He taught them only the seven petitions of the Our Father in which all our spiritual and temporal needs are contained, and said nothing further about numerous other kinds of prayers and ceremonies. On the contrary, he urged them not to use many words in their prayers, since our Father in heaven surely knows what we need (Mt 6:7–8). Only one thing did he stress with special emphasis: that we should persevere in prayer.
–Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591)