On Public Prayer...

First of all I am not calling for an all out moratorium on all public prayer only that we ought to be cautious about it when we choose to do so. 

Do not assume too much when you pray in public in fact Jesus encourages strongly against it...

A true believer should not grandstand their faith via public praying thinking people will interpret it correctly.

Too many people today believe in ‘sticking it to’ the non-believers by praying publically so that they may be “seen of men”...

Some actually do it out of a sincere desire to represent and please God.

Some things to consider:

1. You should pray but not in such a way to “be seen of men” but intimately with your Father and only through Jesus Christ, His Son.

2. Other religions pray as well so do not assume that by your public prayer somehow people will be directed to the one true God. There are many false gods being prayed to. This includes a supposed Biblical God that may actually be a God made up in someone’s mind. A god that could be called a customized god but in the end it is just a false god.

3. Follow Jesus’ lead and keep your prayers an intimate and real conversation with the only God, the Creator of all things, and do so only through Jesus.

4. You may try to state that your intentions are pure and are out of a desire for self recognition as the hypocrites did in Jesus’ time but the concern is not just with others not knowing who you are praying to but they may probably also assume you are doing it out of selfish motives. We are told to abstain from all appearances of evil and this means being above reproach at all times, both public and private...

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:5-6

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus 1 Timothy 2:5

Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22