Prayer fellowship
I was a WELS Lutheran. (Now, I attend a Missouri Synod church.) One thing that I still feel I need a better understanding, and was part of the reason I felt called to leave the synod, is praying with family. Why does WELS feel it is incorrect for me to say a table prayer or the Lord's prayer with my Christian brothers and sisters? Thanks in advance for helping me understand your perspective.
It would be beneficial for you to read a thorough explanation of what the Bible teaches regarding fellowship, including prayer fellowship.
Church Fellowship, available from Northwestern Publishing House, provides such an explanation. Here is an excerpt: “The New Testament does not treat prayer fellowship separately from other forms of fellowship. Prayer as an act of fellowship is simply treated as one element among many others. The early Christians ‘devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer’ (Acts 2:42). There is, therefore, nothing in Scripture to suggest that prayer should be treated any differently from any other expression of fellowship. Since God-pleasing prayer always flows from faith, every prayer is an expression of faith and therefore an act of worship” (pages 48 and 49).