Daily Devotions
Repetition That Is Not in Vain
Title: Repetition That Is Not in Vain
Reading for March 23: 1 Samuel 4-7
Weekly reading for March 18-24: Philippians 1-4
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy...
Philippians 1:3-4
Do you ever feel like your prayers are lifeless? Your prayer list doesn’t change much from day to day, so you’re just going through the same list of names. These are the same names you prayed for yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. It can make your prayers feel stale.
You may feel like you’re guilty of the “vain repetition” Jesus warned about, but we must not fear this kind of repetition. Paul prayed three times that the "thorn in the flesh" might be removed from him (2 Cor 12:8). Jesus prayed three times in Gethsemane that his cup might pass from him (Matthew 26:44).
In this prayer, Paul says that he prayed for his brothers and sisters in Philippi every day. Not only did he pray for them but for other individuals and churches as well (see Rom 1:9; Col 1:9; 1 Thess 1:2; 2 Tim 1:3; Philemon 3).
There ought to be repetition in our prayers. It may not always feel exciting to persist in praying for the same people day after day, but this kind of persistence says a lot about our love for those we’re praying for and of our faith in the One we’re praying to (Phil 1:7-8; Luke 18:1-8)
Father, help us not to grow weary in interceding for others or for thanking you or seeking your spiritual blessings in prayer.
