On What Scriptural Basis Is a Man Praying with a Hat on Frowned Upon If a Woman Praying with a Hat on as a Covering Is Considered Unscriptural?
1) Direct answer
It’s Scripture. A man must not pray with his head covered; a woman must be covered—but God defined her covering as her long hair, not a hat. So a man praying with a hat on dishonors his Head, and a woman using a hat as a “substitute covering” is unscriptural. Her hair is the covering God appointed.
2) Scriptural explanation
- 1 Corinthians 11:4,7: “Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head… For a man indeed ought not to cover his head; forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:5–6: A woman praying or prophesying uncovered dishonors her head; if she won’t be covered, “let her also be shorn,” showing that uncoveredness and shorn/shaven go together.
- 1 Corinthians 11:13–15: “Judge in yourselves… if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her… for her hair is given her for a covering.”
3) Simple clarifying logic
- For the man: The Bible says he must not cover his head when praying. A hat on a praying man is a covered head; therefore it dishonors Christ his Head.
- For the woman: The Bible itself identifies the covering—her hair is given to her for a covering. That means:
- Long hair = covered.
- Shorn/shaven = uncovered.
- No hat can replace hair, and no hat is required to fulfill the command.
So a woman thinking a hat “makes her covered” while she cuts her hair is still uncovered by Scripture. And a woman with long hair is covered even without a hat.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice: it’s not about church customs but God’s order. Men pray uncovered; women are covered by the hair God gave. That keeps the headship honor exactly as the Bible sets it. Final biblical conclusion: A man should remove his hat to pray (1 Corinthians 11:4,7). A woman’s scriptural covering is her long hair (1 Corinthians 11:15); a hat does not make or replace that covering.
Existing Follow-Up Answers
- If a Woman Willfully Cuts or Shaves Off Her Hair but Wears a Scarf or Hat to Pray, Is She Covered?
1) Direct answer No. If a woman willfully cuts or shaves her hair and then puts on a scarf or hat to pray, she is still uncovered before God. The - So What If a Woman by Accident, Age or Health Condition Has Short or No Hair, How Should She Be Covered If Hats and Scarfs Are Not a Covering?
1) Direct answer If a woman loses hair by accident, age, or sickness, she is not made “uncovered” in guilt before God. The Bible’s covering is he - What Determines If a Woman's Head Is Covered? Is It the Scalp Visibility or the Uncut Hair? Does It Matter If the Hair Is Matted in Cornrows or Plait?
1) Direct answer A woman’s head is covered when her hair is uncut and allowed to grow. It is not about hiding the scalp with fabric, and it’s not
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Perseverant
62-0623 §128
Right down the row from him there is a little thin Mexican woman. She's praying for her husband who's got a nervous condition. Believe, sister. He'll be well. You believe it? God bless you. We're strangers to one another. Just don't doubt. Have faith. You see what He is? In the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established. Here, looky there. Look at that woman. There's a heavy-set woman sitting there. She's got an ulcer, bleeding ulcer, on her leg. It's on her left leg. And she was sitting there pr...
Questions and Answers, Part 3
64-0830M §148
QUESTION: Is it wrong to trim the ends of woman's hair? I believe we just went through that a few minutes ago, see, for the little ... I guess they call them little things that hang down like that...
Scriptural Signs of the Time
64-0410 §70
Little lady behind there is praying about her husband, too, sitting behind her. That's right. Your husband's a nervous man---kind of a mental nervousness. He's missing right now. If that's right, raise up your hand. And you've got something wrong with your hand. You have allergy, or something or other. You touch stuff that makes your hands go bad. Isn't that right? Mrs. Patty is your name. You believe with all your heart? Now, if that's right, raise up your hand. Amen. I've asked you to believe. What about this lad...
The Token
64-0208 §87
There's a lady sitting right here. She's got tumors. She isn't from here. She's from Sacramento. Her name is Mrs. Bradley. Stand up on your feet if that's right, lady, and we're strangers. Raise your hand, if that's right. Is that right? I truly believe they're gone. Now, that's just a woman sitting there. Here's a lady sitting way back here. She's got on a hat, kind of a brown-looking hat. It's got feathers. She's putting her glasses on. She's sitting there praying. She was praying for something to happen. What ma...
Questions and Answers, Part 2
64-0823E §109
QUESTION: Brother Branham, is it all right for a young child to wear slacks and shorts? How young? Just let you be the judge of that; you're a Christian. A little girl or any little bitty kid, I imagine, I don't know, I... Only thing I know, the Bible says it's an abomination for a woman to wear a garment that's---that pertains to man. See? "A woman," didn't say, "a child." But now, I just ... You just suit yourself about that, I... For my part, I see nothing wrong with a little bitty kid, little bitty girl four or...