What to Do During a Public Prayer?
Do you join in or check out?
I’m in a lot of meetings that open in prayer or incorporate prayer into the event. Obviously, in the church setting, public prayer is a regular part of worship and in small groups. But also, my local Rotary Club opens in prayer. The Chamber of Commerce and other business networking groups open meetings in prayer. Even some local football games will open in prayer just before the playing the National Anthem.
What do you do when someone else is praying in public?
The Bible is filled with examples of people who pray. Abraham prayed. Moses prayed. Elijah prayed. Jesus gave us the model prayer, or what’s often known as The Lord’s Prayer, as a way to pray. In Acts 2, believers began praying together when they gathered.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Acts 2:42
In Acts 12, believers were gathered at the house of Mary, John Mark’s mother, for a prayer meeting. So, it’s clear the early church gathered often for fellowship, teaching, encouragement, and prayer.
Later in a checklist of exhortations to the Thessalonians, Paul wrote:
Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don’t stifle the Spirit. 20 Don’t despise prophecies, 21 but test all things. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
We have clear biblical examples, instructions, and the expectation that believers will pray. We pray privately. We pray publicly. We pray in big groups and in small groups.
Like breathing is to the body, prayer is to the soul.
But there’s still the question: When a person is praying out loud in public, we bow our heads, close our eyes, and do what? WE PRAY!
Whatever you do, don’t check out.
Don’t waste the moment. A public prayer invites you to join in, not wander away. So when someone else is praying, step into the moment with them. God hears the prayers of his people. Our collective, unified, fervent prayer moves the heart and the hand of God.
Pray in one or all three of these ways during a public prayer:
Pray by intentionally agreeing with the words and intent of the person praying. Agree with him or her, and silently or audibly depending on the setting, pray the same or similar words to the Father.
Pray in agreement, but use the public prayer to prompt you to pray additional, complimentary, or related prayers. The goal of the public prayer is to unify the people present and petition God for the task at hand. So, allow the public prayer to unleash your heart to ask God for his presence and power to be revealed.
Pray for the person leading in prayer. It’s not always the case, but very often the person leading the public prayer has responsibilities in the meeting, the church, or in the organization. Take that moment to pray for him or her, that God would protect and provide everything needed to lead well.
Finally, if you’re leading the prayer, be sure to prepare well, let Scripture guide you, understand the moment and your purpose, avoid cliches or thoughtless throw-off words, and then invite the people present to join in as you approach the throne room of God together.
Prayer is not perfunctory. It may be a part of the ceremony, but it is not ceremonial in nature. It is a sincere acknowledgement of our desperate need for God, and it’s an opportunity to unite everyone present to cry out to him.
What I’m Doing
I’m honored to lead Everyone’s Wilson, an outreach of The Everyone’s Welcome Network. Our mission is to unite the church to engage the community so everyone thrives. We’re gathering people from every sector of society together to do good and deliver hope together.
Some people ask if I’m still in ministry. The answer is “absolutely.” I’m serving churches as a local missionary as we pray, prepare, collaborate, and serve together. Visit everyoneswilson.org for more info.
I’m preaching in churches. This Sunday, I’m preaching a Grace Baptist Church in Tullahoma, TN. Services are at 8:30 and 11 am. If you’re close by, I’d love to see you. This my hometown and the church my parents have attended for over 25 years.
I’ve recently preached at Connect Church and The Fellowship in Mt. Juliet, TN as well as Rocky Valley Baptist Church in Lebanon, TN. I’d be honored to preach or even teach a course at your church.
I’m writing for LifeWay Research, Standing Firm Men’s Devotional, and other publications along the way. I aspire to write here each week, and there are a few other projects I’m working on.
Deborah and I have a heart for families. We know the health of our nation and our communities depend on the health of our families. We’ve experienced our own measure of good and bad in this area, but we’ve also experienced abundant measures of God’s grace and power. So we’re rolling out a project soon. Please pray as we develop that.
What I’m Reading
I spend the first hour of the day reading my Bible and praying. As for other books, I read slow and get distracted, but here are four I’m really enjoying:
Love Our City by Jacob Bloemberg
Agents of Flourishing by Amy L. Sherman
Alabama v. King by Dan Abrams and Fred D. Davis
Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund