Questions From Readers

● Is it improper to make tape recordings of public prayers?

Some Christians personally choose not to do so. But the Bible does not speak against making a record, written or otherwise, of the words of a prayer.​—2 Chron. 33:18.

A person may make a tape recording of a Christian meeting so he can review it later or share it with others who could not attend. In making such recordings, some Christians begin recording after the opening prayer and stop recording before the concluding prayer.

They may reason that, basically, prayer is not a means of formally instructing others. Prayer, rather, is considered a personal expression to God, though others present may listen and concur by saying “Amen.” Furthermore, a person making a recording of the meeting knows that if the prayer were on the tape he would not later listen to it and say “Amen,” as if the recording were a prayer wheel that ‘sent up’ a prayer each time it was played.

It is of interest, though, that many prayers are written down in the Bible. (Gen. 24:10-14; Matt. 26:36-39; John 11:41, 42; 17:1-26; Acts 4:23-30) In reading these prayers we do not look on them as requiring our “Amen.”​—Rom. 8:26, 27.

Of course, these prayers are part of the Bible; they are there because God wanted them to be included. (2 Tim. 3:16) And some persons may respond differently to a tape-recorded prayer from the way they do to a prayer in the Bible. Consequently, as long as no request has been made not to make a recording, the individual Christian may determine for himself whether he will include the prayers if he records a Christian meeting. There is nothing Scripturally wrong with this.