Praying In Restaurants (page 2)

minimus

I had a silent prayer down to about 7 seconds (7 is special, you know). A CO by the name of Casino used to love to tease people at the table, especially Bible studys at a restaurant by announcing in an authoritative voice that we NEEDED to have someone pray in behalf of those at the table......People would get stunned and he would laugh.............Oh, the good old days.

TresHappy

I see families clasp hands together and pray as a family in restaurants all the time. It's no big deal, usually I see them on Sundays after church eating a noon meal.

Yerusalyim

Generally speaking I pray over a meal in a restraunt, even McDonalds. Not a big production, but I still do it. A group that holds hands and sings it's prayers? Jews generally sing rather than speak their prayer, but holding hands while doing it ain't big in Jewish families, I'm at a loss.

JH,

Jesus prayed in public over meals (see feeding of the 5000).

JH

It's no big deal

Maybe for some, it's no big deal, but others are like pharisees and love to pray in public, and show how spiritual they are.

Everybody is free to do as they want, but I think, just like Jesus said, go in your room and close the door, and pray.

JESUS' TEACHING ABOUT PRAYER(St. Matthew 6:5-8)Jesus said, "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! they love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, got to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you."

Edited by - jh on 13 January 2003 10:8:15

blondie

What gets me is most of these people never pray at home, only when there is an audience.

Matthew 6 (CEV) Prayer
(Luke 11.2-4)
5 When you pray, don't be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the meeting places and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

Matthew 6 (NLT)Teaching about Prayer and Fasting
5 "And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get

Yerusalyim

Those scriptures would indeed apply IF one were praying to be noticed. The practice Jesus was refering to here was the 3 times daily prayer that devout Jews did. The Pharisees had the habit of stopping where ever they were, even in the middle of the street, at the designated time for prayer, blocking traffic, etc and bowing deeply, putting on a show.

We can see that Jesus had no objection to sincere prayer offered with honesty and simplicity by his own personal example of praying, and from a few of his stories.

JH

I think that when JW's go and have a break, at a restaurant while in the field service, they will pay attention so as to be seen praying before eating. They are like watching each other.

Now imagine if the CO is there at the restaurant, now you wouldn't dare take a bite without a long prayer. So that just proves how much of a joke it is.

Well, that's the way I see it. I may be wrong.

That's the way I felt, when taking a break in the field service. A prayer that lasts 5 seconds, could also be said while waiting in line waiting to be served. The Point I want to stress, why does it have to be done, sitting down while all are looking your way.

Yerusalyim, if you have a family, the again, it is different. You might wait to pray together. That's fine.

I am alone, so I don't have to wait to pray. I can pray waiting in line, waiting to be served.

Edited by - JH on 13 January 2003 10:31:38

LB

Just a quickie is all I ever did. My Assembly of God sister in law loves to draw attention to herself anywhere she goes. She'll say the longest loudest prayers you ever heard. Then this year while coaching cross country one of the girls on the cross country team was getting a bit angry because her boyfriend didn't show up for the race. So the Jesus freak on the team, in front of a hundred people at least, begins a really loud prayer about the safety of her boyfriend. The girl just stood there shocked.

RunningMan

I was at MacDonalds with my mother last week. Just before chowing down to her cheeseburger, she dropped her head and had a quick prayer. It was short, silent, and indistinguishable from a brief seizure.

I never bothered praying in restaurants. I was always embarassed by others who did it with me. When you're a teenager, it seems like an advertisement that you are a religious nut. Now, however, it seems rather colorful.

Englishman

After I was Df'd my parents eventually, after several years, began to visit us and we would visit them too. My Dad explained to me that they wouldn't be "asking a blessing" at the meal table because they had already said their thank-you's in advance of the visit.

See, you can put prayer into a deposit account!

Englishman.

PS: Hear Bart Simpsons grace:ftp://ftp.smoovenet.com/pub/lardlad/sounds/season1/disgrace8.mp3

Edited by - Englishman on 13 January 2003 11:34:29

Praying In Restaurants

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