The Same Prayer
Navigating Spiritual Disappointment – Part 4
I Prayed and God Let Me Down – Part 5
I recently heard a commonly asked question about prayer. Many people will face this over and over. That question is simply this: Is it ok to say the same prayer over and over again? It is an idea that we wrestle with from time to time because there are some conflicting Bible verses. One of which can make us think it is good, but there is another that will make us think that it is not so good.
I have three points to make regarding praying the same prayer over and over again.
- Praying the same things repeatedly is normal.
There is one thing I know for sure… this is a normal response, and we don’t want normal results.
Before I get to the contradictions, let me encourage you in this regard. When we have questions like this. Let me repeat, that is normal. If we hold questions like this to ourselves, we won’t go to the next level in any way nor in a way that we possibly can. - We are encouraged to pray the same exact prayer.
Here’s a popular acronym to get us started.
P U S H!
Pray Until Something Happens
I believe that you should be persistent. You should be diligent. You should be over the top. You should keep praying. You should never stop praying. [1] In fact, those are the words of Jesus. Pray without ceasing. [2] In other words, pray until something happens. So, is it okay to say the same prayer over and over again? We must learn how to pray without ceasing. However, the question is, should we pray the same prayer over and over again? And here’s where it gets a little tricky, because many people do just that. For example, reciting the Lord’s Prayer over and over. That is a normal way that people pray and normal is not what we are truly after. - We don’t think of what it could mean to pray the exact same prayer over and over.
Would you use the exact same words in speaking to your earthly Father, then why in the world would you do so with your Heavenly Father? I would never pull out a piece of paper or memorize a set of words to say when it comes to speaking with my earthly dad, Jesse Clark. I would never just continuously repeat the same words to him, over and over again. That is not the kind of relationship we have. For a person who repeats themselves over and over in that manner, that might be an indication that there is a relationship problem.
Because my dad and I have a good relationship, I know the temperament of my dad. Therefore I can assess when I can go back to him with a similar request. In fact, I know the right timing and wrong timing to ask a question in most cases. Also, I know what I need to say differently when the question or request doesn’t go over so well.
Our daughter has figured this out about me. She can tell when the right time is or if it is not. Maybe you are asking God at the wrong time or in the wrong way. Have you ever considered your stance with your Heavenly Father? Could it be that your relationship with Him is not in the right place?
Maybe it is what you are asking that creates the disconnect. Be mindful that when you pray vague prayers you get vague results. Therefore, you want to pray prayers so that you can identify the results and know that the prayer has been answered.
Don’t hear what I am not saying. I am in no way implying that you should stop praying. A little prayer is better than no prayer at all. What I am encouraging however is that you take it to the next level. Consider why you are still praying the same prayer day in and day out. It is time to have a little talk with Jesus. Ask Him what is going on with your request. Ask Him what you might be doing wrong or missing when you pray. You have not, because you ask not or when you ask you ask with the wrong intent. [3] Consider your prayer and begin to talk to Him about what is happening with your request. It is time to take an old prayer to the next level. In business when something goes unanswered, the problem or request gets escalated. Don’t you think it is about time you escalated your ask? It is time to take your prayer to the next level.
Question: What prayer are you continuously praying and why are you still praying that prayer?
[1] 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT, Bible.com, accessed January 5, 2024, https://www.bible.com/bible/116/1TH.5.17.NLT
[2] 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV , Bible.com, accessed January 5, 2024, https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1TH.5.17.ESV
[3] James 4:3 NLT, Bible.com, accessed January 5, 2024, https://www.bible.com/bible/116/JAS.4.3.NLT
All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.
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