outside of Jesus speak to their gods, which in reality are nothing more than un-living objects of thought.

Jesus says, “When you pray, use not vain repetitions as heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like  them: for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him.” Matthew 6: 7, 8.

It’s okay to be persistent when praying for oneself or for another. There’s nothing wrong with doing that at different times, e.g., every day. Vain repetition is uttering the same words, as rote, within the same prayer sitting.

It’s a shame that some believers are taught to continuously repeat in prayer the same words as a means to have a sin forgiven. That’s not biblical. It’s impersonal. When one speaks to another in such a repetitive way, one is really speaking to oneself; and in the process, annoying the other person.

It would be good to remember that though He is Deity and deserves the utmost reverence, God is a person.