K.I.S.S. (KEEP IT SHORT and SIMPLE)

There is a time and place for corporate prayer. Plus, there is a difference between tarrying with The Lord and droning on. Tarrying involves disengaging your tongue and engaging your spiritual ears - something the Pharisees or "hypocrites" of Matthew 6:5-15 found hard to do. This verse is not speaking about corporate prayer, the verse is dealing with the individual's communication to God. Matthew 6:5-8 states - 

• And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Have you ever known somebody who loved to hear themselves talk? I have. Good luck getting even a "yes", "no" or "I agree" into the monologue with these people. Even God cannot respond to people who attempt to communicate to Him like this in prayer. Jesus says this behavior is all-for-show - for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. In addition, Jesus says these people have received their reward in full. - which to me means, if attention from the masses is all you want then that is all you will receive.

Notice that as Jesus was teaching His disciples, He left out any other companion or group of people that might pray with you by using the word - "you". He said, when you pray, ...

1. go into your room,
2. close the door
3. pray to your Father

Now that you are in your special room, with the door closed and praying to Father God - even here The Lord has some advice - And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Jesus reiterates the incorrect behavior to avoid - long, drawn-out, wordy prayers that draw attention to yourself. 

Have you ever known what a friend, son, or daughter needed and about that moment they started asking you to fill this need? However, they just didn't ask you, for some reason they felt the need to wax eloquent in the asking so as to be persuasive for a favorable answer. I know I have done that as a youngster with my parents and an adult with God. Sometimes I knew that my parents knew what I needed and I still droned on, other times I did not feel they did. However, Jesus says, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.  This does not mean we should not come before Him with our needs and desires. It means, from here on out, corporately and/or privately, when you pray to The Lord, give Him a K.I.S.S. - Keep It Short and Simple.