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1 Kings 18:26-29
And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressedit, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. Butthere was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made…

Ecclesiastes 5:2,3,7
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utterany thing before God: for Godis in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few…

Acts 19:34
But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Greatis Diana of the Ephesians.

repetitions.

Matthew 26:39,42,44
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thouwilt…

1 Kings 8:26-54
And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father…

Daniel 9:18,19
O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies…

the heathen.

Matthew 6:32
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Matthew 18:17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tellit unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

do not babble on like pagans
The term "babble" refers to the repetitive and meaningless words often used in pagan prayers. In the Greco-Roman world, it was common for pagans to use long, elaborate prayers to invoke their gods, believing that the quantity of words would ensure they were heard. This practice was rooted in the belief that the gods needed to be persuaded or manipulated through persistent and verbose speech. Jesus warns against adopting such practices, emphasizing that God is not like the pagan deities who require persuasion.

for they think that by their many words
This phrase highlights the misconception that the effectiveness of prayer is dependent on its length or complexity. In the cultural context of the time, many believed that the more words used, the more likely the prayer would be answered. This reflects a misunderstanding of God's nature, suggesting that He is distant or inattentive. Jesus corrects this view by teaching that God is a loving Father who knows the needs of His children even before they ask.

they will be heard
The desire to be heard is a fundamental aspect of prayer. In the ancient world, being heard by the gods was often seen as a matter of chance or manipulation. However, Jesus assures His followers that God is attentive and responsive to sincere prayers. This assurance is rooted in the character of God as revealed throughout Scripture, where He is depicted as a God who listens and responds to His people (e.g.,Psalm 34:15, 1John 5:14-15). Jesus' teaching here points to a relationship with God based on trust and intimacy, rather than ritualistic or formulaic practices.

Jesus assumes His followers will pray.

•Matthew 6:5 declares, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites.” The rhythm of the Sermon on the Mount shows that prayer is a normal part of life with God.

•Luke 18:1 reminds that “they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Prayer is continual relationship, not an occasional emergency call.

•1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply says, “Pray without ceasing,” underscoring an ongoing conversation rather than sporadic ritual.

The verse begins by welcoming believers into something God already intends for them—regular, authentic communion with their Father.

•Ecclesiastes 5:2 cautions, “Do not be quick with your mouth… let your words be few before God,” warning against careless verbosity.

• In1 Kings 18:26 the prophets of Baal “called on the name of Baal from morning until noon… but there was no voice.” Empty, frantic speech did nothing to move a false god and certainly does not impress the living God.

The Lord discourages speech that is mindless, mechanical, or driven by anxiety. True prayer flows from a thinking, trusting heart, not from a nervous torrent of syllables.

Pagan worship in the ancient world hinged on incantations and formulas.

•Acts 19:34 shows a mob shouting the same line “for about two hours,” hoping that repetition would sway the spiritual realm.

•1 Corinthians 10:20 explains that such worship is offered “to demons and not to God.” The contrast is stark: believers do not manipulate; they commune.

Christ’s disciples are distinguished from the nations by approaching a personal Father, not an impersonal force to be coerced.

Jesus exposes a faulty assumption: that technique guarantees results.

•Isaiah 55:8–9 records God saying, “My thoughts are not your thoughts… My ways are higher than your ways,” dismantling any belief that human strategy directs divine response.

•Psalm 147:10-11 notes that the Lord “does not delight in the strength of the horse… but in those who fear Him,” proving that posture, not performance, matters.

Wrong thinking breeds wrong praying; right thinking begins with humble dependence on God’s character.

Word-count theology imagines volume equals value.

•Proverbs 10:19 warns, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” More syllables can actually reveal less faith.

• Jesus later teaches inMatthew 6:9-13 that the Lord’s Prayer is brief, focused, and comprehensive—modeling depth without verbosity.

The power of prayer lies not in length but in sincerity and alignment with God’s will.

The central issue is confidence in God’s attentiveness to His children.

•1 John 5:14 assures, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Hearing is tied to relationship and agreement with God’s purposes.

•Psalm 34:15 affirms, “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry,” underscoring that God’s hearing is already active toward His people.

•Luke 18:13-14 contrasts the verbose Pharisee with the brief cry of a repentant tax collector, and Jesus says the latter “went home justified.” God hears the contrite heart, not the eloquent speech.

Matthew 6:7 warns against treating prayer as a verbal performance. Jesus expects His followers to pray, but He forbids mindless repetition patterned after pagan superstition. The Father listens to humble, thoughtful petitions rooted in trust and aligned with His will. Genuine relationship, not sheer word count, opens heaven’s ear.

As the heathen do.--We know too little of the details of the ritual of classical heathenism to be able to say how far the charge of vain repetition applied at this time to them. The cries of the worshippers of Baal "from morning even until noon" (1Kings 18:26), the shouts of those of Artemis at Ephesus "for the space of two hours" (Acts 19:34), may be taken as representative instances.

Their much speaking.--This thought was the root-evil of the worship of the heathen or the Pharisee. It gave to prayer a quantitative mechanical force, increased in proportion to the number of prayers offered. If fifty failed, a hundred might succeed. But this assumed that the object of prayer was to change the will of God, or to inform Him of what He did not know before, and our Lord teaches us--as, indeed, all masters of the higher life have taught--that that assumption vitiates prayer at once.