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Ask Pastor John

God Hears My Prayers, So Why Should I Pray for Things Twice?

Ask Pastor John

Desiring God

John Piper, Unknown, 163859, Pastor, Ask, Theology, Desiring God, Religion & Spirituality/christianity, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality, Questions

4.83.8K Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2013

⏱️ 4 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Jesus tells us to repeat our prayers with persistence, but he also says that God disregards vain repetition. So how do we know when to repeat ourselves?

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

If the Lord hears our prayers, why do we find it necessary to pray for the same things

0:08.8

over and over and over again, Pastor John?

0:11.9

Is it not enough just to pray once, and why do we pray repetitively for the same things?

0:16.4

Well, there's an obedience in it, to start there because Jesus gave at least two parables

0:22.8

in which the point of the parable was keep on knocking.

0:27.9

And so, in the parable, he said, the knocking of this widow, give me vindication, give me vindication,

0:36.2

or the judge out, and so he yielded and gave her vindication.

0:41.1

And then he said, if that evil judge is willing to yield, and you know, your God in heaven

0:45.6

is going to yield.

0:46.6

And yet the point was, I think the chapter begins, he told him this parable to the effect

0:51.2

that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

0:55.4

So clearly, vindicate us, how would be your name, bring your kingdom, or save my lost

1:02.2

loved one, is to be repeated.

1:04.6

Now, that does raise the question, what's the difference between that and the same repetitions

1:11.5

of Matthew 6?

1:12.5

Where it says, don't pile up your words like the Gentiles who think that they will be heard

1:18.1

for their many words.

1:20.1

And I think the difference is, drawing out long prayers in the hopes that multiplied clauses

1:29.1

and sentences will somehow make our prayers more appealing to God is what he's opposed

1:34.3

to.

1:35.3

A very simple, father, please, have mercy, heal Joe.

1:40.1

That's the sense.

...

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