Authentic Prayer

Praying in public is not as easy as it looks.  Of course, there are some who think that any kind of. public speaking is frightening enough to send the bravest soul running the other way.  Praying in public is difficult for reasons other than some kind of brain freeze which makes words impossible to speak.  The sixth chapter of Matthew lifts up the real dangers.  "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven....And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners so that they may be seen by others."  (Matthew 6:1, 5).   

When I was preaching, it was my practice to write the sermon, memorize the manuscript, and preach without any notes.  This practice is not for every preacher, but it worked for me.  When I came to the end of my preparation, I would often pray, "I give this now to you, Lord, I ask You to give it back as You please at the time for preaching."  It was my way of submitting it to the Lord for a final editing.  What I noted often was that some particular sentence or sentences which I thought to be particularly well written were not given back to me as I depended on my memory and Spirit in the moment of preaching.  The Editor  struck them out.  

The words from Matthew are important words for any preacher or lay person who leads the congregation in a public prayer.  Anyone who dares to pray in the public arena must make sure that the prayer is prayed to God and not for admiring ears of the congregation.  I have heard and offered all kinds of praying.  Some seems so manicured and precise in theological language, it could come from a seminary professor and others are so rambling and repetitive that the one praying seems lost in a sea of words where there is no "Amen."  Regardless of how we pray, the Word calls us to consider the motive for the prayer we offer to God.  It is not always an easy thing for us to do, but it is an important first step toward authentic prayer.