I woke up yesterday morning thinking about prayer, specifically praying in public. I don't remember if I'd dreamed about it or if the Holy Spirit was just showing me something "out of the blue", but I can't get it off my mind now, so I have to share my thoughts/feelings. Please do the same!The passage in the bible that came to mind was Matthew chapter 6:
1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
I understand that this all comes down to our heart attitude, the motivation behind praying in public, but from the outside looking in, it just feels that all too often in today's world, people are turned away when someone prays in public rather than drawn to Christ. Now, I am not referring to any kind of religious gatherings, funerals, weddings, baby showers, etc., I am talking about regular prayer that is done in public, such as praying before you eat your meal at a restaurant.
Don't get me wrong, I do not intend to condemn anyone, just to get you to think and maybe question your own motives. As I was looking for a picture to go with this post, I came across this blog from a non-believer, and I tend to agree with her about how it is perceived. Here is what she wrote:
It’s a weird feeling when you are sitting in a restaurant, and the ppl at the next table suddenly join hands, bow their heads and start praying. It feels as if you’re participating in a very intimate moment with them. There is a secret ghost that they are praying to, and it could be hovering around us. I wonder if the praying ppl ever ask, why me? Why did god give me more than I need to survive, and across the ocean, a little boy’s stomach is distended from hunger?
Sometimes I turn and look the other way; sometimes I want to shout “Get a room!”
Unfortunately, I think she is right, and I think a lot of people feel the same way. Why is it necessary to bow our heads when we pray? Why do so many people hold hands around the table? Those things in and of themselves are not wrong -- it keeps kids from being distracted and giggling during group/family prayer, but it also attracts attention when we're in public.
So am I suggesting to just not pray? Certainly not! YHWH wants to hear our prayers! Do we HAVE to pray before every meal? No, I don't think so, but it doesn't hurt either.
So, what I have concluded for ME is that I will pray with my eyes open and my mouth closed, opposite of what most believers do. No one will know (when we're in public) that I am praying but me. I will teach my children to do the same and make sure they understand why.
Again, this is just something I have been meditating on, and I do not share this to condemn others, just to share what the Holy Spirit has shown me. I would love to hear your thoughts on this as well!
2 "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
I understand that this all comes down to our heart attitude, the motivation behind praying in public, but from the outside looking in, it just feels that all too often in today's world, people are turned away when someone prays in public rather than drawn to Christ. Now, I am not referring to any kind of religious gatherings, funerals, weddings, baby showers, etc., I am talking about regular prayer that is done in public, such as praying before you eat your meal at a restaurant.
Don't get me wrong, I do not intend to condemn anyone, just to get you to think and maybe question your own motives. As I was looking for a picture to go with this post, I came across this blog from a non-believer, and I tend to agree with her about how it is perceived. Here is what she wrote:
It’s a weird feeling when you are sitting in a restaurant, and the ppl at the next table suddenly join hands, bow their heads and start praying. It feels as if you’re participating in a very intimate moment with them. There is a secret ghost that they are praying to, and it could be hovering around us. I wonder if the praying ppl ever ask, why me? Why did god give me more than I need to survive, and across the ocean, a little boy’s stomach is distended from hunger?
Sometimes I turn and look the other way; sometimes I want to shout “Get a room!”
Unfortunately, I think she is right, and I think a lot of people feel the same way. Why is it necessary to bow our heads when we pray? Why do so many people hold hands around the table? Those things in and of themselves are not wrong -- it keeps kids from being distracted and giggling during group/family prayer, but it also attracts attention when we're in public.
So am I suggesting to just not pray? Certainly not! YHWH wants to hear our prayers! Do we HAVE to pray before every meal? No, I don't think so, but it doesn't hurt either.
So, what I have concluded for ME is that I will pray with my eyes open and my mouth closed, opposite of what most believers do. No one will know (when we're in public) that I am praying but me. I will teach my children to do the same and make sure they understand why.
Again, this is just something I have been meditating on, and I do not share this to condemn others, just to share what the Holy Spirit has shown me. I would love to hear your thoughts on this as well!
