If you’re shy, do you have to lead prayer in church?
Question:
If you're shy, do you have to lead prayer in church?
Answer:
That is a great question!
Let us be honest, you don't have to do anything if you do not want to!
For example: When I was a child, I would try to keep a beat to the music, but to no avail. I am just not musically talented. To this day music and I have been archenemies since. Now, every once in a blue moon I am reminded of how horrible I am at leading Christians in singing. I could say there is going to be no singing tonight because I am not talented, but instead, I swallow my pride and led a hymn or two. Was it amazing? Did it sound good? Did I lead and not make any mistakes? The answer to all of these is a loud "NO!"
But God's word and my love for God gave me the courage to follow through with it. "Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" ( John 14:15).
Belonging to a smaller church in Washington state helped me learn all types of roles that I could have neglected if I was in a bigger congregation, but God blessed me and the other men there to learn all the responsibilities of worship. Now wherever we go, we can be useful to the Lord's church because of the blessing of stepping outside of our comfort zone.
God desires is for you and every Christian to grow. "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant" (Hebrews 5:12-13).
Do you have to lead a prayer every Sunday? No! But take a step out of your comfort zone and learn how to be brave and do it for the Lord. It will be good to openly talk about God through prayer before the Lord's church, who will be in agreement with you because there will come a time when you must confess God before ungodly men who will persecute you for it. At that time it will be much harder than among those who believe as we do (Luke 12:8-9).
I will let you in on a little secret, I help preach and do prayers here at La Vista and each time I open my mouth I get nervous, but each time it gets a little easier and I love every moment of what I do. Does that sound funny coming from a preacher? Yet, nothing can keep me from proclaiming the Lord, if it is in a church or out in the world, no matter how much of a gut-wrenching feeling I have or obstacle in my way, knowing I am pleasing our Father in heaven makes me overcome my fear and have joy in the end because doing His will is all that matters (Galatians 1:10; James 1:2-3).
Even if you need to write your prayer out beforehand or memorize it, give it a try. Don't look to make it fancy, but offer a prayer on behalf of the church to God from your heart.
