Are Public Prayers A Pretense?

[1] The Torah has no such law.

[2] In verses 34 and 35, Paul is quoting what he heard from a Corinthian “brother”, just before blasting the idea in verse 36. If ancient languages had quotation marks, the controversy surrounding vs 34-35 would not exist. “The Cultural Background: The writings of Greek philosophers provide external documentation informing us of the mindset that permeated the ancient city of Corinth. In Greek society, women were clearly held in low regard. For example, Plato (424-347 BC) ascribed to the inferior status of women by stating: “It is only males who are created directly by the gods and are given souls.” Aristotle (384-322 BC) added, “women are defective by nature” because “a woman is as it were an infertile male,” and males command superior intelligence. Under existing Roman family law, the father had complete household authority. A husband could punish his wife in any way including killing her, and he could make love to other women with impunity.” Compare to 1 Corinthians 11:4.

Is the use of the word “Aw-mane’” used above, or anywhere else in the Bible associated with prayer? Perhaps we should rather ask who associated it with prayer. In Luke 11:2-4, the “model prayer”, Yeshua never said anything about Aw-mane’, nor did He mention it in His real prayer which occupies the entire 17th chapter of John. Actually, the first thirteen uses of Aw-mane’ in the Bible are associated with cursing the wicked! The next reference in the Bible mentions Benaiah saying Aw-mane’ to David. The next reference concludes David’s Song of Thanksgiving (1 Chronicles 16:36). The next reference concerns an oath that was confirmed by the use of an Aw-mane’. (Nehemiah 5:13) When Yeshua stated the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28:18-20, was He praying to the disciples when He said “Aw-mane”? Mark concluded his “gospel” account with Aw-mane’ as did Luke and John. Paul used it to conclude his epistles. Revelation 3:14 uses as a personal name for God! The four “living creatures” said it in Revelation 5:14, do they need to pray or can they just talk to God? The Bible itself is concluded with two Aw-mane’s. There are numerous other examples having nothing to do with prayer. Now it could be acceptable to mention the word “Aw-mane’” in conjunction with a prayer because the Matthew 6:10-13 version of the model prayer uses the word Aw-mane’, or was that Matthew’s own personal “may it be so”, added decades later, concerning “Thy kingdom come”? To me, the code word Aw-mane’ always being associated with prayer is a Constantinian Christian fabrication. Saying Aw-mane’ after your own prayer is like saying to God, following a prayer: “I agree with me” or “I am not kidding You”!

Yeshua’s Prayers

Does the account of the feeding of the five thousand, in Matthew 14, really constitute an example of Yeshua “leading in prayer”? Actually this account shows Yeshua passing up the perfect opportunity to “lead in prayer”! Did Yeshua ask anyone to bow their heads or look off toward heaven or even have a “moment of silence”? No!

Matthew 14:19 He told the people to SIT DOWN ON THE GROUND. He took the five loaves of bread and two fish, and He looked toward Heaven, and blessed them, and after breaking them in pieces, He gave them to His disciples; and the disciples distributed them among the people. GV

Why had Yeshua “commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass” just prior to this incredible miracle? That particular “body language” would demonstrate to those present that they were not participants in the prayer! Why was He “looking up to heaven”? Certainly vast multitudes could not hear one man speak a few brief words, and His words were not recorded, but thousands could see the unmistakable “body language” of Yeshua looking up to heaven! Yeshua did not want this mighty miracle to be credited to Himself “in the midst of Israel”. He gave God the credit in a very deliberate way. Not to have done this would have been like Moses striking the rock, which preceded the miracle that provided another multitude with much wanted water! Moses died:

Deuteronomy 32:51 ... because you trespassed against Me in the midst of the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you didnt sanctify Me in the midst of the children of Israel. WEB

Never take credit for a miracle of God!

Does the fact that Yeshua “blessed” the loaves and the fish really mean that Yeshua prayed for the quality or safety of the meal? Should we use this miracle as a precedent for praying aloud before meals, thanking God for the food? Yeshua was demonstrating His thankfulness for the miraculous method that the food was provided to the multitude, because it was a proof that he was the Messiah! The fact that the people ate the food was of no particular consequence! By that rationale why not ceremonially pray, thanking God, before having sexual relations as well? Why not insist on praying each time you step into a bath tub, giving thanks for the warm water and asking that you not drown?

Furthermore, there is a difference between a “blessing” and a “prayer”.

Yeshua “blessed” little children . This was something that was done for the children, not for God!

Mark 10:16 He took them in his arms, and laid His hands on them and blessed them. GV

Surely there are some examples of Yeshua leading in a prayer, right? Well not exactly. The famous “Lord’s Prayer” is actually a model of a prayer that Yeshua used. He indicated to them some things that we should be praying about—AFTER He had “finished praying”!

Luke 11:1-2 He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His Disciples asked Him, “Master teach us to pray, as John taught His Disciples”. 2 Yeshua told them, “When you pray, say, ‘Father in Heaven, Your name is hallowed; may Your Kingdom come; may Your will be done as it is in Heaven, on the earth. GV

Could this next example of a “Prayer” represent a prayer of disappointment and defeat as He was dying on the cross?

Mark 15:34 At the ninth hour, Yeshua cried with a loud voice, “Il, Il, Lamona Shabaktoni”! That is, “Alohi! Alohi! Why have You forsaken Me”? GV

This wasnt a prayer at all, rather, He was quoting from Psalms 22. To see that this was not a prayer of discouragement, but rather an amazing statement of encouragement spoken to His nearby followers, check out this inspiring outside link: Did God Really Forsake Jesus Christ on the Cross?

Now here is an actual prayer uttered from the cross:

Luke 23:34 Yeshua said, “Father forgive them NOT, because THEY KNOW what they are doing” [1]. Then they divided His garments, casting lots for them”. GV

[1] This verse is a word for word translation from both the Aramaic and the Greek. Some of them knew that He was sent from Yehovah—John 3:2. Yet many, if not most of them, were just ignorantly following their leaders: Acts 3:13-19, 26.

Prayer overheard? Yes. However, this could scarcely be used as an example of leading in prayer!

It’s not wrong to be overheard talking to God any more than it is to be overheard talking to a friend. In fact, you can defiantly pray aloud at any time and under any circumstances as Daniel did!

Daniel 6:10-11 When Daniel knew that the writing was signed , [putting a death sentence on the worship of God] he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before. 11 Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. WEB

Similarly, when Jacob was about to die he spoke to his sons and blessed them (i.e. not praying):

Genesis 49:1 Jacob called to his sons, and said; “Gather together, so that I can tell you what you will encounter in the last days. WE

After addressing each son the account continues:

Genesis 49:28 These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father told them when he blessed them; giving each of them the blessing most suited for them. WE

There are, of course, prayers that were meant to be heard and recorded in the Bible, however they were given under anything but routine circumstances. When Stephen was being murdered, God obviously wanted these extraordinary sentiments toward his heavenly Father to be preserved, but it wasnt to edify the mob! Also when Elijah asked God to kill a bunch of pagan priests, he let Israel know exactly the purpose of this incredible display of God’s power. Elijah very simply gave God the credit for destroying those pagan priests who had been “ceremonially praying” all day long! His very short prayer,that resulted in the deaths of scores of pagan priests, while they were themselves “praying in public”, may be an object lesson! Again, had Elijah not specifically given God the credit for killing those prayerful pagans, it would have been like Moses claiming partial credit for the miracle that happened when he struck the rock. That mistake kept him out of the Promised Land!

Is public prayer an “art” or is it for every Saint? I know that whenever I was called upon to pray, being the self conscious person that I am, that even tho I tried to concentrate on speaking to God, it was only the people in the room that I could really focus on. I said what was expected of me, abiding by the strict formal protocol. In short, we have the ritualistic and routine “artistic” prayers of the Pharisees on one hand, and prayers in a closet on the other hand.

I know that my “public prayers” never got past the ceiling, I could almost hear the thud of them falling to the floor as I finished! Part of the reason that my “prayers” never sounded polished is because I would never premeditate a “prayer” any more than I would for one in my “private room”. If it is premeditated then it is a speech! I feel that the most successful “prayers” in the churches were offered—well thought out in advance. Only the details were varied to prevent them from being recognized as vain repetitions. The fact that there is often a list of “approved prayer givers” demonstrates that eloquence in the human listeners ears is the only criteria necessary to fulfill the ritual. The “lowly” laborer, who is perhaps somewhat more sincere and humble, seldom if ever has the “privilege” to “pray in public—decade in and decade out. In 1 Kings 8:14-21 there is a speech given by Solomon that is correctly subtitled in my Bible as “Solomon’s Speech at Completion of the Work”. Verse 14 calls this speech a “blessing”, and that is quite different than a prayer. Verses 22-53 records the actual prayer that Solomon spoke:

1 Kings 8:22 Solomon stood before the altar of [Yehovah] in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven”. WEB

The common assumption is that from this point on he began “leading” them in a lengthy public prayer. There are however some comments included in the wording that do not support this view. I believe that after Solomon’s speech, and before he again addressed the audience “with a loud voice”, that he did stop and offer a prayer to God. He did indicate to the people, by raising his hands, that he has going to pray at this time, but I see no evidence that he engaged in any “leading”, rather, he got down on his knees and faced the altar, something we would never do in a “public prayer”, especially if we wanted to be heard by many in a great assembly with no PA system! The public was not vicariously participating in this prayer. In fact Solomon said that the Israelites did their own praying:

1 Kings 8:30 And when You hear the supplication of Your servant AND Your people Israel, WHEN THEY PRAY TOWARD THIS PLACE.... WEB

This historic occasion is evidence that we too should be doing our own praying as well! In a “public prayer” the speaker continuously says “WE ask such and such”, YET Solomon said “And now I pray” (v.26). Solomon sincerely hoped that “all Your people Israel” would repent of their sins, BUT HE EMPHASIZED IN HIS OWN PRAYER THE NECESSITY FOR ONE ON ONE PRAYER TO GOD!

1 Kings 8:38-39 ... whenever a prayer or petition is made by ANYONE, of all your people Israel, anyone aware of the trouble in their own inner being, and spreading out their hands toward this house; 39 then listen in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and take action with everyone commensurate with all their ways, whose inner being you know; (because You, You alone, know the inner being of all the children of humanity;) ... WE

Solomon’s prayer liberally uses the words “they” and “them” as did Yeshua’s recorded prayer. Inclusive wording such as “we” and “us” would have been expected if he were truly performing a “collective prayer”. Solomon set a proper example in being seen praying in this new temple. Because he was a writer, he may very well have even been inspired to record the thoughts of his prayer in the third person as an example of sincere praying—for posterity.

1 Kings 8:54-55 Then when Solomon was COMPLETELY FINISHED PRAYING ALL OF THESE PRAYERS AND PETITIONS to Yehovah, he got up from before the altar of Yehovah, from KNEELING ON HIS KNEES with his hands spread forth toward heaven. 55 THEN he stood and blessed* [not a prayer] the entire Assembly of Israel WITH A LOUD VOICE. WE

After “Solomon was completely finished praying”, that wasnt done in a “loud voice”, he then addressed the audience—the entirety of Israel “with a loud voice” and told them that he wanted God to bless them. This loud audible message was directed toward the people rather than to God and the altar. It is interesting to note that the word “petition/s” (or supplication) was used twelve times in association with Solomon’s words. The term is derived from the act of bending to a superior to petition for something. “May these words of mine, [not ours] “that I” [not we] have made petition before Yehovah.... v.59.

The reforms made by Hezekiah were another historically significant event, so much so that it was even compared to the time of Solomon.

2 Chronicles 30:26-27 So there was great joy in Jerusalem; because since the time of Solomon, the son of David king of Israel, there hadnt been anything like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests and the Levites, GOT UP [from kneeling in prayer] and “blessed” [1] the people. Their voices were heard, yes their voices resounded to God’s sacred home [2] in the heavens.WE

[1] What does “blessed” mean? The way that blessed is used in these examples simply means they were stating their desires for good things to happen to God’s people. Look up the many references to blessing in a concordance; it is no more associated with prayer than “Aw-mane’” is. The Hebrew word can be translated as “cause to kneel”, if the Hiphil verb stem of the word is used, but it’s the Piel verb stem in this instance. The priests stood and the collective “voices” (also translated “noise”, “sound” or “thunder”) of thousands of people rejoicing at the same (v.25) time reached God’s throne in the heavens! Yes they did pray that day in the temple, but there is no record of one individual saying, “Listen up everyone, I am going to pray to God now and I want you all to listen.” The phrase “their prayer”, in most versions, might appear to be a reference to a collective prayer “led” by an individual, but the Moffatt translation captures the profound vision much more accurately by stating: “... so loudly that their VOICES resounded to heaven, God’s sacred dwelling”. (v.27) Moffatt

[2] The root word of “sacred home” (“holy habitation”) is “from an unused root apparently meaning to dwell together” and “cohabitation”; very strange if God were not a plurality!

Here are the various verb stems associated with blessed:

Psalm 80 is a recorded prayer of Asaph that was set to music to the tune of “The Lilies”. This prayer/psalm was recorded for educational and inspirational purposes. However it was obviously not used as an example of someone “leading” in a public prayer.

Isaiah 26:16-18 [Yehovah], in trouble they have visited you. They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was on them. 17 Like as a woman with child, who draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain and cries out in her pangs; so we have been before You, [Yehovah]. 18 We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. WEB

There is nothing loud and formal or otherwise implying a collective prayer in the NKJV “they poured out a prayer”. The Berkeley version says “they poured fourth a whispered prayer” while Moffatt simply says “we cried out”.

Nehemiah 4:8-9 But it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry; 8 and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein. 9 But we made our prayer [Moffatt: “we offered prayer”] to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. WEB

Certainly God’s people pray, no doubt about it!

Acts 1:14 They all unitedly persevered in prayer, with one mind, together with the women, with Mary, Yeshua’s mother, and with His brothers. GV

The emphasis here is that these people were of “one mind”. Yet people of like mine each have separate voices!

James 5:13-15 If any of you are enduring hardships, you should pray; and anyone who is cheerful should sing psalms. 14 If anyone is sick, they should call for the elders of the Assembly; and THEY should pray for them [preferably not just one of them], and anoint them with oil in the name of our Master. 15 The prayer of faith will restore the sick to health, and Yehovah will raise them up from their death bed; and if they have committed sins, the sins will be disregarded. GV

I believe this was done in privacy, in a “private room”. When several elders are praying over you simultaneously, none would likely be seeking to steal any limelight. There is no certainly no indication of this being done as a public spectacle.

Here is another example of when the Assembly needed to pray. Notice that the emphasis shifts from “Peter” to “they”!

Acts 1:15-20, 23-26 One particular day Simon Cephas stood up among the Disciples, (the people assembled there numbered about one hundred and twenty,) and said, 16 “Men and Friends, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, that the sacred spirit foretold by the statements of David, concerning Judas who was the guide for those who arrested Yeshua. 17 Because he was one of our number, and was a part of this ministry. 18 He purchased a field with the wages of sin; and he fell face down to the ground. He burst in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 This was well known by everyone who lived in Jerusalem; so that the field was called, in the language of the country, ‘Aceldama’ that is interpreted ‘Field of Blood’. 20 It is written in the book of Psalms, ‘His habitation will be desolate, and no one will live in it; and someone else must manage his duties’. ... 23 They proposed two, Joseph called Barsabas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias. 24 When they had prayed, they said, “Yehovah, You know the minds of everyone, show us which of these two you have chosen, 25 so that he can be commissioned in the ministry that Judas broke away from, so that he could go to his own place”. 26 Then they drew lots, and it fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven envoys. GV

Again, “they had prayed” not “Peter had prayed”. The reference would understandably be the essence of what they prayed about.

Does including God in conversation always constitute a prayer? What about, in the book of Job, the conversation between God and Satan, was Satan praying? What about when some fool stands and curses God “in a loud voice”—is that a prayer? These are of course extreme examples. What about Nehemiah chapter 9, which immediately follows the account of the reinstitution of the Feast of Tabernacles? Some people believe that most of this chapter constitutes a public prayer. My Bible has a one half page insert, which describes the text as “The Levites Psalm”:

Nehemiah 9:4 Then stood up on the stairs of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani [#1], Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani [#2] and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice to [Yehovah] their God. WEB

Notice that this is not an example of one person performing a “public prayer”, rather it is a document being recited by eight to twelve named individuals in unison, so it was previously written out. Also rather than sounding like a petition to God, verses 5 thru 35 are primarily a summary of the history of God’s chosen people! The text then transitions from the people’s thoughts to their present day situation:

v.36 Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that you gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its good, behold, we are servants in it. WEB

Here is what was really going on in verses 5 thru 38: These words are the introductory portion of a “sure covenant” or contract that the people were entering into with God!

v.38 Yet for all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, seal to it. WEB

Following this, the entirety of the first 27 verses of chapter 10 records the names of those people who had official seals to “sign” this contract:

Nehemiah 10:29 The rest of the people [those without seals] joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law. WEB

When was the last time someone signed a document attesting to the terms of a prayer, or following a prayer “entered into a curse and an oath”? I have never seen that happen anywhere I have fellowshipped!

Here is the kind of situation that it will take for prayer to be taken seriously. Solomon’s wishes are pretty close to what is about to happen, except that two more temples will have been built before the diaspora is over:

1 Kings 8:33-36 When your people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against You; if they turn again to You, and ‘confess’ [or praise] Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this ‘house’ [Solomon’s Temple]: 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers. 35 “When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You; if they pray toward this place, [no longer “in this house”] and confess Your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them: 36 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, and of Your people Israel, when You teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which You have given to your people for an inheritance. WEB

And then it gets even better:

1 Kings 8:41-43 Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for Your name’s sake 42 (for they shall hear of Your great name, and of Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house; 43 hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to You for; that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by [Your] name. WEB