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Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy\u201d (Psalm 86:1).

Praying is difficult. Beyond giving us a model for our prayers, Jesus teaches us two things about this spiritual work: don't babble and persevere. One wonders at what point perseverance turns into babbling. The tension between these two is one of the challenges prayers must wrestle with. Wisdom is needed.

The apostle Paul reminds us to persevere in our praying when he writes, \u201cPray continually\u201d (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Yet, many prayers in the Bible are short and to the point. The longest one, Psalm 119, still won't keep us tied up very long.

Several times I have encountered surveys asking pastors how much time they spend praying. Those who analyze these surveys always seem amazed at how little time pastors commit to prayer. The assumption is that short prayers are indicators of poor spirituality.

This may be true, but not necessarily. A survey of the Biblical prayers does not convince me that this is an adequate measurement. The Bible seems to prefer quality over quantity.

Further, I think we need to distinguish between two different ways that we pray. On the one hand, there is the actual time that we set aside for praying \u201cwith hands folded and eyes closed\u201d (or walking through the woods). This is what we normally measure.

But there is also the posture in which we are constantly conscious of the presence of God. In this form, we are constantly asking God (frequently without audible words) to direct our living according to the patterns of His Kingdom and to bring his blessing into the world we are experiencing. To live life this way, a form of \u2018praying continually\u2019, is a difficult discipline.

Psalm 86 helps us live both these approaches to prayer. It's short. We can pray it within minutes. It can be summarized in three words: "God, help me!" a phrase that can shape the way we live.

There is something interesting about this psalm: it's totally plagiarised. All its phrases can be found in other Psalms. Since David probably wrote many of them, I'm not sure it's really plagiarism. But it does suggest that we don't have to make up new prayers all the time. It's OK to make someone else's prayers our own. And repetition is not necessarily babbling.

The themes woven throughout this psalm will also help us in our learning to pray. First, David admits his weaknesses. This is essential to Christian prayer. We need God. This is Jesus\u2019 point in his story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee doesn\u2019t recognize his need for God, the other prayer does (Luke 18:9-14). Those who ask, receive. We all need His help. Not only are we not able to get out of difficulties, our sinful behaviour and thoughts often get us into trouble. Only God can rescue.

Second, David affirms who God is. This prayer includes mention of God's faithfulness to His promises, of His greatness. God has no revivals and is therefore worthy of our worship. Our prayers are bolstered when we remember who we are addressing and recall the God\u2019s character and actions.

Third, David prays for an undivided heart. In the face of many enemies and troubles it is difficult to continue relying on God. Relying means waiting. Here too, we find one of the difficulties of prayer: waiting for God's answer while troubles multiply. We want to help ourselves. David prays that God will help him stay the righteous course.

As they say, practice makes perfect. Well, I\u2019m not sure prayers can be perfected, but practicing what we learn is the only way forward. So, keep praying.