Evaluating Our Corporate Prayers

Ligon Duncan shares some thoughts of Samuel Miller (1769-1850; a Presbyterian theologian who taught at Princeton Theological Seminary) regarding corporate prayer in an article published in the 9Marks Journal titled “Thirty Two Principles for Public Prayer”.  Duncan writes, “Those who regularly bear the solemn responsibility of leading the congregation in public prayer are here again encouraged to study and reflect on this important matter. The consistent devotional use of such helps as Matthew Henry's Method for Prayer should be a helpful aid in preparing for such an awesome privilege and duty. In the introduction Samuel Miller's Thoughts on Public Prayer has already been commended, but perhaps an enumeration of some of Miller's main principles and admonitions will whet the reader's appetite for more and prove useful in evaluating our own efforts in corporate prayer.

Miller detected the following common faults in the public praying of the church in his day and they remain applicable to our own.”

Duncan then lists Miller’s eighteen frequent faults in public prayer followed by fourteen characteristics of a good public prayer.

I would recommend reading the complete article at http://www.9marks.org/journal/thirty-two-principles-public-prayer