RE: Matthew 6: Jesus condemns public prayer
April 12, 2014 at 2:03 pm
(This post was last modified: April 12, 2014 at 2:11 pm by Coffee Jesus.)
(April 12, 2014 at 1:51 pm)Lek Wrote: The pharisees would pray in public so everyone could see how "holy and rightous" they were. Christ often criticized them for pretending to be holy on the outside while being evil on the inside. They loved to be seen by the people doing all these supposedly pious things and then being idolized by them. Jesus told his disciples not to be like the pharisees and pray to be seen, but to pray earnestly to God who hears you even if you're not praying audibly. He wasn't giving a prohibition against group prayer.
What about school sponsored prayer at a graduation ceremony? Is that earnest prayer, even though the praying is triggered by conformity rather than an earnest desire to pray?
4:30
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Besides, even if Jesus didn't necessarily condemn all group prayer, he did specifically endorse private prayer in "your room", in "secret".
