God Hates Prayers?

Psalm 102: 17: "He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer"

Despise is a harsh word. If I say I don’t like someone it does not sound so bad. After all we all know someone who rubs us the wrong way – a toxic personality if you will. But if I say I despise someone people will look at me in a weird way, more so if I claim to be a religious or spiritual person. So it is all the more interesting that God, the quintessential good person, actually says that there are some prayers that he despises. Prayer and despise in the same sentence? So this got my attention. Why would God who wants us to pray despise a prayer?

I discovered that God despises certain types of prayers:

1. God despises long-winded prayers.

In Matthew 6:7, Jesus said, “But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

 2. God also despises the prayer that seeks to do evil or harm, which is, malicious or vengeful prayers.

In some religious traditions one can go to a priest and seek some potion or prayer for the purpose of doing harm to a neighbor. In the Old Testament we read of the prophet Balaam who promised to put a curse on his own people if the price was right. So King Balak paid him well and asked him to curse Israel. Balaam found out that God despises prayers that seek to do harm to others. Jude refers to this incident as the “error of Balaam” (Jude 11), Peter makes reference to it in 2Peter 2: 15-16, and Jesus pointed to it in Revelation 2: 14.

3. God despises prayers that are done to impress others.

In Matthew 6:5, Jesus said, “And when you pray, you will not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.”

So let us make our prayer time count. Let us pray according to the will of God, with sincere hearts, driven by love and humility. Then God will not despise our prayer. Rather, he will hear from heaven and answer.