In a previous article we saw how people sometimes repeat God’s name over and over in their prayer. This is not a natural way of praying to God.
Another type of unnatural prayer is the one where two or three words are repeated over and over throughout the entire prayer. Sometimes these words are “Glory to God! Hallelujah!” Other times they are “Father God,” “Holy Jesus,” “Glorify Your Name, Oh Lord” or some combination or variation of these ideas.
Usually, while the person is praying out loud, they will inject these words at the beginning of every sentence, and sometimes right in the middle of a sentence.
In church prayer meetings, we usually don’t think much of this sort of praying because it is so common. And while this sort of praying is not quite as strange as speaking in tongues, when it is carried over into a real-world conversation with another human being, it sounds completely bizarre. Imagine that instead of praying to “Father God” two men, Theo and Andrew are having a conversation where Andrew repeats Theo’s name every few words. Here is how this conversation might sound:
Theo: Hey Andrew! How have you…
Andrew: Oh Theo, I thank you for letting me come into your presence today, Theo, and Theo, I ask that you bless me today, Theo. For I am your servant, Theo, and come before you with nothing but an outstretched hand, oh Theo, hoping that you might, Theo, in your glory, Theo, and out of your grace, Theo, see fit to listen to my needs, Theo, and hear my requests, Theo, and grant them, Theo, according to your mercy, Theo.
Theo: Uhhhh….
Andrew: And Theo, there are many people in this place, Theo, who have many burdens, Theo, and they come before you with many sins, Theo, which you, oh Theo, in your infinite wisdom, Theo, already know about, Theo. And we thank you, Theo, that because of your blood, Theo, shed for us, Theo, we might enter your presence, Theo, with boldness, Theo, before your throne of grace, Theo…
Theo: You can stop saying my name now. I’m not going to forget it.
Andrew: Oh Theo, Theo, Theo, Theo, Theo, Theo, Theo. We love your holy name, oh Theo. For in your name, Theo, there is strength, oh Theo, and power, oh Theo, and might, oh Theo, and glory! In your great name, Theo, we cast out evil spirits, Theo, and bind the enemy, Theo…
Have you ever heard prayers like this? Where “Father God” or “Lord Jesus” is mentioned every third or fourth word? This sort of prayer goes on for a while, and the person praying develops quite a rhythm, and pretty soon, those listening to the prayer start whispering, and even shouting the name of God also.
It’s a great way to pray if you want to drum up some enthusiastic “Amens!” to an eloquent and energetic prayer, but when it comes to having a conversation with God about what is important to Him and to us, I’m not sure that this is the best way to pray. When we talk to God, our goal should be to talk to God … not to get people to shout “Amen.”
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You Have Been Warned
The prophet has already warned us that we should be careful not to think that God has any form or likeness, saying: “Watch yourselves most carefully, since you saw no image” (Devarim 4:15); “But you saw no image – there was only a voice” (ibid. 4:12). “Watch yourselves…..carefully” means: be careful – in your thinking and imagination – not to represent the Creator by any shape, nor to conceive of Him in any image or likeness, for your eyes beheld neither image nor form when He spoke to you, as it says: “To whom, then, will you liken the Almighty? What likeness will you compare to Him?” (Yeshayahu 40:18); “To whom, then, will you liken Me, that I should compare to?’ says the Holy One” (ibid. 40:25); For who in the skies can be compared to God? Who is like God among the heavenly beings?” (Tehillim 89:7); “There is none like You among the gods, HaShem, nor are there works like Yours” (ibid. 86:8); and there are many similar passages. (source pg. 133 Duties of the heart)
The Divine attributes of action are those that are ascribed to the Creator as a result of His actions. It is possible that in attributing these qualities to Him, He is made an associate of some of His creatures [to whom they are also attributed]. Nevertheless, we are permitted to ascribe these qualities to Him, because of our urgent need to know Him and recognize His existence, so that we may assume His service. We find extensive use of this kind of Divine attribute in the Torah and the books of the prophets, as well as in the praises offered by the prophets and the pious. Such attributes are used in two ways:
1) Attributes are ascribed which indicate image and bodily form, as in the following examples for Scripture: “And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him” (Bereshis 1:27); for in God’s image did He make man” (ibid. 9:6); “By the mouth of God” (Bamidbar 9:18); “My hands alone stretched out the heavens” (Yeshayahu 45:12); “in God’s ears” (Bemidbar 11:1); “and under His feet” (Shemos 24:10); “O arm of God!” (Yeshayahu 51:9); who has not sworn falsely by My Name” (Tehillim 24:4); “in the eys of God” (Bereshis 6:8); “and God said in His heart” (ibid. 8:21) and there are other similar attributions of bodily organs to God.
2) Attributes are ascribed to God which indicate movements and bodily actions, as it says: “God smelled [the pleasing fragrance]” (ibid. 8:21); “God saw…regretted…and He was saddened at heart” (ibid. 6:5-6); “God came down” (ibid. 11:5); “God remembered” (ibid. 8:1); “God heard” (Bemidbar 11:1); Then God awoke as one that had slept” (Tehillim 78:65); and there are many other similar attributes to Him of human actions.
The foolish and ignorant person will conceive of the Creator, may He be exalted, according to the literal sense of the Scriptural phrase.
Warning duly noted.
Hey, ZPasternak, what about this:
And God said , Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… (Bereshis 1:26)
In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him. (Bereshis 5:1)
I think I know what God looks like. I have a mirror.
And btw, isn’t it funny that he says b’tselemnu “in our image”? What, a plural God?
Jeremy,
I’m with you that we should try to make our praying coherent and specific, and we should avoid meaningless words and cliche religious language.
But I’m not with you in the strength of your criticisms of speaking in tongues and less-than-logical prayers. Humans are not only rational, but also emotional, and our language should also express that. Think about the language you use when making love to your wife or talking to a baby, and I’m sure you’ll find it too could be criticised for being less that Shakespearian.
Yes, some people pray incoherently out of habit or because they are not being thoughtful, but sometimes the prayers you criticise result from spiritual emotion and depth of experience of God -especially (I think) speaking in tongues.
I’d recommend you encourage the positives without criticising what you see as negatives quite so much.
UnkleE,
I hear what you are saying, but I’ve never been comfortable with the parallel between sexual orgasm and communicating with God, though I hear it come up often in discussions like this. I was at a Bible camp once where the speaker told all the Junior High kids that heaven was going to be an eternal orgasm. It is just not the right thing to say to Junior Highers…or in any context.
We are not having sex with God when we pray to Him, nor is He a baby that needs us to coo at Him.
Regardless, I agree that God gave us emotions and feelings, and He wants us to use these in our prayer with him as well. But as I will point out later in this series, the Psalms give us examples of prayers that can be said, and they run the whole gamut of emotions and feelings. Emotional utterances do not have to be nonsensical. I have been very emotional in thousands of my prayers to God, screaming and yelling and crying and all sorts of things. I have even groaned in frustration and fear and agony. But these are “normal” types of ways of expression emotion in normal conversations with other people. God too has personhood, and I think He wants us to relate to Him in similar ways as we do other people.
Which means I am not in favor of Shakespearian prayers either… who talks like that these days?
It would seem from reading Scripture that there is no prescribed or proscribed way of praying. So apparently we can pray as best fits us.
That said, prayers like the one in your example make me cringe. I suppose it has something to do with the character, the everyday life of many of the people I heard praying those prayers when I was growing up.
Personally, I talk to God pretty much like I talk to anyone. My wife and I pray together every day. She often does not know if I’m talking with her or God, since I go back and forth. That seems to be the most natural way for me to talk with God.
Sam,
Well said. Very gracious and balanced.
I am maybe being too critical in my presentation here and should have just stuck with the sort of thing you wrote here. Thanks!
ridicule |ˈridiˌkyoōl|
noun
the subjection of someone or something to mockery and derision : he is held up as an object of ridicule.
verb [ trans. ]
subject (someone or something) to mockery and derision : his theory was ridiculed and dismissed.
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: from French, or from Latin ridiculum, neuter (used as a noun) of ridiculus ‘laughable,’ from ridere ‘to laugh.’
Thesaurus
ridicule
noun
she was subjected to ridicule mockery, derision, laughter, scorn, scoffing, contempt, jeering, sneering, sneers, jibes, jibing, teasing, taunts, taunting, badinage, chaffing, sarcasm, satire; informal kidding, ribbing, joshing, goofing, razzing. antonym respect.
verb
his theory was ridiculed deride, mock, laugh at, heap scorn on/upon, jeer at, jibe at, sneer at, treat with contempt, scorn, make fun of, poke fun at, scoff at, satirize, lampoon, burlesque, caricature, parody, tease, taunt, chaff; informal kid, rib, josh, razz.
Dear Jeremy, Elijah had a go at the Prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18 v 27 do you believe likewise for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Have you ever been in the Fatness of God, have you ever been knocked over by God that you can’t rise have you ever rolled around like we would expect an insane person to do? No, how I long for the time that I find myself Undone with God.
Would you also like to orchestrate the Seraphim to respond to God in a better manner and teach them some of the Churches litany, what do you think?, read Isaiah chapter 6. Paul wrote some interesting stuff in 1 Corinthians Chapter 1. I have been ridiculed all my life, still am. It used to make me question my reason, how I thought, until I realised that the people who had a go at me were no better or worse than me, and that I had got something worth saying and hearing. Calling me thick, stupid and a numb scull and suggesting I had no brain was just their ignorant way of defending their inability to think outside the prison of their mind, so instead of hating them I loved them.
When I first witnessed people laughing uncontrollable, rolling around on the floor, bending up and down and doing many other strange things, I thought these people are mad. Oh dear, now I’m a mad person for Christ to. I;m sure there are others now laughing at me. Bring it on God lets party.
Your brother in Christ, if you will have me. Clive. Love you Jeremy X
Clive,
I am not intentionally trying to hurt or ridicule anyone. I know that people are very sensitive about their prayer lives.
But I am too, and those of us who do not pray in tongues or with spiritual prayer languages often get concerned about what we hear from those who do, that we are not truly using all of our emotions and feelings to communicate with God, and that we are missing out on a true spiritual connection with Him, and so on.
I have never called anyone thick, stupid, or a numb skull because of how they prayed.
Do I have concerns? Yes. But do those who pray with tongues have concerns about the way I pray? Apparently so. But that is why the centered set I wrote about in the last series is so important. Rather than condemn and cast each other out, we need each other, to listen to each other, and learn from each other, and draw each other ever closer to the likeness of Jesus Christ.
So of course I will have you, if you will have me…even without me ever speaking in tongues.
I thought your blog insightful and very much a parable on many prayer meetings today. Perhaps people don’t realizing they are punctuating their prayers with God’s name so many times. Sometimes they are just nervous about praying out loud in a group, feeling they must keep up with the momentum of their prayer and leave no meditative pauses.
I’ve been lately using the Lord’s example of prayer as a guide – first and foremost acknowledging that God Almighty, our Father, is indeed IN HEAVEN, HOLY beyond our comprehension. And that I want His will be done in me, for that day, as it is in his abode. I acknowledge that all good things come from Him, and that He sees our needs before we ask, but that He wants us to pray for them trusting in his supply, and for others in their need.
And of course the hardest part – confessing our daily sin, including unforgiveness of others and seeking to rectify that. And then a time a praise to him – often using the Psalms (I particularly like Psalm 66 right now). What a day to begin my day!!
Thanks again for speaking the truth. Know that you will get flack and backlash, just as Jesus did.
Jackie
Jackie,
Thank you for the comment. I do think it is helpful to listen to ourselves pray sometimes, and try to figure out what this indicates about our view of God.
The Lord’s prayer is a fantastic model to pattern our prayers after. I am writing a post about this for tomorrow, when I start to focus on the positive things Scripture says about prayer.
Later I will be writing about the Psalms as well.
Hi,Jeremy!
I’ve been enjoying these prayer posts. I totally understand those who are writing in feeling uncomfortable, because there was a time when I would have been made hot under the collar by these words too. But in reality I have always been aware of this and was made uncomfortable by all the many prayer styles too–especially as a small child, when I was very aware that everyone seemed to go from normal talk to a specialized prayer intonation.
I think we all struggle with this to some degree because God is Spirit and we must worship Him in spirit…He is unseen, so our finite minds feel like we’re play-acting when we talk to Him like another person.
I think it is helpful, though sometimes painful, to point out that we may not be expressing the fact that He is the true and living God, to ask ourselves if we are acknowledging that we must worship Him both in spirit and in truth.
He is real, and our communication with Him should reflect that.
Thank you, Esther.
I am afraid I might have been a little to critical and harsh in my tone. I never want to do that, but my wife says that some of these posts were more negatively worded than they should have been.
Anyway, I hope people understand that it was not an attack on them, but simply a call for all of us to listen to how we communicate with God, and make it more relational and personal, as if He was right by our side talking with us, just as you mentioned.
I will emphasize this more in future posts.
I think the problem with it all is where the faith hangs. If it hangs completely on emotions where we flop, dribble, and mumble it’s just as narrow sighted as someone who reads Origin, Wesley, Calvin, and tries to connect to God through the intellect. God is big. He is bigger than tongues and Shakespeare combined. I think the point of this post, and I may be reading it wrong, is an authentic relationship with God.
I believe all relationships operate with standards. When the disciples asked Christ how to pray, they already knew how. They were well educated. No they wanted to pray like Christ did and Christ didn’t give them free range to pray however they wanted. He told them to start by addressing God as Father. This was radical for Jews, to refer to God as father but he is our father.
I don’t know about you, but if I started mumbling and rolling on the ground to talk to my earthly dad, he’d slap me in the face, no matter how it expressed my love to him. I speak in his language to address him. To God, I speak in His language the way Christ taught it, the examples in scripture, audible and understandable, clear and precise.
We should be aware of how we appear to others when we talk to God and that is why Christ chastises the Pharisees before he teaches how to pray.
Something to think about.
That is a great comparison to how we talk to our earthly dads.
Also, you are exactly right that Jesus warned us against praying like the Pharisees, to be heard, seen, and noticed by men. Great insights!
The Holy Spirit praying through us is where it’s at. Looking forward to to your future post on this.
I actually already wrote that post. Here is the entire series: https://redeeminggod.com/let-prayer-meetings-cease/
It makes me uncomfortable when people pray like this and especially when people start shouting.
Likewise.
People likely never think about what their prayers must sound like to God. I agree with this article.
I sometimes encourage people to listen to their own prayers sometimes and ask what it would sound like if they were talking to anyone else.
I think the proposed conversation in the article probably wasn’t to far fetched…..
Thank you Jeremy, I enjoy your prayer posts. I usually pray from my heart and use the Lord’s Prayer as my guideline.
Hilarious post Jeremy. Really made me grin. It is this sort of prayer I have heard in nearly every church or meeting I have ever attended. Apart from my birth church. Which was roman Catholicism. But I left that after being saved and born again due to protestant evangelical pursuasion. Though to be honest I have never been 100 percent with that move. Have prayed about it but never received a definitive answer. And when I do attend roman Catholic services if ever, they are soooooo sombre and symbolic and boring that personally it was not hard to leave. And on the subject of orgasm and prayer and stuff. I am not telling you or anyone else a lie in any way but when I was born again via the conversation between jesus and nicodemus God immediately directed me to the scripture of the woman at the well. In that moment after reading this I felt a sensation which can be best described as an orgasm. And I am being 100 truthful in this. I felt a surge go through my body which left me in no doubt who was talking to me. But in reasoning with that scripture and jesus talking about being filled with living water and came to the conclusion I was being filled with the holy spirit. That’s my best explanation. But it definitely felt like an orgasm!! Most definitely!! And maybe when we die that is what we experience also. But that’s me being hopeful and guessing a bit. Lol. Would be a grand way to turn off the lights. But seriously. Joking aside. This was my experience. A beautiful in filling with living water from the well that is jesus. I suppose everyone experiences in different ways. Paul’s Damascus road experience was not irgasmic for sure. Would have scared the bejesus outta me personally. And blinded a few days. Not cool!! Though this is what was required in his conversion. Thankfully god was kinder to me. Must have his favourites! Lol. So what is required in others lives?? No idea! No idea whatsoever!!! But I am sure glad to listen to them all. Though don’t her many to be honest? Again. No idea why! Aidan. P. S. Setting my joviality aside, I am eing very serious about my experience. And if I am lieing then may god strike me down with lightening this instance. But you know what. I would be going home. So no big issues with that lightening bolt. As long as I am not burnt to half a crisp and still living!!! God forbid!! I have always fancied being whipped up in a whirlwind to be honest. Like the old testament prophet. Tidy!! No casket or funeral arrangements etc etc etc. Real Tidy!! Lol. I dislike funerals actually. And the whole cost thing is nuts. Like weddings. Just all pure nuts!! Traditional hogwash!!
And personally I see no reason for your apology, s for being to negative. You are promoting honest conversation and preaching extremely goid news. Coz your an extreme grace kinda guy. Honest and trustworthy. And driven by the love of God and your fellow human beans. May God bless you and yours mightily. Though I figure he already has to be Frank. But more, more, more. Lol. Now sounding like a prosperity pastor ooof!!