No, stay true to God's purpose, but understand what His purpose is. Discern whether God would have you pray then and there or do it in private.
Is praying in public against a direct command from Jesus? Does this also include church and public meals?
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No, stay true to God's purpose, but understand what His purpose is. Discern whether God would have you pray then and there or do it in private.
I believe that when Jesus talked about praying in private, He was showing the wrongness of standing ostentatiously in a public place like a street corner and praying as an individual. The disciples didn't see that as a prohibition against praying together. For example, when they were appointing a replacement for Judas Iscariot, or rather, seeking God's appointment, we read:
NKJV Act 1:23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
Act 1:24 And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen
Act 1:25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."
Later in Acts we read of a group of women who met to pray together:
Act 16:13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.
Yes, but what was the context? Was He speaking against His followers praying together? No, He was speaking against people who did their personal praying in the public gaze, in order to show off:
NKJV Mat 6:5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
Mat 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
John 4:21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
If it bothers anyone to pray vocally around others (there is no commandment from Jesus not to pray in public!), pray "in spirit and in truth" from within yourself. Problem solved
If it bothers anyone to pray vocally around others (there is no commandment from Jesus not to pray in public!), pray "in spirit and in truth" from within yourself. Problem solved
I know this is a problem for some. If you are in a restaurant full of people that do not know Christ and you pray, when you look up, there are many disfigured faces looking at you with judging/ condemning eyes. Do not think anything of it. It is not your problem, it's theirs. When you see this, forgive them right then and there.
Luke 9:26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Also,
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
Anyone with darkness in them will hate you for all manner of reasons. It isn't until you receive the Holy Ghost that you have any light in you. (Which this leads to another discussion)
Luke 9:26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Also,
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
Anyone with darkness in them will hate you for all manner of reasons. It isn't until you receive the Holy Ghost that you have any light in you. (Which this leads to another discussion)
I believe also this is showing the difference between Islam and Christianity.
Islam uses it imo as a intimidation effort to show there numbers in strength and solidarity. God told David not to count the numbers of the army.
Giving thanks and praise imo is not prayer but a response to prayers received. The expectations of things to come.
You’re right that different groups sometimes use public displays of numbers to project unity or strength, but that cannot be used to contrast Islam and Christianity as though one religion “intimidates” and the other does not — Scripture never authorizes us to make character judgments about entire faith communities. What Scripture does teach is that David’s census was condemned because he trusted numbers instead of God, not because counting people is inherently wrong. And you’re also right that thanksgiving is a response to God’s goodness — but Scripture treats thanksgiving as a form of prayer, not something separate from it. So the real issue isn’t Islam versus Christianity; it’s the danger of relying on visible strength rather than the unseen God. Public displays of unity are not sinful by themselves, but trusting in numbers is. Thanksgiving is not “after prayer”; it is prayer.
This is true in part but when God created Israel there practice and dress were opposites of the pagan practice and dress.
I was using that as a example of Jesus commands being in opposition of all religions.
The belief in Christ its self stand out from all other religion as it is not a religion but relationship. Faith based not ceremonial practice.
You’re right that Israel’s distinct dress, worship, and social markers set them apart from pagan nations — but those markers were covenantal identity signs, not intimidation signals, and they were never presented as “opposites of all religions.” Jesus does not frame His commands as a counter‑religion aesthetic; He frames them as the revelation of the mind of Christ and the fulfillment of the Law. And when you say Christianity “is not a religion but a relationship,” that’s a modern slogan, not a biblical category. Scripture calls the faith a way, a covenant, a kingdom, a body, a temple, and a people — but never contrasts it with “religion” as if religion itself were inherently ceremonial or pagan. The real distinction is not “Christianity versus religion,” but Christ versus human self‑salvation systems. Faith stands out because it rests on God’s action, not ours — not because Christians dress differently or because Jesus’ commands are designed to oppose every other faith tradition
Entering the gates with thanks giving and praise is hard to believe as a prayer but a response. Was the dancing that David did considered prayer . A joyful noise to the Lord as scripture says with instruments.
Thanksgiving, praise, singing, shouting, dancing, and instrumental celebration are all forms of prayer in the biblical sense — not because they look like modern “bow-your-head” prayer, but because Scripture defines prayer as any direct God‑ward expression of the heart. When the psalmist says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving” and “His courts with praise,” that is not a “response after prayer”; it is the act of approaching God. David’s dancing before the ark was not entertainment — it was a God‑directed act of worship, which is prayer in motion. The “joyful noise” passages describe vocal and instrumental praise offered to the Lord, which is exactly what prayer is: God‑addressed expression. Scripture never divides worship into “real prayer” and “responses”; that’s a modern category. In the Bible, thanksgiving, praise, singing, shouting, dancing, lament, confession, and petition are all forms of prayer, because they are all directed toward God.
I don't see giving Thanksgiving to God as prayer (though it could be). I see it more as worship. David dancing in the sight of God was worship, IMHO.
Again, your assuming they were praying audibly. Why couldn't they be praying as Jesus taught in secret?
John 4:21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
If it bothers anyone to pray vocally around others (there is no commandment from Jesus not to pray in public!), pray "in spirit and in truth" from within yourself. Problem solved
It's not a matter of praying in public. It's praying in secret whether you be alone or in a group, within yourselves like Jesus taught.
Worship comes from a Latin word defined as " worth-ship" , the shipping of worth.
Our worth is measured largely from what we see is worth the most. " money ".
The giving of money in secret is one of the most spiritual acts we can fulfill on earth.
Prayer is a connection.
If we have the Spirit of Christ, we also then have the mind of Christ.
If you have the mind of Christ, you also have that connection, the ability to pray without ceasing.
So very important faith and faithing is understood and fulfilled correctly.
It's the same as making prayer in school a big problem, people insist praying aloud in front of everyone for it to be real prayer.
If prayer was done in school the way Jesus taught, there wouldn't be any issue with it.
Again, the correct way to pray in public or in a group is to do it in secret.
We should have that continual connection ( the mind of Christ) so we are always in prayer with Him. It's harder to stop the praying without ceasing and begin to start praying audibly.
It's a real prayer either way.
Yes, there would be. You underestimate the radical leftists.
Your opinion, not according to Scripture. I'd leave you to it but we have new believers here and they need to understand when the Bible is being literal and when it isn't.