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On Prayer
- Thread starter Pilgrum
- Start date
The more you pray both out loud and in your head, the better. God hears both equally well, and both are equally blessed. In fact, I would suggest that if you do not pray in your head you are not obeying 1 Thess. 5:17, "Pray without ceasing."
Thank you so much for your reply. I was beginning to think nobody was going to answer my question. Actually, I rarely pray out loud, but I was told I am supposed to pray out loud. I live alone, and I find praying out loud a bit awkward. So, I just want to know if I have to pray out loud. I do my devotionals, my Bible studies, etc., all mostly in my thoughts in my head. And I do pray frequently. At this point in time, prayer is my biggest ministry as I am disabled and have the time to intercede for others. But again, mostly it's in my thoughts in my head. Not out loud. (Actually, I was even told I should read the Bible out loud because faith comes by hearing.) Is this true? I'm not trying to act stupid, but these are things I've been recently told and not sure how to proceed.
I usually pray in silent. My main time of prayer is in bed just after I turn out the lights. I think if I were to pray out loud my wife would be a bit surprised! I've silently prayed while driving and while doing other activities. Sometimes I pray aloud because the subject of my prayer seems extra important. Weird, I know.
I don't think you need to pray out loud, nor do I think you need to read the Bible out loud.
I start the day with my personal devotions, reading the Bible and then praying--yes, in my head!
After breakfast, my wife and I have our family devotions: Bible reading, a devotional book, a hymn or chorus together, then both praying--out loud. Before bed, my wife and I both pray silently for missionaries from a stack of prayer cards.
Throughout the day I often pray in my head, and often pray out loud. Today we ate lunch out with some friends and prayed out loud at the start. Then because we had something important to discuss, I also prayed in my heart. Then at the end of the meal, the husband and I both prayed out loud.
That verse (Rom. 10:17) has the context of people being sent to preach the Gospel verbally, out loud. However, it does not say, "Faith cometh only by hearing...." So we can read the Bible to ourselves or we can read it aloud to or with others, and faith will come. God hears our very thoughts, and knows us inside and out.
Furthermore, remember Psalm 119:11--"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." That definitely says to me that reading the Bible silently and remembering it in your heart silently is just fine with God!
Besides, how in the world do deaf people or others who cannot speak read the Word if they have to read it aloud? Just sayin'!
Young man I can tell you that no where in scripture demands praying out loud or in our head. However, you need to discover that for yourself. Do a study on prayer throughout the Bible. It may take you some good amount of time to complete it. All the while be praying to God to reveal the answer for you. In the book of James God tells us that if we desire wisdom to ask for it and he will give it to us liberally. The responses you get here may be a good guide to give you a place to start but you must be convinced of this because you dug into the word and discovered it yourself. Only the Rhema from God will give you that boldness and courage to live out your faith.
Here is a great study on prayer:
http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_PDF_PrayerMeetingGuide_Franklin.pdf
I'm having computer problems, it's in the shop for 3-5 days.
Thank you for this reply. This is the way I've been doing things for years, but when I was told I pray and read wrong, I wanted to verify it. I appreciate the responses and advice. And yes, I can imagine what your wife would think if you started praying out loud in bed. She probably would think you were talking in your sleep.
Actually I did something like that several decades ago. I used to work for an air taxi service after I got out of the military.
I was flying a Cessna 205 Skywagon from Rockford, IL to Port Arthur (Thunder Bay), Ontario taking 5 fisherman to fish the north shore of Lake Superior.
Half way across the Lake there is nothing to see except water, so I put the auto pilot on and leaned my head back to rest my eyes. After a few minutes one of the guys in back asked the guy sitting next to me if I was asleep. He said it looked like it. The other guy said to wake me up. So the guy says, rather loudly, "Where are we?" I opened my eyes, sat up, looked around and gave them my best "Pilot in Command" answer. "Damfi Know." They didn't think it was as funny as I did.
(PS: That was before I was saved. I don't talk that way anymore.)
I was flying a Cessna 205 Skywagon from Rockford, IL to Port Arthur (Thunder Bay), Ontario taking 5 fisherman to fish the north shore of Lake Superior.
Half way across the Lake there is nothing to see except water, so I put the auto pilot on and leaned my head back to rest my eyes. After a few minutes one of the guys in back asked the guy sitting next to me if I was asleep. He said it looked like it. The other guy said to wake me up. So the guy says, rather loudly, "Where are we?" I opened my eyes, sat up, looked around and gave them my best "Pilot in Command" answer. "Damfi Know." They didn't think it was as funny as I did.
(PS: That was before I was saved. I don't talk that way anymore.)