Avoid Babbling

 

 Mt 6: 7-15

The Lord's Prayer

⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Frequently enough,we are at a loss for words when we pray.  Rather than babble on, we can fall back on "the old standard" taught to us by Jesus himself, succinct and covering all the bases: The Lord's Prayer.  When we pray it slowly, as if it were our own words, it helps us re-focus on what really matters and gives us a peaceful connection to our Father.  We have become so accustomed to it, that we rattle it off with such speed that it becomes the meaningless babble Jesus was referring.