11. What further bad prayer habit did Jesus tell us to avoid? Matthew 6:7.
NOTE: ‘Long prayers find no warrant in the Bible. The longest prayer on record is that of Solomon at the dedication of the temple. That was a great occasion, and the prayer was very comprehensive; yet it can be read slowly in six minutes. The prayer of Jesus in John 17. may be read with deliberation in four minutes. Of the other prayers recorded in the Bible, including the Lord’s Prayer, none of them would occupy a whole minute. Contrast Elijah’s prayer with those of the prophets of Baal. They prayed from morning till evening, saying, “O Baal, hear us,” and leaped and cut themselves with, of course, no result. Elijah quietly addressed the Lord in a prayer less than half a minute long, and fire came down and consumed the sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones of the altar, and the water that was in the trench. The heathen gods cannot hear; therefore those who trust them, not getting any response when they pray, must needs vociferate and multiply their words; but why should the servants of the living God give the impression by their prayers that He is like the gods of the heathen? Prayer is not for the purpose of making God acquainted with our needs, not to make Him willing to give, for He knows what we need before we ask Him, and has prepared the gifts for us. We come to Him only in response to His call. Therefore true prayer is simply the manifestation and expression of our willingness to receive the good things that come down from the Father of lights. God is not like the unjust judge, so that He needs to be nagged into granting our requests.’ E. J. Waggoner: Present Truth, January 20, 1898.
12. Of what fact may we be assured when we pray? Matthew 6:8.
NOTE: ‘Do your duty, and trust in God; for He knows of what things you have need. He watches over us with more tenderness than does a mother over an afflicted child. God is a friend in perplexity and affliction, a protector in distress, a preserver in the thousand dangers that are unseen to us. God dwells in every abode; He hears every word that is spoken, listens to every prayer that is offered, tastes the sorrows and disappointments of every soul, regards the treatment that is given to father, mother, sister, friend, and neighbour. He cares for our necessities, and His love and mercy and grace are continually flowing to satisfy our need. In His care we may safely rest. God helps the feeble, and strengthens those who have no strength. In the fields where the trials and the conflicts and poverty are the greatest, God’s workmen must have increased protection. To those labouring in the heat of the conflict, God says, “The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.” Our Lord adapts Himself to our special needs. He is a shade on our right hand. He walks close by our side, ready to supply all our necessities. He comes very near to those who are engaged in willing service for Him. He knows every one by name. O what assurances we have of the tender love of Christ.’ Sons & Daughters of God, page 16.