Many writers long ago were paid by the word. There may be some who still are today. But the practice of rewarding every written word monetarily worked very well for certain writers. Actually it worked so well for them personally because some would intentionally stretch out sentences just to make a little more money.

Far be it from me, myself, personally to practice such a grandiose endeavor, such an obvious attempt to profit financially, such an egomaniacal… See what I was doing there.

I have friends who use many words when conversing. One of them I used to say could always “make a short story long” to turn a common phrase. I also have friends who are relatively quiet and it’s hard to know what they are thinking. We all have different personalities and that’s great but using more words doesn’t always mean things are being communicated more effectively.

When we think about prayer, sometimes we assume God is impressed with many words or maybe we think He will only respond if we use theological terms and rituals.

However, Jesus made it clear that the opposite is true.

Matthew 6:7 (NASB)

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

We don’t want to take this verse out of context, so I encourage you to read the entire chapter. But even from this single verse we can learn that God is interested in sincerity not with how many words you use.

I’ve prayed long prayers, I’ve prayed very short prayers. There is no limit for words either way. All God seems to be looking for is honesty. If we are voicing thankfulness, concerns or confusion it doesn’t matter how many words we use. It matters that we express as clearly as we can. And if we struggle to express exactly what is on our minds, we simply ask Him to help us with that.

So, pray as long as you want, use as many words as it takes to communicate to Him what is on your heart. Sometimes it will take a little longer, sometimes it will be a little shorter.

The most important thing seems to be opening the lines of communication not meeting a quota. I hope you pray more often, but don’t worry about the amount of words, concentrate on the content of your heart.

Written by Tom Wise © Finding Wonder 2013