Improving Public Prayer
At my previous congregation there was an older brother who had an interesting way of leading prayers. He seemed to think that since he was addressing God, he had to use big words and sound important. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a good command of the English language.
One time at a potluck he led the prayer before the meal. The church had just bought a new 30-cup coffee urn, and in his prayer he said, “And we thank thee, oh dear Lord, for this new coffee urinal that thou hast blessed us with.”
God knew what he meant, and most of the rest of us had an idea, but this brother’s habit of talking to God differently from how he normally spoke rendered his public prayers less effective and sometimes comical. (And no one drank much coffee that day, either!)
Jesus had a lot to say about how to pray. He gave us a sample prayer in Matthew 6 and told us not to go on and on using a lot words or praying just to be seen by people.
For what it’s worth, I’d like to offer a few suggestions on how to make our public prayers better.
- Be real when you talk to God. Speak to him in the same way you would address a friend. By all means be reverent, but don’t use flowery language or worn out clichés you would never use in normal conversation. For instance, have you ever told someone you would see him at the “next appointed time?” And if you don’t use Old English to talk with your friends, don’t use “Thee” and “Thou” to talk to God.
- Be specific. Instead of asking God to “be with the sick,” make note of those who have health concerns and mention them by name. Stay aware of those who need prayer and talk to God directly about them.
- Pray to God, not the congregation. If you have something you need to say to the church, do it some other time. Don’t preach a sermon during a prayer.
- Plan your prayer. I believe the Spirit will guide you as you pray, but I also believe he will guide you as you plan your prayer. If you put thought into what you are going to say, you will do a better job of including things the church needs to say to God.
My advice is not inspired; these are just my opinions. But I encourage you to keep these things in mind anytime you lead a prayer. If you do, I think those who are praying along with you will be blessed as a result.