When prayer gets as sentimentalized as "Thinking of you!"

Boniface, "Our Greatest Lie" (Unam Sanctam Catholicam, 2014):

If you are a Catholic striving after sanctity, you make a sincere effort to avoid all mortal sin and even venial sin. You certainly value truthfulness as a basic requirement for living a vibrant spiritual life and never intentionally tell lies or deceive others. Yet even so, there is one lie I have learned that Catholics, even very pious, faithful Catholics, are guilty of telling. And they tell it time and time again, sometimes every day. We go on deceiving others with this lie, and then tell the same lie again, sometimes to the same people. Most likely it is not intentional; we do not set out to be untruthful - but we become untruthful nonetheless. And this untruthfulness is not harmless; it is an untruth that can do grave harm to our own spiritual life and deprives those we lie to of very necessary graces. If not rectified, this habitual lie can lead to a devastating habit of spiritual neglect. And yet, even then, even knowing this, we continue to do it.

Have you figured out what lie I am talking about, what untruth we habitually tell other people? Is it clear yet? What lie am I talking about?

"I'll pray for you."

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Guy Noir comments: "I have thought this about myself countless times. And I think, though this is written about Catholics, it is wildly true in Evangelical circles as well. "I'll say a prayer about that" is up there with "I'll be thinking of you" as both rather meaningless and misleading unless it is very consciously true. Don't say it as a consolation prize -- it just trivializes it. Besides, it is actually a substantial commitment. So say it less and mean it more: that's a good approach."

[Hat tip to JM]