Am I Ashamed to Pray in Public?

I remember a very good statement made by a Pastor in one of the Bible study groups I participate in.  He said "Public prayers should be short, if you want to pray a long prayer you can do it in your quiet time with God."  He explained further that people, especially adults have very short attention spans, in order to keep them in the spirit of the prayer, we should try to keep our prayers made in public as short as possible.

This was a confirmation of what I always believed in, and also what other in our group believed in.  When we say short prayers before affairs, there have been instances when people have asked me whether I was ashamed of praying in public.  The answer is a resounding NO.  I am not ashamed to pray, whether in public or in private.  I just don't get the point of praying long prayers before affairs and meals.

Praying Hands

First, when I am asked to pray before or for an event or meals, I believe I am asked to ask for God's blessing for the event, affair or meal.  I am not asked to impress other people with the way I pray and my vocabulary.

Second, people are not there to hear me pray, they are there to eat the food or to participate in the event and eat thereafter.

Third, people's concentration tend to drift away from prayer after a minute or two.  Yes studies show that the attention span of an average adult lasts a maximum of 20 minutes but that sustained attention does not last on prayers, trust me I know!  And I know you know it too.

I have to admit that when someone leads a very long period of time, my attention tend to drift away and before long I would be daydreaming.  Has that ever happened to you?  Never?  I guess I am alone in this then...  But really it does tend to end that way right?

And lastly, when we pray too long we tend to turn people off, we give of a holier than thou aura that other people shun.  Instead of people opening up to us, they tend to shut us out.

This is the reason why I would recommend that if you have to pray in a public event or gathering, keep your prayer brief.  Reach out to people by mingling with them during the event not during your prayer.  Your long (or very long) prayer won't do it for you.  On the contrary, your long prayer may be the reason why they won't be there to mingle with during the event.

Of course there are instances when you could pray a long prayer in public, but these are exceptions, the general rule is you should keep them short.  At least it is from my point of view.  If you disagree, let me knoe and we could discuss your points.

A Psalm of David (Psalm 25)

Often I am left with no words to pray, I read the Psalms for inspiration.  One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 25.  This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Psalm 25

New International Version (NIV)

A Psalm Of David.

 1 In you, LORD my God, I put my trust.

 2 I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 


 3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, 
but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

 4 Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.


5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.


6 Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.


7 Do not remember the sins of my youth 
   and my rebellious ways; 
according to your love remember me, 
   for you, LORD, are good.

 8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.


9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.


10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.


11 For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

 12 Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? 
   He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.


13 They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land.


14 The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.


15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.


17 Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.


18 Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.


19 See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!

 20 Guard my life and rescue me; 
 do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.


21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, 
 because my hope, LORD, is in you.

 22 Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troubles!

What an amazing praying right?  Not only a prayer for one's self but a prayer for one's country.  This is really an encouraging Psalm.  And gives an assurance as to the faithfulness of the Lord to his people.  It serves as a reminder of the Kingdom principle that God is our Lord and King and He will deliver us from all our troubles.

It is a Psalm I often use to worship God in times of struggle and also in times when I just want to feel the presence of the Lord.