No Vain Repetition

After the resurrected Christ had spent a day with the faithful and now faith-filled Nephites in the Western Hemisphere, He ascended into heaven. By the next morning, word had spread throughout the region that the Messiah had come. Many thousands gathered to the place to learn more. The twelve chosen disciples baptized all who wanted to be baptized. Then the multitude prayed. 

Angels came and taught more doctrine to the twelve disciples. And while the angels were present with the people, Jesus Himself descended again and stood among the people. He commanded the crowd to kneel and pray again. Then, He separated Himself from the gathered worshipers and prayed to the Father for them. 

The scripture then records:

And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.
--3 Nephi 19:24

As part of my prayer practice, I too can ask what to pray for. The purpose of prayer is not to convince God to do my bidding but to align myself with His will and to access blessings that He is already willing to give me but which are predicated on my asking. Thus praying for what to pray for is a useful exercise. 

What the natural man within me thinks I need and what God knows I need are diametrically opposing views of myself. The key to a successful life is to overcome the natural man and accept the will of God. Prayer holds that key for me. 

I do not need to multiply, or repeat, vain repetitions to extend my prayers. It is not the length but the depth of the prayer that matters to God. A short, thoughtful, sincere prayer, followed by intense listening, is far more pleasing to the Lord than a long, pretentious oration full of trite phrases and empty platitudes meant more to please my own ears than reach God's heart.