Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
It’s a beautiful morning with the sun shining! The snow is beginning to melt and the promise of spring fills me with energy. But my spirit has been troubled by conversations I have recently had with two friends. Each expressed, with different words, that they felt very uncomfortable praying aloud in a group setting. In both instances it took me by surprise as I consider them to be mature believers. What was going on? Why would a child of God feel uncomfortable talking to Him in front of others? I understand that there are differences in personality and temperament, that some are more outgoing than others, but that does not explain why they are uncomfortable.
Here’s what I want to tell my friends:
Our conversation with God is based on a relationship, not an impression. We are not trying to impress Him or others. We are told to come boldly to the throne of God, not as a lawyer presenting our case, but as His child bringing our longings. My baby received an answer from me when she cried, no words involved. The toddler had me running when he yelled “Mama”. Our teen had my attention when she interrupted my sleep to just visit! Is our God less? The Psalmist says that in his distress he called on the Lord. No fancy words there! Will He not hear and respond to our prayers whether it’s a cry, a single word, or a complete sentence? We technically know the answer to that question. Our minds agree but our hearts hold back.
Public prayers start with personal, intimate praying at home. Coming before God in humility and need takes practice and deep obedience. When I talk with God He communicates with me as well, sometimes through a particular passage of Scripture, other times from a memory of His past dealings with me. There may be something someone has said in a sermon or even a conversation that God brings to mind. But He is always responding to my prayers. It often brings me to a place where I must make a choice to believe or obey what He is putting before me. Until that is settled the conversation with God is stalled. I can neither worship nor present my requests to Him. The more we commune with Him in prayer the quicker our response times become!
When we are asked to participate in public prayer we don’t have time to go through that process. I think, then, that the only solution is to always stay in that attitude of prayer, fully confessed up to date and listening to His voice so we can enter in.
An unpopular reason for discomfort in public prayer is pride. We care so much about what others think that we stop caring about what God thinks. Insecurities about using the right words, or being respectful enough, or being unsure about the proper sequence: should I praise first or bring my requests? Should I proclaim or request? Should I thank Him ahead of time for His answer? Should every prayer be a quotation of Scripture? What if I say it all wrong and nobody agrees with a “Yes, Lord”, or that little groan the real pray-ers give when they agree? I am reminded of the verse in Matthew 6:5 ”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.” And so our thoughts are so much about others’ opinions that we neglect the Holy Spirit’s stirring within us. What a waste! This is an attack of Satan through our own vanity! God help us, and particularly me, for times I have squandered the opportunity to diligently pray because I was in the presence of others.
A great comfort in bringing our requests to God is that we do not have to have everything worded correctly, nor do we need to worry about whether we have prayed the correct thing. The Holy Spirit graciously presents our prayers to the Father in the correct way.
Romans 8:28 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
Probably most of you who are reading this have worked through and past this. But it is surprising how many miss the blessing of public praying because of these things. May God make us women of prayer, privately and together, so that His work may get done and He gets the glory! Amen
Wise words, Lois!! Thanks for the challenge and encouragement to heartfelt, honest prayer.