DENNIS GULLEDGE
The act of public prayer is one of the most difficult functions which a leader in worship services has to perform. Men who lead in prayer are hard pressed to close the audience out of their consciousness so that they might address Jehovah in sincerity and concentrated thought. Sometimes they are notably nervous and hardly know what to say at all, or, others may so abuse the privilege as to “preach” to the audience, teach a particular thought, argue some point of doctrine, tell God what his word says, advertise some special interest or condemn some current practice.
Public prayers are scriptural, if they are not made for the purpose of being heard of men. It is essential that the prayers offered in our public worship be such as God will accept. Whether we care to admit it or not, some public prayers are unscriptural because the man leading has not been taught how to pray. In the interest of better educating ourselves, in order that those who “lead in prayer” might do so in ways accepted of God and appreciated by others, I offer these few thoughts on public prayer.
1. Realize The Place of Public Prayer In Worship. It is not a ritual. It is the expression of our “hearts desire” (Romans 10:1). The men who “lead us in prayer,” or “direct our minds as we pray,” should know something of the hearts’ desires, needs and conditions of the congregation. A brother cannot “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God,” if he is out of touch with the requests of the church.
When a brother in Christ is asked to lead in prayer it should not be thought a wearisome duty. His brethren are asking him to express unto the God of Glory that which is in their hearts. May every participant assume his task with the seriousness and reverence it deserves, else it is vain.
2. Speak Loud Enough To Be Heard By All Present. It goes without saying that one who leads a congregation in prayer must be heard by all the congregation. That means, speaking so that you can be understood by all. The days of unknown tongues have ceased!
3. Give Thought To It. It is impossible to lead an acceptable prayer in worship without first giving some thought of that prayer. Sometimes one is called upon in a moment’s time to lead in public prayer, and thus, cannot think it through. On those occasions when a brother knows ahead of time that he is to lead in public prayers let him give serious and sober thought to what he intends to say. It requires preparation to preach the gospel and to lead singing. Why not in public prayer? Somehow, some time, some thought must be given to the matter.
4. Avoid Trite Expressions. There are countless threadbare and stale expressions which have found their way into the prayers often led by brethren. The constant repetition of such expressions reveal lack of thought, and disturb rather than lead the minds of conscientious people in prayer to God. After one has heard a brother use certain of these several hundred times he can, with a fair degree of accuracy, anticipate just what is going to be said.
We often hear such worn out expressions such as, “be with the sick and the afflicted the world over,” “at last save us in heaven, if we have been found faithful until death,” “we trust that we have met here for no other purpose than to worship Thee, the only true and living God,” etc., etc. These thoughts are right in and of themselves, but the constant repetition of them becomes monotonous, and all but meaningless. One particular expression which I have marveled at through the years is, “Bless brother_________ who is to speak to us today, and give him a ready recollection of the things which he has prepared to say.” God promised no preacher a “ready recollection” since the days of inspiration! (John 14:26.) If the preacher has not done his homework he will have a most unhappy lack of recollection! Also, keeping in mind that many preachers use memory devices of some sort (notes, outlines), it is amazing that such an expression ever found its way into the prayers of thinking brethren. Whenever I hear it I am reminded of the words of Alexander Campbell, preserved in The Christian Baptist (May 3, 1824), when he wrote about “a popular divine” of boyhood recollection. He noted,
This gentleman had once been a lawyer of some note. But he was tired of the bar and mounted the rostrum...After a “solemn prayer” for divine assistance in delivering a suitable message, he opened his Bible, in which he had very ingeniously inserted his manuscript. He held the book in his right hand, and with a considerable sleight of hand turned the leaf seven or eight times during the pronunciation of his heaven-dictated message….Thought I, this is a sure method of obtaining an answer from heaven for a suitable message—first to have it in writing, and then to ask it from God.” (Emphasis mine, DG)
Public prayer holds a place of distinction in our worship assemblies, as well it must. It is sad, however, that we are guilty of neglecting to give it the proper attention which it so richly deserves. All prayer should be from the heart, offered wisely and intelligently, in words easy to be understood and in such a manner as may be followed by all. Let sincerity, brevity and scriptural request mark every prayer.
—Curry St. Church of Christ bulletin
Vol. 18, No. 38. July 6, 1986