I am a member of the Church of Christ in a local congregation. Of late, when we pray in the church, we do allow individual members some time to say their prayers adding that we should not speak loud. I am perplexed now.<\/p>\n\t
I don’t blame you for being perplexed. Such prayers would be individual efforts done at the same time and not joint efforts by the church. While there is nothing wrong with individuals praying, praying can be done at any time and in any place by Christians, and such should be emphasized since that is what God teaches. The church coming together for worship is for sharing worship together. “For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread<\/em>” (I Corinthians 10:17). It is also for building each member up. “Let all things be done for edification<\/em>” (I Corinthians 14:26). I know of no command or example of the early church praying together silently and individually.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: I am a member of the Church of Christ in a local congregation. Of late, when we pray in the church, we do allow individual members some time to say their prayers adding that we should not speak loud. I am perplexed now. Answer: I don’t blame you for being perplexed. Such prayers would…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[1510,84],"class_list":["post-33450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-prayers","tag-worship"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18591,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-we-pray-individual-prayers-together-in-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":33450,"position":0},"title":"Can we pray individual prayers together in worship?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Brother Jeffrey, Please, I want to know from Scriptures about mass prayer in New Testament worship.\u00a0Can we pray together, when we come together, but each one prays his or her own prayer? Thank you. Answer: Worship as a church is distinct from individual worship. In a church service, everything\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66225,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-proper-for-a-church-to-pray-together-silently\/","url_meta":{"origin":33450,"position":1},"title":"Is it proper for a church to pray together silently?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, brother Jeffery, Thanks for always answering questions. They've been helpful to me and the people around me. I want to ask you a question about the orderliness of prayer in the church. Can the church pray such that a time is given during worship, such as 10\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":64487,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/we-have-problems-with-people-wanting-to-do-mass-prayers\/","url_meta":{"origin":33450,"position":2},"title":"We have problems with people wanting to do mass prayers","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We have a problem with some Christians imitating the Pentecostal's mass prayers where many people pray out aloud at once. I need your help with the Bible refutation. Answer: People tend to gravitate to things that are exciting and novel. A large noisy party is exciting. A lectureship in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34893,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-singing-and-prayers-during-mid-week-bible-study-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":33450,"position":3},"title":"Are singing and prayers during mid-week Bible study worship?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear Brother, I am a member of the Body of Christ. I have a question that I hope you can answer for me. After midweek Bible class everyone gathers and we sing songs, offer up prayers, a short sermon is given, and an invitation is extended. Is this worship?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16773,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-can-give-communion\/","url_meta":{"origin":33450,"position":4},"title":"Who can give communion?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 5, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We have a doubt about administering communion; that is, who can give communion? We are seven who as started a church and now it has grown to 30 people. We have one leader but none of us is ordained. Now, who can give communion? Or should we find an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25566,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-have-trouble-remaining-focused-in-my-prayers-what-should-i-do\/","url_meta":{"origin":33450,"position":5},"title":"I have trouble remaining focused in my prayers. 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