Prayer Confusion

[lilred5]

Today we had a FCS (Fellowship of Christian Students) meeting at school. The time during this meeting was spent with everyone in a large circle praying for those people in Haiti. Four main people lead the prayer but I couldn’t help but notice the five or so other people repeating what the person leading the prayer was saying. Their voices would overlap the leaders so all I could hear was a big jumble of words. I can tell that the prayers were very emotional for them so I feel bad when I say that it was distracting to me. I noticed that most of the time it is Protestants who do this (pray louder than the leader of a prayer). Any idea why? Is it because of the worship style that they may be used to? Also, how do you focus on prayer in loud, confusing situations? I have a hard time doing so and that’s something that I would really like to work on seeing as this is not the last time this is going to happen.

 

[Byzantine_Wolf]

I noticed that most of the time it is Protestants who do this (pray louder than the leader of a prayer). Any idea why?

I remember at the Bible Study of my last church we had some fundamentalist Baptists regularly joining us. Most of them were pretty well behaved, but the leader of them would do that - pray louder than everyone else in the room. Personally to me, it’s rather arrogant - we’re praying as a group, and it’s not a contest of who can be the loudest. At the same time, from what I knew about him he wasn’t altogether a “bad” person, and I can’t judge his character, but that was always strange to me.

Another thing he and another guy did was say “Amen!” and “That’s right!” a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been in Evangelical churches where that happened and it never bothered me, but these guys would do it after every single thing. A Reformed Baptist friend of mine visited one time, and even he was flabbergasted by it.

 

[Trishie]

Your intention was to pray, and what God saw was your desire to pray for the Haitans, whether or not you were unwillingly distracted. It’s not so much the words that count, but the intention. I guess not everyone realises that.

Using lots of words respectfully in praying spontaneously or in a set manner can be fine, but Jesus did actually say in Matthew 6:7 “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

Rather than feeling stressed, might you approach a leader whom you trust and who has some authority in such fellowship occasions, with your concerns, in hope that there could be set some kind of guidelines to the praying/ prayers that respect the needs of everyone present?

That aside, of course you can pray later in your own time for the given intention.

God bless you

 

[shawn38]

Also, how do you focus on prayer in loud, confusing situations? I have a hard time doing so and that’s something that I would really like to work on seeing as this is not the last time this is going to happen.

That would be confusing to me too. Typically after someone starts the prayer session, you just wait for that silence when they’re done and the next person prays. Some just pray silently.

 

[Nine_Two]

Yeah, a lot of the more Evangelical groups like to pray, voice agreement, etc. while people are praying.

Although talking over the person praying is a new one for me.

 

[lilred5]

Trishi, I think you’re right. People, including myself, do tend to forget or not realize that it is the intent behind the prayer that counts.