Many of us learn to pray by imitating others. However, the prayers we hear from others are usually the public prayers that try to represent a group’s broad interests. That means their prayers (and hence ours) are generalized. In public prayers, specifics are avoided because they might not be common knowledge or might be embarrassing. It is certainly true that good judgement must be used in assemblies. However, if public prayers are our only model, they may cause us to ignore Jesus as the far better model. Also, we may become lazy because generalized and summarized prayers are much easier and quicker. They take less time from our busy schedules.
One suspects that some public prayers are so broad that in praying for “everything” we end up praying for nothing. Have you ever heard this famous prayer, “Lord, bless all those for whom it is our duty to pray”? One large, anonymous parcel is delivered at the door of heaven. The description of its contents: “Everyone.” If it were a garment we would see the tag: “One size fits all.” In one sentence we cover every person and every need in the world. Some may view that as having discharged their duty to pray for all men (1 Timothy 2:1). But, if that is the extent of our prayer, one wonders whether anyone was actually prayed for effectively.