Is it wrong to pray written prayers?

Answer

There is nothing inherently wrong with reading or reciting a pre-written prayer—as long as the prayer doesn’t contradict Scripture. Writing down a prayer before delivering it publicly can help a speaker express exactly what he or she means to say, reducing the chance of distractions caused by poor wording or mental lapses. Even if the prayer is authored by someone else, reciting it as one’s own prayer to God is not inherently wrong. God is primarily concerned with the sincerity of our hearts when we pray: are we focused on Him rather than ourselves? Are we using prayer as a way to communicate with Him and commune with Him?

Jesus encourages us to call out to God day and night “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?”, (Luke 18:7), to pray with humility (Luke 18:9-14), and to request things that bring glory to God so that we may experience His joy “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”, (John 16:24). The psalmist urged, “Pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” “Trust in him at all times; ye people, Pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.”, (Psalm 62:8). The purpose of prayer is to cultivate a closer relationship with God, to depend on Him more, and to surrender to His will. He desires us to be deeply connected with Him; intertwined like branches are to a vine: “Abide in Me,” Jesus says “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”, (John 15:4). As we learn more about God’s character and deepen our love for Him, our prayers become more sincere and spontaneous. God isn’t concerned about the words we use when we pray; He’s not looking for eloquence. A prayer can be as simple as Peter’s cry to Jesus when he was sinking in the sea: “Lord, save me!” «But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. », (Matthew 14:30).

Scripture contains many written prayers, and many individuals have found it beneficial to pray some of those inspired prayers back to God as their own personal prayers. There is nothing incorrect about this. Often, when we are unsure of what to pray, Scripture can provide us with the words. The book of Psalms contains hundreds of prayers, and many of them have already articulated our thoughts. When a believer is under spiritual attack, for instance, he might pray the words of Psalm 70. The aim is to pray specific Scriptures that reflect what is in our hearts.

Jesus taught His disciples a model prayer that is documented in Scripture (see Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4). In churches of various denominations, pastors guide congregations in reciting the Lord’s Prayer together, and there’s nothing objectionable about this. When a group of people has learned a prayer and recites it together, they cultivate a sense of unity and fellowship, which is pleasing to God. However, ultimately, the Lord’s Prayer was intended as a framework for our prayers rather than something to routinely recite to God.

Singing a song to the Lord can also be a way of praying a pre-written prayer. Many of the traditional hymns are directed to the Lord: “Cleanse Me,” “Take My Life and Let It Be,” and “Thank You, Lord” function as prayers in their own right. Many modern

Songs do the same: “Blessed Be Your Name,” “Awesome God,” and “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” are some examples.

One concern with praying a pre-written prayer is that we can run through the words unthinkingly. Praying prayers by rote is not usually beneficial to the one offering the prayer, and it runs the risk of becoming “meaningless repetition” «But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. », (Matthew 6:7, NASB). Praying prayers written by other people can be a helpful tool in oratory, but it carries the danger of being impersonal. John Bunyan, the author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, spent twelve years in prison because he refused to use the Book of Common Prayer in his church, believing that such pre-written prayers were unbiblical insofar as they were used as a substitute for people’s own prayers from the heart: “He that hath his understanding opened by the Spirit needs not so to be taught of other men’s prayers, as that he cannot pray without them” (A Discourse Touching Prayer, 1663). “In prayer,” said Bunyan, “it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.”

The bottom line? Pray to connect your heart with God’s. If that involves praying pre-written prayers on occasion, use that tool. Guard against using written prayers as a replacement for your own heartfelt communication with God. And keep the conversation between you and God going «Pray without ceasing. », (1 Thessalonians 5:17).