EVERY MAN PRAYING OR PROPHESYING

Chapters 11 to 14 of this Epistle deal with the conduct of believers in a local church.

Chapter 11 is concerned with women’s head coverings, vv. 1-16, and with the Lord’s Supper, vv. 17-34. Prophesying was a gift available only during the apostolic period, before the New Testament was completed. Since then, the prophet has been superseded by the teacher, as implied in 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 1.

For present purposes, therefore, our text is concerned with the conduct of men as they pray publicly. They are to do so with their heads uncovered. A man’s physical head is the symbol of the headship of Christ over the man. For a man to cover his head as he prays publicly would be, therefore, a dishonour to Christ.

But there is more to be said about public prayer than that! Such prayer has this in common with secret prayer, that it is addressed to God. Brethren should remember this. It will discourage them from parading their knowledge of the Scriptures by expounding them as they pray. They will avoid using public prayer to criticize believers or elders, or to send coded messages to the gathered company. The brother who prays publicly is exercising a lofty privilege. It demands a lowly mind and a sensitive heart. As he prays, he should be articulating the praises of the company, and should be expressing their Godward desires and longings. Only the indwelling Holy Spirit can enable him to do this. The prayers of a Spirit-filled man may well prompt his fellow believers to say silently to the Lord, ‘Yes, Lord, that is exactly what I had in mind, that is precisely what I long for. Amen, Lord!’.

Public prayers should also be short. The brother who rambles on at length, week after week, using the same well-worn phrases to utter the same well-worn requests, will certainly weary the saints and discourage others who desire to pray. Nothing is more refreshing than the brief but fervent prayers of a young convert, and the equally brief but fervent prayers of an old warrior for Christ who knows what prayer is about! ‘God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few’, Eccles. 5. 2.