In many churches, people are expected speak out loud at the same time during their prayer times. Is this a Biblical way to pray? Here are 10 reasons to oppose simultaneous praying, or prayer meetings where multiple people speak at the same time.

1. All speech in the church should be understood by the other members of the church. 1 Cor. 14:5-6

When people pray at the same time, they cannot understand each other, and therefore, they cannot be built up in their faith. Paul repeats this concept throughout the 14th chapter regarding tongues, praying, and prophesy so that we would never disconnect the rational mind from worship. See also, 1 Cor. 14:19.

2. Some, but not all church members should speak at church. 1 Cor. 14:26, 27, 29.

From the verses above, praying at the same time gives everyone a speaking role. Not everyone should be speaking at church. If everyone is speaking then who listens?

3. Church services must be edifying. 1 Cor. 14:26

Rational beings cannot become like Christ without the presentation of truth to their minds. The practice of simultaneous praying at church blocks us from comprehending whatever the other believers are doing.

4. Church services must be orderly. 1 Cor. 14:33, 40
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. … 40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.

Many people speaking different words at the same time is nothing but confusion in the church.

5. When a new speaker begins, the previous speaker must be silent. 1 Cor. 14:30
But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.

A spirit-filled man should be ready to stop talking when another person wants to speak since that will bring the greatest good to the other believers, and especially, the unbelievers in their midst, as God is keenly interested in the uplifting of these ones.

6. Simultaneous praying encourages a specific prayer sin that our Lord warned us about. Matt. 6:5
5 When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men...

Prayer meetings where everyone speaks at the same time tend to cause people to raise their voices, find catchy phrases, and otherwise enhance their “prayers” in order to be noticed within the crowd.

7. Since simultaneous praying is a performance, it encourages the repetition of phrases. Matt. 6:7-8
“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Not all the people at a religious gathering will be able to link their words together smoothly, but if they are all told to pray at the same time, then they have to say something. I have heard people in these settings commonly repeat the same phrases and words over and over which is precisely what our Lord was rebuking in the Sermon on the Mount.

8. Solomon led a great crowd in prayer while they silently listened. 1 Kings 8:22-23, 54, 62

The people apparently listened while Solomon spoke, and then joined him when he offered the sacrifices. In the New Testament when the apostles spoke in different tongues at the same time, they were ministering to the hundreds of people who were present, they were not praying simultaneously as a church

9. Simultaneous praying uniquely “makes provision for the flesh.” Rom. 13:14
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

We are tempted to desire the praise of man whenever we perform in a group. We are tempted to entertain those who are listening. We are tempted to impress others with a “good showing in the flesh.” We are tempted to notice ourselves, our words, our audience, our reception rather than the unutterable majesty of God. When a man truly prays he hates and runs from every sin because God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Why would we use a method that is not commanded in Scripture and that holds company with so many temptations?

10. God designed the church to be a united family where they mutually support each other.
At least 54 times in the NT, the church is told to do something to “one another.”

The church is not a collection of individuals concerned about their own prosperity, entertainment, or experience, but rather a family that always thinks of each other. If everyone speaks at the same time, they are not loving each other or building each other, they are acting individually.
Why do we need to come to church to pray individually, why not just sit down in your house instead and pray for whatever you want to go and pray for?

By Seth Meyers

These kind of questions though....




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It is a matter of your conception of prayer.

Numbers 3 and 4 don't matter. Our services are still edifying and orderly when everyone prays. No. 5 is for revelations - most likely prophecies, visions and tongues. No 6 is quite valid. No. 7 could be applied to one man praying and others saying Amen. It could be termed a performance also.
Although the practice of everyone talking during prayer cannot be seen anywhere in the scriptures. In fact, that is what we could say the prophet of Baal did when Elijah challenged them yet we see people chorused their agreement to God's law in Ezra and Exodus. We see the children of Israel cried out to God. They all must have, maybe not as a congregation. The validity most of us would come up with is that regardless God understands everyone of us and answers our prayer. Isn't that what matter?

osuulola:
It is a matter of your conception of prayer.

Numbers 3 and 4 don't matter. Our services are still edifying and orderly when everyone prays. No. 5 is for revelations - most likely prophecies, visions and tongues. No 6 is quite valid. No. 7 could be applied to one man praying and others saying Amen. It could be termed a performance also.
Although the practice of everyone talking during prayer cannot be seen anywhere in the scriptures. In fact, that is what we could say the prophet of Baal did when Elijah challenged them yet we see people chorused their agreement to God's law in Ezra and Exodus. We see the children of Israel cried out to God. They all must have, maybe not as a congregation. The validity most of us would come up with is that regardless God understands everyone of us and answers our prayer. Isn't that what matter?

Not really.. if we come together as a “church”, we should have one voice. Not individual voices; it is not a protest. Even in protests, at a point only one person may be permitted to speak.
If we want to be able to pray individually inside the church, then why do we need to come together in the first place??

Ni