Jesus condemns a mechanical prayer: “…in your prayers, don’t say many words like they do the pagans. They think that they will be heard because of their many words. Don’t imitate them because your father knows about your necessities before you ask them” (Mt. 6, 7- 8).
Jesus condemns a hypocritical and vain prayer: “…when you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites, who like to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the market places to be seen by men” (Mt. 6, 5)
Jesus condemns cynical prayer: “…the Pharisee prayed standing in this way; God , I thank you for am not like other men, thieves , unjust, adulterers, and not even like this publican who is here…” (Lk. 18, 11)
He condemns an alienating prayer: “…it is not enough to say, ‘lord, lord’ to enter in the kingdom of heavens, but it is needed to do the will of the father who is in heaven” (Mt. 7, 21)
He condemns an oppressing prayer: “…be careful with the doctors of the law…they put down the houses of the widows and simulate long prayers.” (mc. 12, 38-40)
All these citations demonstrate how Jesus or, to be more exact, how the first communities reflecting about prayer based on Jesus’ memories – is conscious of various forms of bad addict in prayer.; spiritual Nazism , vain glory and hypocrisy, vain wording , alienating and oppressing instrumentalism etc.
It can be clearly concluded that Jesus was not naïve in respect to prayer. He knew that what people do is subject to sin, prayer included. That is why he denounces the deterioration of prayer that in the base, prayer should not be a self impose to God without letting God to act on somebody.
However, with al these dangers, Jesus persists on prayer and shows us the way of praying which leads us to discover the truth – the true God, which gives us life. He himself, as human, he is the way, which leads he himself, as divine, the truth and the life. That is what he made when he said – “learn from me, ‘am the way, the truth and the life’. And you my dear believer, which is your attitude of prayer?
