“The Sound Of Silence”

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

I have been struggling with the question of whether or not it is more effective to pray out loud or to pray silently.  I have heard that when you pray out loud, it goes out into the spiritual realm and that your words come back to you, etc.  I also heard that God spoke and things were done and that there is definitely power in our words.  I know that only God knows our thoughts, but are there any instructions on how to pray?

Sincerely,
Whisper Quiet

Dear Whisper Quiet,

God never emphasizes silent prayer above vocal prayer or vice-versa.  We have examples of both in the Bible.  Nehemiah prayed silently before the king, and his prayer was answered (Neh 2:4).  Hannah also prayed silently, but with fervor, and her prayer was answered (1 Sam. 1:13).  On the other hand, righteous Stephen prayed with a loud voice (Acts 7:60).  There is no specific instruction given by God in regard to volume.  What you have heard about “it goes out into the spiritual realm…” is a great example of a manmade tradition being passed down – the Bible never says that.

We are told to pray to God and not for attention (Matt 6:5).  We are also told that if we mistreat our spouse, our prayers will be hindered (1 Pet 3:7).  We are also told that God doesn’t hear the prayers of the wicked, only the righteous (Pr 15:29).  James says that a righteous man’s prayer does much good (Jas 5:16).  God teaches that it is our character that determines the effectiveness of our prayers, not the volume.

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