Everybody sure is talking about prayer these days. Between the hoopla over the National Day of Prayer and Franklin Graham's insistence that he be allowed to pray inside the Pentagon, prayer seems to be on everybody's lips, media included. That's a good thing, right? I'm not so sure.

Consider how we got to this interesting place, where the very idea of public praying has become controversial. First, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb in Madison last month found the National Day of Prayer, established by Congress 58 years ago and held on the first Thursday of May, to be unconstitutional.

Then, on Aprill 22 the U.S. Army "disinvited" Franklin Graham, who had been scheduled to speak at a Pentagon National Day of Prayer event because his comments about Islam were "inappropriate.'

A few days later, President Obama met with 91-year-old Bily Graham at his home in North Carolina with son Franklin in the room. They talked about God and golf, and before the meeting was over, Franklin asked the president to "intercede" (interesting prayer term there) with the Pentagon to restore his invitation.  Obama said he would "look into it."

Just this week, with no resinstatement forthcoming, Franklin blasted the Obama administration, saying if he is not allowed to lead a prayer event inside the Pentagon, "it will be a slap in the face of all Christians." Invitation or not, Graham said, he will stand in front of the Pentagon and pray.

Meanwhile, across the country thousands gathered on the first Thursday in May to celebrate the National Day of Prayer and to hear public appeals to "save the National Day of Prayer" (you can actually go to the website now and do your part to save the day).

Wow, God must really be pleased with all the attention prayer is getting. I mean, isn't that what Jesus taught his followers, to pray so the whole world will hear us when we pray? And if we aren't allowed to pray in the public square, to squak and protest and blame the government for forcing us to pray in private?

Let's see, what did Jesus say about prayer? Oh yeah, there's that interesting segment in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus addresses this very topic. 

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Talk about a "slap in the face." But it's not because Christians aren't allowed to pray in public. If we are to take Jesus' instructions on prayer at face value, then we deserve to be slapped precisely because we insist on praying in the public square for all to see.

Maybe if we took Jesus seriously and did what he said, we would actually pray instead of just talking about praying.