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Are we doing it for our own benefit or to appear righteous to the crowd, or are we truly coming before our heavenly Father and seeking Him with humble hearts in prayer? Rather, it is to say that we must examine our hearts and motives when we pray publicly. This is not to condemn praying together or praying out loud in public, for there are many examples of the people of God coming together to pray. Our relationship with God is to be a holy and intimate one, not one to be flaunted or held aloft for others to admire. In Luke 20:46–47, Jesus says the scribes who make long prayers for "pretense" and arrange to do good things so they are seen and honored by others, will only gain condemnation. The problem, Jesus says, is not the location or the proximity to others when the prayer is uttered, but in the attitude of the Pharisee.
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For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14). Jesus said that the tax collector "… went down to his house justified, rather than the other. The tax collector stood off at a distance and asked God for mercy. The Pharisee stood in the midst of people at the temple and thanked God that he was not like the sinners he observed. For example, in Luke 18:9–14, Jesus contrasts the prayer of a Pharisee with that of a tax collector. When the Bible discourages public prayer it is not condemning the action of praying out loud or even publicly, but a self-righteousness or boastful attitude of the person praying. The early church gathered to pray together often (Acts 1:14, 24 2:42). His disciples also prayed publicly, out loud (Acts 8:14–15 16:25 20:36).
When to pray shrook how to#
He also taught His disciples how to pray (Matthew 6:5–13), even modeling words with communal requests. Jesus often withdrew to private places to pray, but Jesus Himself prayed out loud at times (John 11:41–42 17). Jesus wanted His followers to pray to be seen by the Father, not by others.
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The hypocrites prayed aloud to garner attention and appear righteous before others. Jesus contrasted the public prayers of hypocrites with His instruction that His disciples should pray in private (Matthew 6:5–6). The key issue is not whether prayers are said out loud or in public, but the heart of the one praying. There are examples both of public prayer being modeled and public prayer being discouraged in the Bible.