ChPublicPrayer

Was Jesus just kidding about worship being IN THE SPIRIT or mind and prayer being in private places? Jesus defined Gerezim and Jerusalem as PLACES where clergy mediated. Therefore, the PLACE of personal worship is in the MIND (nous) as the holy place (naos) where we come boldly before the throne of Grace: only one at a time and any musical Levite who got beyond the courts (world) and entered into the holy place (church) or most holy place (heaven) would be run through with a sword. Jesus insisted:

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. John 4:23

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24

Jesus Said of Public Prayer
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. Mt.6:5 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. Mt. 6:6
Liberals Believe Jesus	Conservatives Reject Jesus
Many liberal Christians interpret Matthew 6:6 literally. Jesus believed that prayers are to be an intensely personal event between a person and God; no one else should be present. Prayer to him was a private matter. Jesus condemns prayers in situations where other people are present. For example: In religious settings like churches or synagogues, In a private or public school, In a legislature or municipal government meeting, or In the street or other public place.	Most conservative Christians tend to downplay Jesus' instruction about the importance of going off by oneself and pray alone and in secret. After all, if public prayer is not permitted, then just about every Christian service is seriously in error, with the possible exception of some by the Society of Friends (Quakers). Conservatives interpret Matthew 6:5 as not condemning public prayer. Rather, it criticizes only that prayer in public that is motivated by a desire to show off. Prayer "may be offered in any circumstances, however open, if not promoted by the spirit of ostentation..." Resource

Jesus did not command public prayer as long as we are not hypocritical about it. Jesus defined public performance AS HYPOCRACY.

From Unger's Bible Dictionary, by Merrill F. Unger, From pages 878-879 -

"Prayer, constituting as it does the most direct expression of religious feeling and consciousness, has been, from the very first, the principal means by which men, created in the image of God, have evinced their attitude toward him; and from the earliest times, ever since in the days of Enoch men began to call upon the name of the Lord, it has formed an integral part of the public worship of God.

"The law did not prescribe any prayer for public worship, except the confession of sin on the great day of atonement, and the thanksgiving on the occasion of the offering of the firstlings and tithes.

"After the sacrificial worship was discontinued prayer came entirely to occupy the place of sacrifice. Very minute regulations regarding the order and the different sorts of prayer, as well as the outward posture, are given in the Talmud. The ancient rabbis and their followers regarded the wearing of phylacteries as essential to prayer."

Prayer is Personal

If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; 1 Kings 8:37

What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague (affliction) of his own heart, and spread forth his hands (palms) toward this house:1 Kings 8:38

Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) 1 Kings 8:39

Therefore, you cannot pray FOR me in the sense that you pray and I tag along like a puppy.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and

that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Cor 3:16

Jamison-Fauset-Brown 1 Cor 3:16 note that:

God . . . Spirit--God's indwelling, and that of the Holy Spirit, are one;

therefore the Holy Spirit is God.

No literal "temple" is recognized by the New Testament in the Christian Church.

The only one is the spiritual temple, the whole body of believing worshippers in which the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 6:19, John 4:23,24).

The synagogue, not the temple, was the model of the Christian house of worship.

The temple was the house of sacrifice, rather than of prayer.

Prayers in the temple were silent and individual (Luke 1:10, 18:10-13), not joint and public,

nor with reading of Scripture, as in the synagogue.

The temple, as the name means (from a Greek root "to dwell"), was the earthly dwelling-place of God, where alone He put His name.

The synagogue (as the name means an assembly) was the place for assembling men.

God now too has His earthly temple, not one of wood and stone, but the congregation of believers, the "living stones" on the "spiritual house."

Believers are all spiritual priests in it. Jesus Christ, our High Priest, has the only literal priesthood (Malachi 1:11, Matthew 18:20, 1 Peter 2:5) [VITRINGA].

There was NO PRAISE SERVICE IN THE SYNAGOGUE.

People prayed while alone or in groups but people did their own praying as they do their own singing or kissing their wife. Hannah went to the place of worship and Eli was there but she didn't ask Eli to lead her in prayer:

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. 1 Sam 1:10

And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 1 Sam 1: 11

And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. 1 Sam 1: 12

When we sing and make melody in the heart we do so silently. For instance:

Now Hannah, she spake in her heart;

only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 1 Sam 1:13

And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 1 Sam 1:14

Remember, that in 1:9

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. 1 Sam 1:9

And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 1 Sam 1:15

If Hannah had consumed either wine or strong drink Eli had a right to consider her as wicked:

Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. 1 Sam 1:16

Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him 1 Sam 1:17

And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. 1 Sam 1:18

And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped (prostrated herself) before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her. 1 Sam 1:19

Shachah (h7812) shaw-khaw'; a prim. root; to depress, i. e. prostrate (espec. reflex. in homage to royalty or God): - bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.

When Hannah Came to dedicate Samuel, she again prayed her own prayers made possible by her character:

AND Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. 1 Sam 2:1

Then followed her beautiful prayer. Prayers are usually that which God has spoken in inspiration. For instance, in Luke 1:46-55 Mary spoke:

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, Luke 1:46

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Luke 1:47

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Luke 1: 8

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. Luke 1:49

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. Luke 1:50

You will notice that Mary didn't need a special time and place to pour out her praise by reciting Hannah's prophetic prayer. Nor, did she need a "prayer leader" to mediate her way into God's presence. Her character paved the way.

As there are no "worship leaders" there are no prayer leaders in the church made up of individuals needing no priestly intercession. Paul often draws a parallel between his obedience to Christ and the demand that believers do the same. Notice the parallel between his apostolic speaking and every man everywhere with no hint that this is "in church" although it might be:

All Pray for all: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1 tim 2:1

And There is only One Mediator: For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 1 Tim 2:5

Only He earned the Right to Speak to the Father for Us: Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 1 Tim 2:6

Paul informed people in ALL places: Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. 1 Tim 2:7

Therefore of all men in all places: I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 1 Timothy 2:8

Paul As Example	All Must Imitate Him
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle,	I will therefore that men,
(I speak the truth in Christ,	pray every where
and lie not)	Lifting up holy hands,
a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.	without wrath and doubting

Public Prayer