Matthew 6:5-6
“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?
“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I will warn you now that you may not like some - or all - of what I am about to say! But I have studied this scripture passage carefully, and I have developed strong feelings about public prayer – and the importance that many attach to this action.
If you wanted to talk to a friend and loved one about something deeply personal, would you do this out loud – in a public venue? Would you get on the public address system at a sporting event and thank Mary for the kindness she showed to you…or discuss your concern over Joe’s cancer diagnosis or Bill and Sue’s marital problems? Would you announce to an entire table of diners in a restaurant that you were worried that your teenager might be experimenting with drugs? Would you want your child to stand up in his/her classroom and share that there was dissension in your church…or that Daddy got a raise and the whole family was super excited and grateful, because things had been really tight and stressful at home?
I realize that this is an extreme analogy…but hopefully you get where I’m going. I totally “get” that some attach great importance to “public” prayers. Some see this as a way to publicly demonstrate their Christian faith. But therein lies the problem I have. Are we really talking to God – or making a show?
When I go to the pool to work out, I use this as a personal prayer time. A man who often swims at the same time as I do tried to strike up conversations with me on more than one occasion. One day he said something that gave me the opportunity to mention that I used my workout time as prayer time. I could have just jogged around the pool, praying aloud…and he and everyone else could have drawn conclusions about what a “good Christian” I must be…or even that I was a little nuts! Instead, I just kept talking to God in between conversation exchanges and waited for an opportunity to explain that this was my personal prayer time. I figured this was the best way to respectfully regain my privacy…and simultaneously express my Christian faith.
Carefully consider Jesus’ words in this scripture passage. Prayer is meant to be an intimate conversation with God…not a public spectacle. Jesus is pretty clear that we are to be still and quiet - and pour out our heart to God…to focus completely on Him and not on what anyone else hears - or thinks. Leading a group in prayer has its place and time. But I think when we fret so much about whether or not public prayers are allowed in this venue or that one, we so miss the mark. You and I can talk to God anywhere…anytime! All we have to do is get quiet and still - and open the dialogue. We can do this without ever moving our lips – much less uttering a vocal sound. And we SHOULD!
The more we understand about the intimacy – and quite frankly, the privacy – of most prayers, the more we see how important it is to talk to God throughout each day. We understand how vital it is to keep Him close in our thoughts…and to shift our focus from making a public display to sensing His presence – and His grace.
Each of us has the opportunity for a unique and deeply personal daily conversation with God that will not only nurture our relationship with Him but also profoundly affect how others see Jesus in and through us. If we are busy worrying about whether we can pray out loud – and where such public demonstrations are allowed – we risk missing the opportunity to hear from God. And that’s a chance I’m not willing to take. What about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?
“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I will warn you now that you may not like some - or all - of what I am about to say! But I have studied this scripture passage carefully, and I have developed strong feelings about public prayer – and the importance that many attach to this action.
If you wanted to talk to a friend and loved one about something deeply personal, would you do this out loud – in a public venue? Would you get on the public address system at a sporting event and thank Mary for the kindness she showed to you…or discuss your concern over Joe’s cancer diagnosis or Bill and Sue’s marital problems? Would you announce to an entire table of diners in a restaurant that you were worried that your teenager might be experimenting with drugs? Would you want your child to stand up in his/her classroom and share that there was dissension in your church…or that Daddy got a raise and the whole family was super excited and grateful, because things had been really tight and stressful at home?
I realize that this is an extreme analogy…but hopefully you get where I’m going. I totally “get” that some attach great importance to “public” prayers. Some see this as a way to publicly demonstrate their Christian faith. But therein lies the problem I have. Are we really talking to God – or making a show?
When I go to the pool to work out, I use this as a personal prayer time. A man who often swims at the same time as I do tried to strike up conversations with me on more than one occasion. One day he said something that gave me the opportunity to mention that I used my workout time as prayer time. I could have just jogged around the pool, praying aloud…and he and everyone else could have drawn conclusions about what a “good Christian” I must be…or even that I was a little nuts! Instead, I just kept talking to God in between conversation exchanges and waited for an opportunity to explain that this was my personal prayer time. I figured this was the best way to respectfully regain my privacy…and simultaneously express my Christian faith.
Carefully consider Jesus’ words in this scripture passage. Prayer is meant to be an intimate conversation with God…not a public spectacle. Jesus is pretty clear that we are to be still and quiet - and pour out our heart to God…to focus completely on Him and not on what anyone else hears - or thinks. Leading a group in prayer has its place and time. But I think when we fret so much about whether or not public prayers are allowed in this venue or that one, we so miss the mark. You and I can talk to God anywhere…anytime! All we have to do is get quiet and still - and open the dialogue. We can do this without ever moving our lips – much less uttering a vocal sound. And we SHOULD!
The more we understand about the intimacy – and quite frankly, the privacy – of most prayers, the more we see how important it is to talk to God throughout each day. We understand how vital it is to keep Him close in our thoughts…and to shift our focus from making a public display to sensing His presence – and His grace.
Each of us has the opportunity for a unique and deeply personal daily conversation with God that will not only nurture our relationship with Him but also profoundly affect how others see Jesus in and through us. If we are busy worrying about whether we can pray out loud – and where such public demonstrations are allowed – we risk missing the opportunity to hear from God. And that’s a chance I’m not willing to take. What about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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