Preface.

[...how they should] be taught to pray. At that time he answered them: When (a) you pray, you shall not babble much like the heathens Original: Heiden. Historically used to refer to pagans or non-Christians.. And he added the following reason: Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

If he had simply said, "you should not pray like the heathens," then I too would believe what is commonly imagined: that Christ Original: Christus., in this passage, rejects undevout, false, hypocritical, or otherwise unlawfully performed prayer. But no. He does not speak here in general terms of every evil that the heathens' prayer possessed, nor does he mention these or similar other faults in particular with even a single word. The reason for the prohibition—because your Father knows what you need before you ask him—would also not fit Original: reimen, literally "rhyme," meaning to align or make sense logically. that interpretation. Indeed, perhaps his disciples did not even require such a reminder. They merely requested a certain form of prayer. That one

(a) Matthew 6:7–8. Original: Matth. VI. 7. 8.