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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?

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Answered by True Bible Teachings AI on 8/12/2026

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.

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.

SermonRelevance 39Broader match

Conferences

Monday, the 10th of April 1961

61-0410 §71

I said to a lady the other day... She said, "I tell you I don't wear them little shorts." Said, "I wear slacks." I said, "That's worse." Right. Yes, it is. The Bible said it's an abomination for a woman to put on a garment that pertains to a man. That's filthiness. Yes. Some woman said they don't make any more clothes... They still make sewing machines and you can buy goods. There's no excuse. What you need is the baptism of the Holy Ghost ... [unclear words] this mockery. That's true. Amen. You think I'm beside my...

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SermonRelevance 39

A True Sign that's overlooked

Sunday, the 12th of November 1961

61-1112 §111

What we need is the gospel. God, rise someone on the scene that's right back to the Word. God said it's not even a decent thing for a woman to even come to church and pray with her hair cut. And a woman that cuts her hair, a man has a perfect right to get a divorce from her. She's a dishonorable woman. The Bible said so. She's dishonorable to her husband, she maybe not know it. Any woman that'll wear shorts is dishonorable. She might not know it. Lady, I ain't trying to hurt you. I'm trying to save you from a lake...

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SermonRelevance 39

Questions and Answers, Part 2

Sunday evening, the 23rd of August of 1964 at the Branham Tabernacle in Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.

64-0823E §83

QUESTION: Brother Branham, is it wrong to have a flattop haircut? I suppose this is a man; I hope it is. Well now, some women do that. Sure. I was going up on the bus one time when I was state game warden here. Going up here ... I was setting there, and a man was talking like that, had a welder's cap on, and I was just talking to him. And he was going ahead smoking a cigarette, had a welder's glasses pushed up like that. Was right up here around Sellersburg. And I was setting there talking to that fellow. He said s...

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SermonRelevance 39

Questions and Answers

Sunday morning, the 15th of October 1961 at the Branham Tabernacle in Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.A.

61-1015M §51

Now, if you'll notice, you that's reading your Bible, the thirty-sixth verse, he said. What? came the word of God ... from you? and came it from you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if ... he be ignorant, just let him be ignorant. Now, in otherwise, the women... Now, if you'll take the history to this letter, see, of the church, these women thought that they were to continue on with their min...

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Church Age BookRelevance 39

An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages

Chapter 8: The Philadelphian Church Age

CAB 8:E-74

Let me tell you of a God-given dream I had about triune baptism. This was not a vision, but a dream. You know, I am sure, that one of the blessings of the church ages was to receive dreams by the Holy Ghost, just the same as one can receive visions. It was about 3 a.m. on a Saturday morning. I had just gotten up to get Joseph a drink of water. When I lay down I fell asleep instantly and dreamed this dream. I saw a man that I supposed was my father. He was a great big burly man. I also saw a woman who was supposed t...

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