When you pray, do you have to do it out loud or can it be quitely to yourself?

Question

my husband and I are both Christians but we have different interpretations of what certain things mean and how certain things should be done. He thinks I am losing faith and getting frusterated because I pray wrong as I do so quitely, in secret, and not outloud and or with him. He has pointed out several places in the Bible where it states "ask and you shall recieve" or "when 2 or more gather together and ask..." or "profess with your mouth..." and therefore believes we are to pray outloud however I have read that God knows what is done in secret and rewards you for it therefore I believe that I am to pray quietly and it is to be between noone but me and God. So who is right and who is wrong?? Are we supposed to pray outloud together or quietly and alone or does it matter where and how just as long as were doing so in Jesus name???

Answer 1

i pray morning and night sometime i say it in my mind or i say it out loud

Answer 2

Jesus said, Pray not as the Pharisees and Sadducees, with long rambling prayers in the sight of many because they already have their reward. But when you pray, go into your closet and shut the door so only the Father hears. I pray silently, and openly, do the same with praise. I pray openly at meals. That is the only time. When two or three are gathered together in my name, there I shall be in the midst of them. When you say Jesus Christ is Lord you have professed with your mouth. When you say Jesus Christ is the Son of God you have professed with your mouth. These are the very things that separate Christians today. We need to see that this type of thing is not necessary and quit condemning each other, but go on in love, compassion and above all charity.

Answer 3

Those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. This is what is required when we pray.... not audible sounds.

The scriptures that your husband quotes do not conflict with silent prayer except for the last one which deals specifically with the confessional prayer of receiving the Lord Christ as Savior. This was different because the prayer became a public identification with Christ.

So the answer to your question is that there is no doctinal way that you have to pray. The problem with silent prayer, however, is that when you are praying with someone it is difficult for the other person to agree with you in your prayer if they cannot hear what you are praying. Also, prayers are a way of encouraging one another. Don't you get lifted up when you hear someone praying? Others receive the same blessing when you do it .

Please don't give up on trying to articulate your prayers. They can be beneficial to both yourself and others.

Answer 4

In a sense you are both right. I think certain things are to be prayed alone, and it does say too that you are supposed to pray in the privacy of your room, not to "show off" to boast and that kind of thing. I know God hears our thoughts as well so you don't have to pray out loud all the time. As far as "ask and you shall receive", it's if it's in God's will, not ours. Just because we want something does not mean we will get it just because we asked God for it. He has His reasons for not answering OUR way, he always answers, just in His time and in His way.

Answer 5

This is a common question for new believers.

Your last statement is true. God does not care if we pray out loud, silently, sitting, standing, walking, or hanging upside down. The only things that matters in prayer is that it comes from your heart, not some written down book of prayers, and that you pray within the will of God.

Answer 6

When you THINK, THE GOD hears.

Ask and you shall receive -- If THE GOD can read minds is it not logical to assume that HE can hear you while you THINK the request!

We are NOT supposed to ""stand on a street corner"" and make a spectacle of ourselves when praying.

When two or more are gathered -- again, all logic would tell me that SPEAKING the PRAISES and REQUESTS would allow for a continuity to happen............. even then.. THINKING while the other or others Verbalize is going to get more of the THOUGHTS over to THE GOD!

Hope that helps!
PS == I LOVE the idea of ""Prayer Closet"" == Just THE GOD and I conversing! WHAT AN HONOUR!

Answer 7

Praying can and should be done anywhere. As far as volume goes, use discretion. My wife and I pray out loud in public only at mealtime in a restaurant. No other tables can hear us, but they see us bow our heads. I often ask God to inspire those who witness our prayer to become inspired at our moment of meditation. That is passive evangelism.
When you are alone, pray silently and fervently. If only God is listening, He will hear your words through your heart. No need to pray aloud. If you are not praying with anyone, no need to speak up.
The one thing that we want others to see is our devotion and love for God. The last thing we want is to turn anyone away from Him by forcing our beliefs upon them in public. We can never reach a non-believer by force, they will only resist more....unfortunately.

God bless you and husband for reaching up to HIm, keep the faith, others will follow.

Answer 8

no matter how you pray God can hear you, I do pray loud and i feel the connection it is like you are talking to a freind, you can feel his presence Alleluia, when you feel the spirit of the Lord, the holly ghost YOU CAN NOT PRAY IN SILENCE
YOU HAVE TO SHOUT, ALSO ,YOU CAN PRAY IN SILENCE any time any where God still can hear you ,but may dear, the secret is to pray together with your husband you will feel stronger , yes, the Lord will be with you try it and you will like it it is good to have a husband who can pray who is serving the Lord it is a blessing now all you have to do is to pray together and the answers will come try it sisterabd you will see what you missed we have no time to waist no separation but lift your voice together toward heaven the good Lord will be happy. May God bless your home

Answer 9

According to the book of Mathew chapter 6, it says we should pray in our closet, which means we are do it quietly without disturbing others with it.This is because we are praying to our God who sees in secret and rewards in secret.
BUT NOTE: what matters most is not the silence or loudness of it. the main important to there is the heart with which you are calling God that your faith. He says in proverbs my son give me your heart and not your mouth.
One can also pray aloud as the spirit directs, because there are times you start with a low voice before you know you are carried away In the spirit to far. What God looks at is our faith and not our mouth or competition of who can pray louder than the next person.
Also you don't have to pray silently because of shyness of praying so that people will not know you are praying
Good luck to you and spouse........!

Answer 10

i believe that it can be said in your head. thats how i do it. if im in a public place or in line somewhere im not gonna start just praying outloud. knowing society these days, they would arrest me for it. there is NO right or wrong way to pray and im sorry but if someone belives that they are only falling victim to those of the closed mind.

Answer 11

You can do either.
Jesus prayed out loud, but it seems Nehemiah said a quick prayer quietly to himself when the king asked why he was so grumpy.
The main thing is to be sincere (which you are) and through Jesus Christ.