The Bible teaches that praying in public can be good when it is sincere and God-focused, but it strongly warns against praying publicly to impress other people.

Key Bible passages

  • Matthew 6:5–6
    Jesus warns against being like hypocrites who “love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others,” and instead tells His followers to pray in secret, where only the Father sees.

The issue here is the motive —seeking attention rather than truly seeking God.

  • Examples of public prayer
    The Bible also shows many faithful people praying publicly:

    • Solomon praying before “all the assembly of Israel” at the temple dedication in 1 Kings 8.
* Daniel praying where others could see him, even under threat of death, because honoring God mattered more than human opinion.

* The early church lifting their voices **together** in prayer in Acts after facing persecution.

These examples show that public prayer itself is not condemned; insincere, showy prayer is.

What Jesus is really warning about

  • Jesus’ main concern in Matthew 6 is religious performance —doing righteous acts “to be seen by others.”
  • The same chapter warns about giving to the needy and fasting in a way that draws attention to oneself, not to God.
  • So the command to “go into your room” is about cultivating genuine, intimate prayer with God instead of using prayer as a stage for spiritual image-building.

In other words, the Bible does not say “never pray in public”; it says “never pray for the sake of being seen.”

When public prayer is appropriate

Many Christians understand the Bible to support public prayer when:

  • The purpose is to seek God together (worship, intercession, thanksgiving), not to display personal holiness.
  • The heart is humble, not trying to impress with long, dramatic, or “spiritual-sounding” words.
  • It is an expression of obedience or courage (like Daniel), not attention-seeking.

Public prayer like this appears throughout Scripture and is presented positively.

Different Christian viewpoints today

Among Christians today, discussion often centers on:

  • Motive check: Many say the question is, “Why do you want to pray in public?” If it is to honor God or lead others to Him, it can be fitting; if it is to gain approval, it conflicts with Jesus’ teaching.
  • Balance of private and public prayer: Some emphasize that a strong private prayer life should be the foundation, with public prayer as an overflow of that relationship with God.
  • Context matters: Praying aloud in church or with other believers is widely accepted, while ostentatious displays in public spaces just to make a point are often questioned.

Simple takeaway

  • The Bible encourages sincere prayer in all settings—private and public.
  • It forbids using prayer as a performance to gain human praise.
  • The key question is not “Where are you praying?” but “Who are you really praying for—God, or your audience?”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.