Persistent Praying vs Mantras and Magic Words

Vain Repetitions

Mat 6

7 “When you are praying, don't say meaningless words like the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their wordiness.
  8 Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him

Te confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most dramatic examples of prayers to other gods vs prayer to Jehovah God. Look at Elijah's simple prayer compared to the Baal prophet's fevered show. As more time passes and their deadline (literally) approaches, they become increasingly frantic and resort all manner of things to attract the attention of Baal.

Elijah, taunts them (?) but prays confident that the Lord will answer: He prays that God will be glorified.  He prays for a sign, not for himself, but so that the Israelites will be brought back into the fold.

1 Kings 18:25-40 (NIV) Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "..Since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no-one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no-one answered, no-one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench round it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord--he is God! The Lord--he is God!" Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

Mantra Prayers

Mat 6:5 “And whenever you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their full reward!
6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Mat 7: 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name, drove out demons in your name, and performed many miracles in your name, didn't we?’
  23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you evildoers!’”

Wikipedia: A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of "creating transformation".

The purpose (one purpose anyway) of prayer is to “create transformation”, I think it is fair to say. But a prayer that becomes a mantra places your faith in the words and the repetition of the words, rather than on God.

People often believe that if they simply repeat the right words the right number of times, what they want will be granted. Examples: I have heard stories of Japanese after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs who believed that repeating certain actions (paper swans) or words would cure them of radiation sickness. Other examples?

What about us?

Persistent Prayer

Luke 11: 5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;  6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?  7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
  8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.   9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.   10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

How do we square the idea that we should not use "many words" in prayer with the admonitions and examples of persistent prayer?

The key is to understand that there is no magic in repetition or in the form of words. Rather, the issue is relational: in being faithful and determined in going to HIM. God knows in advance what we need or desire, so He does not need to be lectured. Rather, we should go to Him consistently and persistently with simple humility to make our requests known, until they are answered.

Luke 18:1-8 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;  2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:  3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.  4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
  5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
  6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Phil 4:6   6 Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.   7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.