I have another question about prayer.
I could have sworn that when I used to study the Bible, Jesus preached that prayer should be done quietly, hidden away from everyone, and not out in the open. The point was that too many people were using prayer as a means to show off rather than to actually commune with god. Even the people who meant well would also get performance anxiety and would start worrying about praying the "right" way rather than just talking to god openly.
If that's the case and I didn't just hallucinate all that, why do so many Christians pray openly and out loud in public places? I see people praying (both for me and in general) everywhere from Yahoo! Answers to graduation ceremonies and football games.
If Jesus said "pray in private", shouldn't prayer be done in private? Or is this just one more of those "You can't take it LITERALLY" things? But then, I'm not sure how "pray in private" comes to equal "pray in public" when interpreted 'correctly'. o_O
2007-05-28 12:47:10 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Eh, people just want to display their "Good Guy Badge". Obviously these kind of people get several things out of their religion such as attention and a false sense of pride. When disturbed people have an outlet for psychological needs like that, it's easy to let the mindset take over.
I'm not a Christian, but I see a little more consistency in the Christians who spend less time yelling, and more time doing philanthropy.
2007-05-28 12:51:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
We are to be in our prayer closet at times. But Jesus prayed openly for Lazarus (to help build the peoples faith) and also at the feeding of the 5000. We aren't to pray vainly as some of the teachers of the law did (which was to show off).
2007-05-28 19:54:31 · answer #2 · answered by RB 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Prayer is for the individual as needed I like to pray alone but remember that Jesus said where two or more are gathered in my name - I AM THERE! so this would be fine also. It is really up to the individuals preference,AMEN!
2007-05-28 19:53:08 · answer #3 · answered by S.O.S. 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I try to do the centering prayer alone everyday and I pray quietly over my food and cross it. But I don't ask other people to pray for me or ask them if i can pray for them. I think prayer is a personal thing not for public display or amusement.
2007-05-28 19:54:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
You are right, to pray in Private is better, and more consoling to the true heart. I don't think praying in public is an evil or a sin and should not be shunned, maybe the person praying is actually only doing it to please God.
2007-05-28 20:03:20 · answer #5 · answered by Asad 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What it means is when we pray, we are to do it sincerely with great faith,whether it's in private OR out in the open. Only God know one's heart and whether either kind of prayer is geniune.
2007-05-28 19:54:26 · answer #6 · answered by Jeff C 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
yep, thats what I do, silently and privately...what I said in your last question still goes
what is your fear of prayer, most Wiccan's I know have no problem at all with it, or with Christians as long as they don't say they are evil, we find our beliefs quite compatible...you sound nothing like them
2007-05-28 19:54:22 · answer #7 · answered by Jelly Beans 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
for the same reason they get as many divorces as they do.
xians cherry pick the bible, and ignore every law that jesus gave them if it makes their lives inconvenient.
welcome to the world of hypocritical xians!!
2007-05-28 19:51:37 · answer #8 · answered by Phyllis 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
What Phyllis said agrees with my viewpoint perfectly.
2007-05-28 19:54:05 · answer #9 · answered by Edhelosa 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yep that is what it says. I guess they didn't get the whole message.
2007-05-28 19:50:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋