This is How You Are to Pray

Quit Babbling

You will not be heard on account of many words

(Much) pagan prayer amounts to magic;

words & gestures that require the god to provide.

sometimes very long and repetitive.

Pray like this:

Not that this is the only prayer

but that this is the way to pray

The Lord’s Prayer is

Brief

Familiar

the person praying is presumed to have a relationship with God.

the language is intimate and personal.

The requests are very brief and direct

Father

be blessed in word and deed.

give us ---

forgive us

protect us from evil (the evil one)

The Lord’s Prayer

Begins with praise

Moves to petition

for the Kingdom of God

for our material

and spiritual needs

all with great simplicity and economy of words.

Prayer to Baal

‘O Baal, please drive away the strong one from our gate,

the warrior from our walls!

The bull, O Baal, we will consecrate; the vow, O Baal, we will fulfill.

The male [animal], O Baal we will consecrate;

the sacrifice, O Baal, we will fulfill;

the libations, O Baal, we will pour out.

Let us go up to the sanctuary of Baal,

let us walk to and fro on the paths to the house of Baal!’

Then Baal will hear your prayer

—he will drive away the strong one from your gate, the warrior from your walls.'¹

May our prayer be as direct, simple, concise and sincere as the Lord’s Prayer.

¹ Day, John. 1992. Canaan, Religion of. (Ed.) David Noel Freedman. The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. New York: Doubleday.