Persistent prayer vs. vain repetition — the biblical balance

Mike identifies two truths in tension: (1) God hears every word — you do not need to keep repeating to be heard. (2) Christians are commanded to be persistent and continual in prayer. Resolution: pray more (generally good advice), but stop when words become vain/empty. Continue praying about the same topic across multiple prayer sessions, but do not fill a single session with meaningless repetition.