Pray Aloud

As I read the Bible, I encounter much encouragement to pray, both by precept and by example. Some of this encouragement has to do with praying aloud, even in private. Many Christians “think” their prayers rather than speaking the words out loud, but these statements from the Psalms make clear that spoken prayer is important, maybe even preferred:

Verbalizing our prayers has real benefits. Often when I pray in my mind, my attention wanders and suddenly I find I am not praying at all. If I discipline myself to form words and speak them aloud, I find it easier to stay focused on the things I am trying to present to the Lord. It is a good discipline to pray out loud. But more than that, I have to say that I have experienced more direct answers to verbalized prayer than to the non-verbalized variety. Perhaps this is nothing more than having a clearer sense of specific expectation. I am not trying to make an argument here so much as to encourage you to experiment for yourself.

Sometimes we may not have access to a quiet place. When others are within earshot, we may feel a little awkward. Maybe this is why Jesus told people to go into their closets to pray. Why would you need that kind of privacy if you were just going to think your prayers? I believe Jesus had praying aloud in mind when He offered that advice.

James 5:13-16 gives some suggestions for prayer: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him… The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

James encourages those who are suffering to pray. This is personal prayer for oneself and the examples from the Psalms mentioned earlier underscore the Jewish tradition of speaking our prayers aloud. When we express our sorrow and suffering verbally, we focus, venting our pain as we cry specifically for God’s intervention in the circumstances of our life.

A little later, James asks, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him. This is intercessory prayer. When others are in trouble of whatever kind, we speak out our cares and concerns for them to God. This has two benefits, it invites God into the situation as two hearts and minds agree and it also has the immediate positive effect on the sufferer of sharing his or her burden.

It is encouraging when someone says “I am praying for you,” but something different happens when someone says, “Let’s take a moment. I want to pray for you, now.” When they pray for me out loud on the spot in person there is a union of souls, a sharing of the burden, a connection that is made. May I encourage you to pray for others aloud in their presence? By all means pray for them in your private conversations with God, but don’t hesitate to pray with them as well as for them.

Perhaps this is a new idea for you. If it is, practicing it may feel a little awkward at first, but it is worth the effort to try it, to do it again, to stick with it, and finally to become comfortable with it. Would that all followers of Jesus be known as people who help to bear the burdens of their friends and acquaintances by inviting God into the circumstances of life.

Ron Hughes
© August 2007