30 Days On The Mount

became a mere repetition of words to be completed as quickly as possible.

• There were set times for prayer: The hours were 9 AM, 12 noon and 3 PM. Whatever place a man found himself he was bound to pray. • There were designated places of prayer: Jews would go to the synagogue for prayer and for those living in Jerusalem the location was the Temple. In the first days of Christianity, the disciples carried on this tradition: “Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service.” (Acts 3:1) • There was a tendency towards lengthy prayers: Rabbi Levi is quoted as saying: ‘whoever is long in prayer is heard.’ Piling up man y adjectives in addressing God was viewed as a virtue; ‘O Most High, Omnipotent, Benevolent, Lord of Hosts, Majesty…etc.’ xiv

Nothing was more revolutionary than Jesus’ warnings and instructions concerning the act of prayer.

HYPOCRITE’S PRAYE R

5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.

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