The debate of prayer in public schools is a particularly heated one in which the opposing sides feel very strongly that they are in the right. Prayer in the public school system will be used as an example for the purpose of this article but it is not the only instance of public prayer that is often denied by state and federal laws. Christians, especially, come under attack for advocating for student guided prayer on a voluntary basis.
They feel that as long as those who do not wish to pray are not being forced to do so, there is no reason why those who want to share in prayer services should be denied the right to do so. A number of legal issues such as separation of church and state and freedom of speech are often discussed in relation to the issue of public prayer. Those against prayer in the public school system argue that prayer in schools is tantamount to the government imposing prayer, and by extension religion, on the students while proponents of prayer in school argue that students who wish to pray are being denied their constitutional right of free speech.
Shouldn’t Christians Pray in Private?
Those who argue against public prayer often point out Matthew 6:5-6 which states, “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love and pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men…when thou prayest, enter into the closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father.” Those who oppose public prayer point this verse out to prove their point that prayer should be kept private. They argue that the bible explicitly condemns public prayer as being hypocritical. However, Christians are aware that this passage was meant to condemn hypocrisy rather than to condemn public prayer. There are numerous biblical examples that show Jesus praying with others. It is through these references that Christians receive their confirmation of the power of public prayer. In these examples their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ reached out to those around them to embrace them in prayer. Prayer in public for the purpose of being noticed and making sure that others notice your prayer is hypocrisy while prayer in public that is offered with sincerity and without pretension can be extremely powerful.
Why Christians Advocate for Public Prayer
Although the freedom of speech argument is often made by Christians who are seeking the rights for students to pray in school, the reasoning behind their passion for the subject is not related to political interpretation or constitutional rights. Christians understand the value of public prayer and of praying for others and do not want their children to miss out on the opportunity to pray with their friends. Public prayer can be extremely powerful. Every Sunday Christians around the globe gather together to worship and unite in prayer. Through public prayer the power of the prayer is magnified exponentially. The sincere prayer of an individual is powerful in itself but when this prayer is united with the prayer of others, there is no limit to what prayers can accomplish.
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