Yesterday, I was sitting in church when suddenly the preacher asked all of us who were suffering inside to stand up and lift our hands, raise our voices in to the sky and say 'heal me, heal me, heal me.. forgive me, forgive me... thank you, thank you, thank you.'
Everybody in the church, except me, got up and started chanting with the preacher. I sat silently. Observing people.
Matthew 6:6-8
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Why are we shouting out loud? Why are we literally assuming that God is up in the skies and we have to look up and scream at him to bring him to notice us.
As I was observing, I was trying and interpreting this kind of behavior. The preacher said, stand up and beat your chests and cry. Everybody did so. Seriously? Doing that will redeem us? Then what? We will walk away with the same grudge we had upon our friends, family and that will make us less of a hypocrite?
In my opinion, and I MAY BE SO WRONG, the preacher should encourage us to believe that God lives in our hearts. We do not have to scream and pray. If God dwells in our heart, it is sufficient then if we pray in silence. He will hear us.
I don't care what people think of me and my ways of praying. But I don't agree to this kind of worship where I have to shout, beat my chest, cry and fall on my knees asking for forgiveness.
Everybody in the church, except me, got up and started chanting with the preacher. I sat silently. Observing people.
Matthew 6:6-8
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Why are we shouting out loud? Why are we literally assuming that God is up in the skies and we have to look up and scream at him to bring him to notice us.
As I was observing, I was trying and interpreting this kind of behavior. The preacher said, stand up and beat your chests and cry. Everybody did so. Seriously? Doing that will redeem us? Then what? We will walk away with the same grudge we had upon our friends, family and that will make us less of a hypocrite?
In my opinion, and I MAY BE SO WRONG, the preacher should encourage us to believe that God lives in our hearts. We do not have to scream and pray. If God dwells in our heart, it is sufficient then if we pray in silence. He will hear us.
I don't care what people think of me and my ways of praying. But I don't agree to this kind of worship where I have to shout, beat my chest, cry and fall on my knees asking for forgiveness.
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