How Long Should I Pray?
I have been taught all my life to pray—to keep prayer lists and to assume that the longer I pray, the more committed I must be. Prayer is a precious gift God has given us, a sacred means by which we express our utter dependence upon Him. In prayer we exalt His attributes, celebrate His works, confess and repent of our sins, and plead for His gracious intervention in our lives and in the lives of others. It is truly astonishing that the sovereign God of the universe has committed Himself to hear our prayers and answer them according to His perfect will. But does spirituality really consist in the length of our prayers? Not always!
Sometimes, the greatest prayers are not necessarily the longest. Notice the following:
“For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:12)
“O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time.” Samson (Judges 16:28)
“Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” David (2 Samuel 7:18)
“So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah (brief, silent petition in a moment of crisis—Nehemiah 2:4)
“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God.” Elijah (1 Kings 18:37)
“God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” The Tax Collector (Luke 18:13)
“Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be” David (Psalm 12:1)
“Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; enlighten my eyes.” David (Psalm 13:3)
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” David (Psalm 25:16)
“Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help” David (Psalm 28:2)
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” David (Psalm 51:10)
“Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” David (Psalm 86:11)
“O God, restore us and cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.” Asaph (Psalm 80:3)
“Lord, save me!” Peter in a moment of crisis (Matthew 14:30)
“Lord, help me!” The Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15:25)
“I do believe; help my unbelief.” The Father of the demon-possessed boy (Mark 9:24)
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:47)
“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” The Ten Lepers (Luke 17:13)
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”; “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Stephen while being stoned to death (Acts 7:59–60)
“Increase our faith!” The Disciples (Luke 17:5)
“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” John (Revelation 22:20)
“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” Jesus at Lazarus’ Tomb (John 11:41–42)
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Jesus (Matthew 26:39)
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus on the Cross (Luke 23:34)
Notice a pattern in these short prayers. They often contain:
Helpless dependence (“Lord, save me!”)
Confession of weakness (“Help my unbelief.”)
Appeal for mercy (“Be merciful to me, the sinner!” )
Submission to God’s will (“Not as I will, but as You will.”)
Longing for Christ’s return (“Come, Lord Jesus.”)
God calls us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). That means that beyond our appointed times of focused prayer, we may lift brief, earnest requests to our living God throughout the day, moment by moment. He not only hears, but He responds to His children. What a gracious provision prayer is, and what an amazing God who invites us to draw near.
Pastor Jeff
Foundational Faith Statement #22: Does Christ’s death mean all our sins can be forgiven?
Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, God graciously imputes Christ’s righteousness to us as if it were our own and will remember our sins no more (2 Cor. 5:21).