{"id":47450,"date":"2016-03-06T20:10:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-07T02:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=47450"},"modified":"2022-05-17T20:12:55","modified_gmt":"2022-05-18T01:12:55","slug":"how-should-prayers-be-offered-in-worship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-should-prayers-be-offered-in-worship\/","title":{"rendered":"How should prayers be offered in worship?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Where I need help is with prayers.<\/p>\n

Is it scriptural to pray saying “In Jesus’ name” several times in between the prayer before concluding? Does it not count as vain repetitions?<\/p>\n

Is it scriptural to raise prayer points while everyone prays until the person leading will ask everyone to round up and stop eventually? I have seen a congregation that practices this and that Sunday worship felt like wasted hours for me.<\/p>\n

I don’t want to go by “that is how we do it.” I want to be able to back it up with logical scriptural explanations.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

It appears that those leading the prayers have no idea what the phrase “in Jesus’ name” means. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son<\/em>” (John 14:13). Ask yourself a moment: How does saying “in Jesus’ name” give God, the Father, glory?<\/p>\n

The phrase “in the name of” means “by the authority of.” See\u00a0All in a Name<\/a> for details. So saying “in Jesus’ name” a person is saying that Jesus approves or has authorized this prayer and its requests. It is not asking Jesus for approval, it is saying that Jesus has granted the approval — the authority already exists. Jesus taught nothing but what the Father desired. “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works<\/em>” (John 14:10). Notice that it is in the same context as the earlier statement. Anything Jesus authorizes carries the approval of the Father. Doing anything by Jesus’ authority implies the authority of the Father. When we ask according to the will of Jesus, we are giving Jesus the glory because what we are asking is what he wants and that, in turn, gives glory to the Father.<\/p>\n

How many times a person states that what he is praying is by the authority or with the approval of Jesus doesn’t where it is or is not by the authority of Jesus. It isn’t wrong to say the phrase several times, one time, or no times at all. Jesus was talking about what we should pray, not the words we were to use.<\/p>\n

I’m not familiar with the particular practice of “raising prayer points.” On the surface, it seems to be a bit disorderly — especially if it is in a large congregation. Most congregations I know announce before or after services things people desire prayers to be asked for on their behalf. However, the one leading the prayer is the one who decides what he is going to say.<\/p>\n

In discussing how a worship service is to be conducted, it must be kept in mind that a worship service is to improve those who came to worship. “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation.\u00a0Let all things be done for edification<\/strong><\/em>” (I Corinthians 14:26). To that end, Paul instructed that those addressing the assembly had to take turns, speaking one at a time. Women were not allowed to address the congregation. The conclusion was “Let all things be done decently and in order<\/strong><\/em>” (I Corinthians 14:40). If this is accomplished, then it covers the one concern I had.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: Where I need help is with prayers. Is it scriptural to pray saying “In Jesus’ name” several times in between the prayer before concluding? Does it not count as vain repetitions? Is it scriptural to raise prayer points while everyone prays until the person leading will ask everyone to round up and stop eventually?…<\/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,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[1510,84],"class_list":["post-47450","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":23862,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-are-prayers-ended-with-in-jesus-name-amen\/","url_meta":{"origin":47450,"position":0},"title":"Why are prayers ended with “In Jesus’ name, Amen”?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 20, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why, when we pray, should we close the prayer with, \"In Jesus name, amen\"? Answer: The word \"amen\" is a transliterated word from the Hebrew language. Wilson's Old Testament Word Studies defines it as meaning, \"Let it be granted, let it be done, and unalterably confirmed.\" It can be\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":31582,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-read-a-prayer-in-worship-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":47450,"position":1},"title":"Is it wrong to read a prayer in worship services?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it wrong to read a prayer in worship services? Answer: \"Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching\" (I Timothy 4:13). Many of the passages of the Bible are prayers, such as Jesus' prayer (John 17), Hannah's prayer (I Samuel 2),\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":47450,"position":2},"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":29487,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-god-always-hear-our-prayers\/","url_meta":{"origin":47450,"position":3},"title":"Does God always hear our prayers?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 11, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In John 11:42 it says God always hears you, but in the verse, you showed me in \"Should we pray for Satan's salvation?\" it says that God said that if people were to pray for the extreme idolaters then He would not hear their cries out to him? Answer:\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":66636,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-happens-if-someone-makes-a-mistake-during-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":47450,"position":4},"title":"What happens if someone makes a mistake during worship?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Thank you so much. May God bless you for the amazing work that you do. I find it hard to switch from one act of worship to another, especially when I believe the one leading has made a mistake. For example, one Sunday, during the Lord's Supper, the one\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":17470,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-do-prayers-go\/","url_meta":{"origin":47450,"position":5},"title":"Where do prayers go?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Where do all prayers go? Does God answer all prayers, even those of Muslims, Hindus, etc. although they pray to false gods? I heard from someone that the Bible says all prayers and praise reach God only. Is there scriptural evidence for this? Thanks. 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