The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1301-B, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 4." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1976. All Rights Reserved.
Question
How can I overcome the fear of praying out loud in front of other people? I find myself just saying words to the people.
Answer
Well, you know that. Sometimes you’ve heard somebody pray and you know they’re not talking to God, they’re talking to you. They say, “Oh Lord, help this dear brother to do this and do this,” you know; it’s a sermon couched in a prayer! Which is alright once in a while—I want to defend myself at that point. Some time in the future I may need that.
Listen, scripture nowhere condemns public prayer. Sure it says to pray in the closet before God, but it nowhere condemns public prayer. There is nothing wrong with praying out loud. Some people may be nervous about it. They may be nervous about it because they’re afraid that they’re talking to people rather than God. They may be nervous about it because they’re afraid Satan will hear. But there is nothing wrong with public prayer. I’m thinking of a passage here in II Chronicles for example (don’t look it up, it’s long), but in II Chronicles 6:14-42—that entire chapter—you have this tremendous prayer of Solomon and it’s a public prayer, the dedication of the temple, and he stands up and he prays publicly!
There’s nothing wrong with public prayer. Nehemiah 9: Nehemiah prays publicly. Acts 4, Acts 1, Acts 2—many places public prayer is given. Nothing wrong with praying in public.
Now, there’s nothing wrong also with praying in private. Our Lord said that the Pharisees ought to quit praying in public and making a big demonstration out of it and go and pray in their closets before God. Both are acceptable, but what the Lord was saying there was the heart attitude is what really matters.
The publican in the temple beat on his breast and said, “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Apparently, he said it out loud. There’s nothing wrong with that; nothing wrong with speaking your heart out loud. The motive is the issue.
Now, let me just say another word: sometimes when you’re praying and you feel like you’re talking to people instead of God, it’s because you’re being too analytical. I always tell people, “Don’t be self-analytical. Just go ahead and pray. It’s alright if they listen.” If you’re praying in a public place, you expect them to hear and you expect to use words that are going to be meaningful to them. When I stand before you and pray, I am not just conscious of God; I am also conscious that you’re here. I do that because I want to take you with me to God’s throne and so I need to be conscious of you and I need to say things that encompass all of us. Of course I’m going to be aware that you’re listening; I assume that. So, don’t be analytical! Don’t be self-analytical. And don’t expect to have any absolutely pure entrance into the throne of God as if no one else was there when you’re in a group. Pray as if you were carrying the entire group… And your thoughts should be inclusive of them as well.
You have nothing to worry about: if you’re a little bashful about praying in public, don’t do it until you get over that or just a little bit at a time. Sometimes sentence prayers are good. With new Christians, very often we have just a prayer time and you just say one sentence and that’s it and if you want to say another sentence later, you say another one. And everybody just prays one sentence and that way you can begin to express yourself to God.
But you don’t have to have all the thee’s and thou’s and all of that; just say what’s on your heart. Prayer is simply communing with God as you express it in whatever way your heart would desire and don’t worry about the results, humanly. God hears and God knows what’s in your heart.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
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