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In the Bible doesn't it say that we shouldn't pray aloud to show off? That instead we should pray in the privacy of our own room? (not the exact words) If that is so then why do people go to church? I'm christain but I don't believe that going to church makes a difference in how we are seen in God's eyes. Everyone pressures me to go to church saying that it will "lead me in the right direction" but I don't think it matters if I go to church or not.
Does it matter?
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Want to answer more questions in the Miscellaneous category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Spirituality?
The Lord will not love you any less for not going to church. Church is only a place to learn about God and become closer to him
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Well it doesn't matter where you pray as long as it is not used to show off, you are correct. however going to church is a way to share faith with a group, and strengthen you faith. For Christians church is the house of god, so it seems better to go, but you don't have to, just do it when you are alone. devote a time to God.
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I totally agree with you. It really pisses me off when someone says I am an atheist because I don't go to church. I think church is boring and pointless. I love God and could learn about him and pray to him in the privacy of my own home. I don't think it matters if you go to church or not, as long as you follow the word of God.
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I have the same problem. I love God and I want to learn more about him and his son, but I think church doesn't answer my questions. I don't go to church. Instead my family and I stay at home and read from the Bible and talk about what we just read. At the end of each Sunday I understand and feel like I'm more connected to Jesus and God then when I did when I went to church.
Good luck :]
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psalms 57:7- my heart is fixed, o god, my heart is fixed , i will sing and give praise.
9- i will praise thee, o lord, among thee people: i will sing unto thee aming thy nations.
as you can see- we are told to sing unto the lord, and in another verse- i dont remember exactly whre its at- it states that we should shout unto the lord highest in the heavens. i guess it might depend on what religionyou are, because i know that im pentecostal- and we believe in praising the lord out loud. so, it might be an opinion thing.
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In my opinion it doesn't matter. Church may help some in bringing them closer to God, but you don't have to go. You can stay home, pray, read the bible, and still have a close relationship with God. If you think you are already going in the right direction and feel close to the lord that is all that matters. Going to church does not gurantee entrance into heaven. Just because people attend church doesn't mean they have a closer relationship to God. Church is a way to come together with others who share the same faith and want to worship together, but if you prefer to worship alone then do what feels right to you. I hope this answer helped in some way.
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At first this may read like I'm answering a different question, but it all ties together, I promise. ;-)
I'm pretty sure you are thinking of these verses (and keep in mind, these particular verses are Christ's words being quoted):
Matthew 6:1-8
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."
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For those who might not know, alms = donations. The first part of these verses is telling us to make our donations anonymously, if possible, and don't tell *anybody*. That way we won't be tempted to feel prideful and want to have people tell us how great we are for our donation.
Personal opinion ahead: This is one of the reasons I believe it's wrong to pass a plate in church, where everybody can see if someone donates, and sometimes even how much they donate. Not only can that lead to prideful feelings from those who put more than others in the plate, it can lead to shamed feelings for those who can't afford as much, and dirty looks for those who don't donate at all.
I think, at most, a church should have a private place with a drop-box, like a voting booth. Even that is questionable, as people will assume someone is donating if they go into the booth, and we can't be totally anonymous. Perhaps the way to donate is a money order in the mail, or something like that. Again, this part is my personal opinion, others will have different ideas.
Of course there will be times when we can't necessarily give anonymously (say, meeting someone on the street who is in need of something), and in those cases my husband and I feel the right thing to do is to not make a big production out of it. To be humble, and direct any "thanks" to God and Christ, who provided you with whatever you gave.
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Sorry, I know that part was a bit off topic from your question, but I felt that those scriptures go along with the rest (which is why I included them), and I wanted to make sure anybody else reading this would understand what alms meant, etc.
Now, for the verses that address your question. It's the same principle, really. Sometimes people praying in front of other people, may feel prideful in a "look at how religious I am" kind of way. I think these verses are warning against that.
If you think about it, prayer is a personal conversation between you and Yahweh (God). Imagine you are wanting to have a conversation with your friend, and so you go to a building with a bunch of other people, and this guy up front tells you words to repeat to your friend... Not much of a personal conversation, is it?
Praying to Yahweh shouldn't be an event to be viewed by all, but a personal thing between the two of you.
Now, having said that, I don't think there is anything wrong with like-minded people praising Yahweh and thanking Yahweh together, if they truly mean it and aren't just going along with the crowd. Notice the part of the verse that says "that they may be seen of men". To me it sounds like *intent* is important here. Is someone praying earnestly because they would pray exactly the same if nobody was watching? Or are they just wanting people to see them?
At any rate, your personal prayers will always be personal. Someone can't pray those for you. And of course it's best to pray those in private... There would be no reason for anybody to hear your private prayers (unless you wanted to show off).
Then there is praying in "vain repetitions". "Repetitions", of course, means "the same thing over and over". The definition of this that makes the most sense to me is a prayer that's just repeated over and over and over... I'm sure that over time, people who memorize these prayers just pray them automatically. They don't even think about the words anymore. The words of the prayer have lost any meaning. Whereas, if your prayers are formed as you think them, these prayers are from your heart.
Now, as to your question about going to church. I hate to do this to you, but I'm going to give you a link to another answer I wrote on the subject of "Churchianity". Mostly because I would be saying almost the exact same thing here, and I don't want to add to this already huge post. ;-)
See this question: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
...and scroll down. My answer is the one on the very bottom. The first half of my answer there addresses the church and fellowship question.
Sorry for the novel, but I hope there was at least something helpful in it. ;-)
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Praying aloud....I think you are refering to Matthew 6:5-6. Jesus addressed issues of the heart constantly and this is a heart issue regarding pride not an issue of whether to pray in church or not.
You're right that in God's eyes going to church or not going to church makes no difference.....when it comes to salvation. Salvation is by GRACE ALONE and not by good works, praying, or going to a church building. However, you won't grow in the faith if you don't interact with other Christians AND you are taking away the pleasure and joy for other Christians to interact with you. Think of it this way: There's a roaring campfire. You are one of the logs. What happens if your log is taken out of the fire and laid aside? Not only will that log eventually go out, the fire itself has to work harder to keep going.
From your question, I sense you are really struggling with this. Perhaps the Lord is convicting your heart? Is your log going out and you're turning cold? If everyone is pressuring you to go to church because it will "lead you in the right direction", do they see you going in a wrong direction? I'm not attacking you...just want to give you some things to think about.
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well it doesnt really matter but only reason y people go there to visit the church and pray because your are in his home and ur prayin to him. i guess it is supposed to make him closer to you becausee you are there. but my family just like urs they want me to go but i dont go i dont think it would make that much difference but i am cathlic so yea
♥Steph
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It does not matter if you go to church or not - God actually says you don't need to attend services just so you can get God to love you more. He'll love you the same whether you go to church or not. Church is just an opportunity to pray, and it does not matter how you pray - people pray in different ways. Some write it down, some pray in their head, and some say it out loud. God will appreciate it either way.
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I'm catholic and I go to church but in my opinion, I think going to church is a choice that you make. I feel like if you don't go to church that does NOT make you a bad person. It's not like if you don't go to church you won't be obeying God's rules. If you don't go to church but you still honor and worship god and pray as often as you can, then you're still a holy person and you won't go to hell. A lot of people that are Christian don't go to church but they are still religious. As long as you are still obeying God's laws, then you have nothing to worry about. Going to church or not is a choice that you make. A lot of people go to church because it's God's home and it's like a weekly tradition. Some people decide that they don't need to go to church because they can still pray to God at home. Either decision you make is fine, so if you don't want to go to church every week that's perfectly fine - a lot of people don't. But make sure you still pray.
Hope I helped. ♥ ♥
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No it says nothing about not praying aloud. But it does say something about being a hypocrit. Meaning you shouldn't pray aloud, shout, etc. in church ONLY to impress others. There is nothing wrong with praying aloud. I think church does make a bit of a difference in your life. Because its nice to fellowship with people who are on the same page as you when it comes to religion or they are striving to get on that page. But I'm not saying that if you don't go to church that makes you less of a Christian, because it doesn't.
If you have any other questions feel free to write me back.
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no it doesnt matter. as long as you pray and believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior and are born again it doesnt matter whether u go to church or not.
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I do not remember hearing that... I remember the "Do not give publically, but rather do it privately". However, if that is in there, I suppose you are kind of doing it privately. Your intent is not to make a show in front of your peers, but rather to give it to God.
It does not matter if you go to church or not. It is a way to praise God, but if you wish to give praise other ways, it works. If you feel church is hurting you, don't go. I don't believe it matters, but it is just a good thing to do.
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its a personal choice. church is considered gods homes. people go to church to have some time with god and to pray with their community.
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