published prayers?

martinedwards

Matthew 6:5-6 ESV /

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."


and the difference between this and the publishing of prayers in Newspapers and on internet forums is?


please educate me

Peregrinus

Well, people who put prayers on internet discussion boards or in the small ads of newspapers usually do so anonymously, or under a pseudonym, so they are not doing so in order to attract attention to, or claim merit for, themselves, which I suspect is what Mt 6:5 is directed at.

It's not a practice I engage in myself, but my guess is that when people do this they are inviting others to join them in the prayer. Shared prayer is an ancient Christian practice.

im invisible

Theres a difference aswell between prayer as a form of penance/ worship/ whatever, and praying for something