Friday Fun: Uncomfortable Prayer Moments

Group prayer is practiced differently across the globe. Like many here in the States, I grew up with "popcorn prayer" and "squeeze prayer," but I've worked with students from Asia who are used to more comfortable silence in group prayer context. It's good to have a solid theology of prayer, and not to stray from it.

There are some good and funny points about what's arguably our American "prayer etiquette."

1) Simultaneous starting.
2) Inserted potential gossip.
3) Inserted potential pride.
4) Homiletical prayer.
5) Forgetting requests.
6) Prayer requests with graphic medical info.
7) The quiet pray-er.
8) Prayers with pre-existing tiredness.

You can read the explanations here. I'd add the "announcement prayer," when leaders use prayer time to make announcement about events (e.g. "we ask You to make your presence known at our outreach fair, which is in the church parking lot this next Sunday at 7pm . . .").

Of course, Tim Hawkins has a few opinions on word choice, repetition and holding hands during prayer . . .

Any stories you want to add?

HT: Robyn Adams, Jon Acuff and Tim Hawkins