1 Corinthians 11:1-16 KJV
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Women have no doubt trouble with the precious section of scripture. Who is the man that covers woman but Christ himself is the man that covers her as Christ also covers man. Yet in the passage of scripture we are dealing with customs of not only the early church, but Jewish tradition as far as how the church should pray with or without tradition. Paul being jew first and then a Christian no doubt struggled himself with customs of man and customs that were only of God. God gave both man and woman hair and no doubt Paul himself maybe a little bald or balding. By tradition of the need for prayer covering seen not only in pictures of Bible, but of customs of that day and time, men also wore covering for the head. Paul is stripping the tradition from them, not telling them to not wear a prayer covering but not to critize those without prayer covering by tradition. Is instruction speaking that woman has a natural prayer covering their hair from God and so do men until old age balding. Okay Paul does not speak of it that way concerning men, but he does speak of the covering of Christ over the church of God. This is what we need to understand tradition does not remove the covering God instills. Man's tradition which dictated by the church(woman) government(man) is not God and traditions are only a reminder of our faith. Would Paul have talked about reminders of faith in tradition that way, of course not, because traditions were sacred, and consider wrong to change traditions. He be up a creek without a paddle so to speak if he did.

Jesus taught about tradition especially concerning David eating the shewbread made for the Priesthood, and eating corn on the Sabbath. All traditions if broken is not going to cause man to die, but customs by tradition that did not make one a sinner or saved by grace. Traditions of extra covering with cloth for prayer was not necessary as far as being able to reach God, but the covering was a reminder of God's protection through first the blood sacrifice by the lamb/bull/goat and then Christ own sacrifice on the cross through his blood covering of saving grace. God's redemption for man the only thing that matters. The sacrifce of animals were not necessary for forgiveness. It was always the contrite heart, the heart for God and humbleness before him. Christ himself had to come teach us himself about love and forgiveness. Christ taking away of the animal sacrifice to help us understand no longer to repeat the sacrifice for sin, but we need the spiritual humbleness to come before God and seek forgiveness. Is the cross then of no account of course not, it demonstrated true love of God by the price his only begotten Son, Jesus, paid for the sins of the world. Sacrificial animals came with the need to kill to eat and giving up animal for extra mouth was not always welcome but done. Abraham had a meal of meat prepared for God when he appeared before him, before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The aroma of meat being a sweet savor to the Lord. Sacrifice was more then covering sprinkled by blood, but the bridge to God, through the covering by the blood.

The covering during prayer was a sacrificial covering to remind one of the blood covering, to remind one of Christ sacrifice to remind the one praying the need for mindset of humility and humbleness before God. It like for some using prayer beads to pray certain prayers of faith and to do it repetitively in tradition format, for a reminder to prayer with humility and humbleness as they approach the throne of God in prayer and worship. I do not use prayer beads but those that do know it work to say all the prayers and do it the correct by way of tradion of the ancients. Prayer was not to be done in habit formation, but be meditation from the heart. Communication with God being sacred part of faith, a tradition to hold dear with or without the need for reminders of humility and humbleness.

If we can get past traditions and get to the root of the heart we be far better off. Yet traditions are wonderful at times to keep focused on the root of the heart of faith in God. Best thing to do is honor tradition if they line up with faith or symbolize faith, to the point it an aid not henderous to you. If it becomes a task master and takes away from the spiritual nature of what it was intended then you better off turning tradition away. Each person must decide about traditions whether they are aid in faith process especially when communing with God, or is it something that is just repetitive action taking away the real heart of the problem. In the church if the tradition is henderence to you consider looking at other churches tell you find the one right for you as far tradition understanding of the purity of faith bring one to pray before God in humility and humbleness.

Dear Heavenly Father covered by the blood Christ may we humbly come to the throne of grace. Understand tradition do not save but your grace is sufficient for our need of salvation and sanctification. Establish the reminders of our faith that get us from point A to point B in our walk with you in our life if we should need them. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 2 Thessalonians 2:15 KJV
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Colossians 2:6-23 KJV
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.