Quote:
"KJV: But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
. . .
This does not mean that we should not repeat our prayer. The Lord repeated His prayer three times in Gethsemane (26:44), the apostle Paul prayed the same prayer three times (2 Cor. 12:8), and the great multitude in heaven praised God repeatedly with hallelujahs (Rev. 19:1-6). It means that we should not repeat empty words, words spoken in vain."
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It is not even opposing the repeating of mere words. The footnote acknowledges that Paul prayed the same thing thee times (on three different occasions, it is presumed), and Jesus did not merely repeat a few words in rapid succession.
But even that is not prohibited by the warning against vain repetition. The problem is what is being repeated and how and why it is repeated. Those scenes from Revelation have a group continually falling down and crying out "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty . . . ." Not vain. Just repeated.
And it is easy to declare that someone else's repetition is vain, but not yours (or mine). But do we know? Maybe. But maybe not.
I note that the warning was to those who would be trying to "reach God," not to observers of those people. In other words, the warning is not to me so I can judge others based on my opinion of their vanity, or lack thereof. It is to me to be ware that I do not simply mouth words over and over in hopes that they do something for me.
Same words. Different source. Different result.
At times, no matter how bad I think a lot of LRC teachings are, it is the ingrained attitude that they need to compare themselves to others in a judgmental way that seems the most insufferable. Like the Pharisee raising his voice to God to compare himself to the publican over in the corner who is honestly crying out "be merciful to me a sinner."