I feel uncomfortable praying in front of people. - Page 9

LindseyLadybug · 07-04-2009, 12:43 AM

Ladypinkington, I can absolutely relate! I feel the same way about public prayer. I hate it when people ask me to pray out loud. I'm like, "No thanks" and then I get the glare of shame. Faith is very personal to me because it's my relationship with God. Other people can't see my heart. It feels like I'm being forced to have a private conversation with a friend in front of other people who are silently judging my friendship with that person. I hate it.

When it comes to evangelism, I believe each person evangelizes differently according to their spiritual gifts. Some people are not born to be pastors. Some people show their faith by the humble lives they live or the way they love people, etc. This verse has always been encouraging to me when I think my faith isn't as good as the more verbal Christians I know.

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-16

Also, there's a good book called "UnChristian". One quote from it says something to the effect of "If someone decides to reject Christ, does that mean we as Christians should stop loving them?" Obviously, the answer is NO.

wren · 07-04-2009, 03:12 AM

The only time I felt pressured to pray publicly was in a small women's group at a church I went to. We went around the group praying until we got to one woman who prayed, aloud, for all the silent prayers sent out everywhere. That made sense to me. While I love prayer and do it silently when required by my soul, I have a hard time speaking out loud these inner messages to God. I've also had hard time speaking aloud poetry. I could never get the hang of speaking poetic lines aloud even when I knew that's how poems are to be read.

07-04-2009, 12:43 AM	#81 (permalink)
LindseyLadybug Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Type: INFJ Location: United States Posts: 178	Ladypinkington, I can absolutely relate! I feel the same way about public prayer. I hate it when people ask me to pray out loud. I'm like, "No thanks" and then I get the glare of shame. Faith is very personal to me because it's my relationship with God. Other people can't see my heart. It feels like I'm being forced to have a private conversation with a friend in front of other people who are silently judging my friendship with that person. I hate it. When it comes to evangelism, I believe each person evangelizes differently according to their spiritual gifts. Some people are not born to be pastors. Some people show their faith by the humble lives they live or the way they love people, etc. This verse has always been encouraging to me when I think my faith isn't as good as the more verbal Christians I know. "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-16 Also, there's a good book called "UnChristian". One quote from it says something to the effect of "If someone decides to reject Christ, does that mean we as Christians should stop loving them?" Obviously, the answer is NO. __________________ "Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-color boxes, but what you're really looking for are the 64-color boxes...I fancy myself to be a 64-color box...I can only meet the 8-color boxes...I mean there are so many different colors of life, of feeling, of articulation...so when I meet someone who's an 8-color type... I'm like, "Hey girl, magenta!" and she's like, "Oh, you mean purple!" and she goes off on her purple thing, and I'm like, "No - I want magenta!" -John Mayer

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
ActualMe test	wyrdsister	Online Personality Tests	124	02-17-2010 02:45 AM
what do you hate?	whatever	The Bonfire	1917	07-14-2009 02:06 AM
Improviser-Artisan-SP (Food For Thought)	"?"	The SP Arthouse	9	12-10-2008 05:38 PM
Is the brain a computer?	Evan	Philosophy and Spirituality	104	02-13-2008 06:12 AM

07-04-2009, 03:12 AM	#82 (permalink)
wren Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Type: infj Posts: 388	The only time I felt pressured to pray publicly was in a small women's group at a church I went to. We went around the group praying until we got to one woman who prayed, aloud, for all the silent prayers sent out everywhere. That made sense to me. While I love prayer and do it silently when required by my soul, I have a hard time speaking out loud these inner messages to God. I've also had hard time speaking aloud poetry. I could never get the hang of speaking poetic lines aloud even when I knew that's how poems are to be read.