To start off, let’s address the title of this post, and answer it. Should we pray in “vain repetitions”?

In Matthew 6:7, Jesus says the following (your Bible may word it in a couple different ways, but the same idea is conveyed):

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” – Matthew 6:7 KJV

OR

“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.” – Matthew 6:7 ESV

So, should we pray in “vain repetitions”? No. Jesus said not to, so the answer is “no”.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: This probably sounds like common sense to most Christians, but “vain repetitions” are not the same as “repetitions”. This verse is only telling us that we should not pray with “vain repetitions”. Notice how the heathens, or Gentiles, “think that they will be heard for their many words”. Basically, their prayer has no meaning behind it, they are just concerned with word count. However, their “repetition” is not what is being called out here, it is the “vainness” of their repetition, and Jesus explains that repetition itself is not bad, as we will see in a moment.

So our obvious next question…

Can we pray in repetition?

This is a perfect WWJD situation, and Matthew 26:39-44 is a perfect place to find out “what would Jesus do?”

“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.” – Matthew 26:39-44

So Jesus prayed “saying the same words”. This is repetition, and Jesus never sinned, so repetition itself is not bad. Mark 14:39 tells us the same thing about Jesus’s repetitive praying:

“And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.” – Mark 14:39

There are other examples of repetitive prayer in the Bible, as well. Jesus even tells a parable that condones repetitive prayer:

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”” – Luke 18:1-8

This widow “kept coming to him [the judge] and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary”, and the judge decided to grant her request. Jesus then says that God would do the same for “his elect, who cry to him day and night”.

Prayer in Other Forms

Prayer can be repetitive, and prayer can be spontaneous. The key is that prayer isn’t done in vain. There needs to be intent behind our prayer; we need to actually mean what we are saying.

Christians in the faith labelled “Catholic” will often have the “vain repetitions” verse thrown at them by Christians in faiths with other labels, and the “Catholic” Christians are left wondering why these other Christians are telling them something that they clearly already know and believe. Make sure that you never drop the “vain” portion, and realize what the verse is saying.

While Christians in both the Catholic and Non-Catholic faith, do pray spontaneous prayers, there is also no problem with praying repetitive prayers, such as the “Our Father”. Try it sometime if you would like:

“Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” – Matthew 6:9-13