In a book that I'm reading (I'm not at a computer so I'll add the link later) the author talks about public prayer.
Says that if you're in any position of authority, no matter how small, you should brush up on public prayer.
I don't like praying publicly, but have on occasion prayed in a public setting. It's hard for me, and it was hard for my dad, so maybe I learned it from him.
I'm not sure how you pray, and pray *to* God, while also praying for the edification of those around you. I mean, I sort of get it, but where's the overlap - how do you tell when you take your attention off God, and start worrying "more" about the people you're with?
I don't think that prayers should be a sermon with your eyes closed. They shouldn't be used to guilt people into anything.
But...Jesus prayed for the benefit of His listeners. When He raised Lazarus, He prayed,
So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “ Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me
If we use the Lord's Prayer as a pattern for prayer, shouldn't we use this as a pattern for public prayer as well?
So yeah...authority or not, we should brush up on our public prayer.
Flyaway
When I attended a Sunday School teacher workshop lead by Evelyn Christianson, she had us form groups of 3 or 4. Then she instructed us to each pray a one sentence prayer. I had prayed silently but never aloud in public. Keeping it short helped. Now I've been praying out loud in a Moms in Prayer group for over 20 years. In church I keep it short as Jesus did. I don't think we need to prove anything to anybody like Jesus did (so that they will believe You sent me) but just to acknowledge our faith in Jesus. And yes, we should use the Lord's prayer as a pattern--praise, confession, thanksgiving, and intersession.