Standing or Sitting during Congregational Prayer?

[mgkortus]

In his book, Thoughts on Public Prayer, Samuel Miller makes a rather compelling argument for standing during public prayer, as opposed to sitting. I cannot say I have ever even attended a church in which the congregation stands during a congregational (long) prayer.

Does anyone attend a church in which the congregation stands during prayer?

 

[TylerRay]

In his book, Thoughts on Public Prayer, Samuel Miller makes a rather compelling argument for standing during public prayer, as opposed to sitting. I cannot say I have ever even attended a church in which the congregation stands during a congregational (long) prayer.

Does anyone attend a church in which the congregation stands during prayer?

It's the standard practice in traditional Scottish Presbyterianism.

 

[TylerRay]

Here's an article from the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland on the subject: Standing for Prayer

 

[NaphtaliPress]

I don't know the history of the change, the link may say, but in the life by his son, he says Dr. and Mrs. Miller persisted in standing for prayer till the day he died, while the rest of the PCUSA apparently had been on a abandoning the practice. https://books.google.com/books?id=t_sEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA507#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[Herald]

In his book, Thoughts on Public Prayer, Samuel Miller makes a rather compelling argument for standing during public prayer, as opposed to sitting. I cannot say I have ever even attended a church in which the congregation stands during a congregational (long) prayer.

Does anyone attend a church in which the congregation stands during prayer?

I do.

 

[Cymro]

It was the practice in Scotland, and in some denominations continues. But sadly it has been altered to sitting for prayer and standing for singing, a reversal of posture that has crept into some churches that historically knew better days.

 

[Edward]

It depends. If I'm ushering, I am usually standing during the prayer. If not, I, like most of the congregation, am seated.

 

[Username4000]

We do for the main pastoral prayer but not for any others (the opening prayer or the end of the sermon, for instance).

We stand for some psalms and sit for others.

 

[VictorBravo]

We stand to sing, and stand for prayer (unless one has trouble standing). Hadn't much thought about it before.

 

[Travis Fentiman]

I heard of a minister once arguing that he stood for prayer, though the congregation sat, and he was their representative.

So... I searched the Scriptures. Sure enough, every time the leader of prayer is in a given posture in Scripture, where Scripture gives such details, the congregation always assumed that posture as well.

Hence the practice of Calvin at Geneva, where, when done praying both he AND the congregation rose from their knees.