Prayers Can Be Long
The Commandment to Pray Always
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18)
The Lord Jesus Christ Prayed Extraordinarily Long
He prayed all night:
“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke. 6:12)
He prayed from evening almost until morning. The night is divided into 4 parts or watches. The 4th watch is the last part of the night, almost morning. Christ prayed almost all night:
“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. <...> Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea” (Matt. 14:23,25)
An hour after His prayer began, Christ came to wake the apostles, which was repeated two more times. One may suppose that He prayed for about 3 hours:
“Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ <...> He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. <...> Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?’ <...> Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. Then He came the third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting?’” (Mark. 14:32,35,37,39-41)
Parables
Having given the pattern of prayer — the “Our Father”, the Lord immediately added a parable about persistence and patience in prayer:
“And He said to them, ‘Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and he will answer from within and say, “Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you”? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs’” (Luke. 11:5-8)
The parable of the widow and the judge:
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary.” And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”’ Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?’” (Luke. 18:1-7)
Prayers Can Be Short
After the parable of the widow and the judge about the need for constant and persistent prayer, the Lord tells a parable about the short prayer of the tax collector, which was pleasing to Him, although the parable itself, as the Evangelist explains, is about those who are vainly confident in their own righteousness. In the end, Christ directly points out how the tax collector pleased God: by his low opinion of himself and his own righteousness:
“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke. 18:9-14)
Criticism
Do Not Use Many Words
In the Gospel of Matthew, before the “Our Father” prayer, the words of Christ are recorded that one should not say too much in prayer:
“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matt. 6:7)
This speaks of the need not to say anything superfluous, not to ask in detail about earthly needs, which God already knows. The Lord Himself prayed long, and sometimes repeated His prayers:
“Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words” (Mark. 14:39)
See also here: Prayer: no empty wordiness