Keep It Simple

[Jesus said] “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:5-8 ESV)

 

There are so many fond memories from my years at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. When I started my first semester, having just graduated from Texas A&M, with very little experience or theological training, I had no idea of how much I would learn outside of the textbooks and lectures. Both were incredibly formative. There are many professors I came to know well, some had reputations of being very difficult. I found them to be thorough and fair. Preparation and study was the key. One in particular comes to mind with the selection of our reading today. Clyde Fant, Professor of Biblical Preaching, was one of the most gifted speakers I have heard. His passion was to teach others how to effectively communicate the gospel. I can say it was terrifying for me to stand in front of the classroom full of other students, much more experienced and knowledgeable than I, and video equipment staring at me recording every word and gesture. His encouragement was essential in those days of early training. He often reminded all of us to merely Keep It Simple.

 

The picture I have attached today is from my years as pastor of the Santa Fe Baptist Church. In their rich history they have enjoyed many wonderful pastors and preachers. It was a great privilege to be with those dear people for five years before my retirement from full-time ministry. My goal was always to be clear spoken, gospel centered, and simple. Those early days of seminary stuck with me for five decades. Simplicity is not a reflection of the audience; it is a reflection of the speaker. Jesus set the example. While He is omniscient, His goal was to communicate from the depth of His heart.

 

This is certainly the central encouragement of His instructions of how we should pray from our reading. It is not how formal our posture may be. It is not how flowery our language may be. Our goal is to simply talk to our heavenly Father. I fear we often fail with our “empty phrases.” In the next few days we will examine “the model prayer,” sometimes know as “the Lord’s Prayer.” From there we will learn how to keep it simple. Today commit to just talking to the Lord! He listens well!