A church in southern China has recently updated its service process. A significant change encourages the congregation to offer a silent prayer before departing after the pastor's benediction.
Such a service process provides a valuable example for churches nationwide. In some churches, some members often rush out right after the service, disrupting the church order.
Christian prayer is a form of connection with God, much like saying farewell words to a dear friend rather than leaving rudely without saying anything. This manner is applied to interpersonal relationships, let alone worshiping God in church.
One Christian testified that he used to approach worship casually, perceiving it as mainly ritualistic apart from the sermon. However, once he attended a church in another city, he noticed a few believers around him praying quietly, so he chose to recite the Lord's Prayer. He felt a deep sense of strength and joy that day though it was his repeated approach. Since then, he has made it a habit to pray silently after service.
Silent prayer is also an effective way for believers to reflect on the Sunday sermon. For numerous messages delivered in a sermon, silent prayer allows meditation on its content, helping one gradually internalize and exemplify the messages in the faith journey.
A Christian woman shared she would pray silently in the church after every sermon. In addition to communicating with the Lord, she would reflect on the messages she had heard that day, summarizing and internalizing them to gain a deeper understanding and bear in mind the messages of the sermon.
Silent prayer can also enhance the solemnity of the worship atmosphere. A seeker once attended a church service and was deeply moved by the reverent scene of numerous believers staying to pray silently after the service, refreshing his perspective on the Christian faith.
Imagine if we hurried out of the church after the service for various reasons, creating a sense of disorder at the venue—what kind of impression would that leave on seekers? Conversely, suppose Christians engage in silent prayer after the sermon and leave the church orderly. In that case, it creates a more orderly atmosphere in the church, leaving a positive impression on the seekers and helping them feel more drawn to the gospel.
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a Christian in Fujian Province.)
- Edited and translated by Poppy Chan
南方某教会在这段时间更新了礼拜仪式流程，其中有一个最大改变就是，在牧者祝福完后，全体会众都要进行默祷才散场。
这种礼拜方式确实非常值得各地教会学习，在有些教会礼拜结束后，总有些信徒一哄而出教堂，给教会秩序造成了某些混乱。
基督徒默祷是与上主沟通的方式，就像我们去拜访一位尊贵的朋友，我们在离开时，肯定会说几句道别的话，而不是没有礼貌地一言不发就走。我们在人际关系上尚且懂得如此，更何况是来教堂敬拜上主呢？
有肢体就见证说，原来对于礼拜比较随意，觉得除了听道，都是仪式性的东西。可有次到外地教会礼拜，看到身边不少肢体都在默祷，于是就念了主祷文。虽然这是自己重复了N遍的做法，可那天却觉得充满了力量和喜乐。从此以后他都会在礼拜后默祷。
默祷还是我们温习主日讲道的好方式。我们在听了一场道接受了不少信息，而通过默祷，我们可以思考讲道的内容，从而慢慢消化，成为我们信仰的生命的一部分。
有位姐妹就作见证说，每次听完道后，都会在教堂默祷一段时间，这除了与上主沟通外，就是思想着今天所听到的信息，对其总结、归纳，从而才能更好地理解其真意，也能记住讲道的信息。
默祷也能让礼拜的氛围显得庄严，有位慕道友曾经参加某教堂的礼拜，而他对聚会结束后，不少弟兄姐妹留下来默祷的虔诚场景感到震撼，从而对基督信仰有了新的看法。
试想一下，假如我们礼拜结束后，就因着各种事情快速离开教堂，从而导致会场秩序有些纷乱，这会给慕道友留下怎样的印象。而我们在教会里默祷，有序退场，就让会场秩序变得更好，给人留下好印象，自然是有助于他们亲近福音的。
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系福建一名基督徒。
礼拜后默祷有哪些益处？
A church in southern China has recently updated its service process. A significant change encourages the congregation to offer a silent prayer before departing after the pastor's benediction.
Such a service process provides a valuable example for churches nationwide. In some churches, some members often rush out right after the service, disrupting the church order.
Christian prayer is a form of connection with God, much like saying farewell words to a dear friend rather than leaving rudely without saying anything. This manner is applied to interpersonal relationships, let alone worshiping God in church.
One Christian testified that he used to approach worship casually, perceiving it as mainly ritualistic apart from the sermon. However, once he attended a church in another city, he noticed a few believers around him praying quietly, so he chose to recite the Lord's Prayer. He felt a deep sense of strength and joy that day though it was his repeated approach. Since then, he has made it a habit to pray silently after service.
Silent prayer is also an effective way for believers to reflect on the Sunday sermon. For numerous messages delivered in a sermon, silent prayer allows meditation on its content, helping one gradually internalize and exemplify the messages in the faith journey.
A Christian woman shared she would pray silently in the church after every sermon. In addition to communicating with the Lord, she would reflect on the messages she had heard that day, summarizing and internalizing them to gain a deeper understanding and bear in mind the messages of the sermon.
Silent prayer can also enhance the solemnity of the worship atmosphere. A seeker once attended a church service and was deeply moved by the reverent scene of numerous believers staying to pray silently after the service, refreshing his perspective on the Christian faith.
Imagine if we hurried out of the church after the service for various reasons, creating a sense of disorder at the venue—what kind of impression would that leave on seekers? Conversely, suppose Christians engage in silent prayer after the sermon and leave the church orderly. In that case, it creates a more orderly atmosphere in the church, leaving a positive impression on the seekers and helping them feel more drawn to the gospel.
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a Christian in Fujian Province.)
- Edited and translated by Poppy Chan
The Power of Silent Prayer After Sermon
