Does this count for anything?

[Jaxxi]

When we pray silently in our minds and thoughts, does it count the same as praying out loud? Like can He still hear our thoughts directed to Him? This may be a silly question, but I cannot find anything about this.

 

[The Liturgist]

When we pray silently in our minds and thoughts, does it count the same as praying out loud? Like can He still hear our thoughts directed to Him? This may be a silly question, but I cannot find anything about this.

Yes. You should also consider the Jesus Prayer. @prodromos , who showed you the beautiful crucifixes in the other thread which depict the resurrection of our Lord should have some knowledge of it. I myself pray the Jesus Prayer throughout the day.

 

[SeventyOne]

When we pray silently in our minds and thoughts, does it count the same as praying out loud? Like can He still hear our thoughts directed to Him? This may be a silly question, but I cannot find anything about this.

Matthew 9:4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said...
Luke 5:22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them...
Luke 6:8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand...
Luke 9:47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts...

 

[Jamdoc]

When we pray silently in our minds and thoughts, does it count the same as praying out loud? Like can He still hear our thoughts directed to Him? This may be a silly question, but I cannot find anything about this.

Of course He does. God is omniscient. He knows what you are thinking before you even think it.
We're told to pray always and to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). That'd be a silly expectation if the commandment was referring to being on your knees praying out loud.
Being in constant conversation with God is the real point of it.
When you meditate on His word night and day it is like prayer as well.

 

[Albion]

When we pray silently in our minds and thoughts, does it count the same as praying out loud? Like can He still hear our thoughts directed to Him? This may be a silly question, but I cannot find anything about this.

It appears so. You remember the advice about not praying in the manner of the Pharisees and Gentiles, but to go privately into one's room or closet, etc. Matthew 6:6 That suggests an inaudible prayer. But even if we aren't convinced, there are numerous other references in scripture to what is called a "prayer of the heart."

 

[Pavel Mosko]

When we pray silently in our minds and thoughts, does it count the same as praying out loud? Like can He still hear our thoughts directed to Him? This may be a silly question, but I cannot find anything about this.

I think it does as far as Bible verses that come to mind I would cite this.

1 Samuel 1:13

13Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk


But this phrase appears else where so I think it means an earnest yet silent prayer.

Genesis 24:42
So when I came to the spring today, I prayed: O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if only You would make my journey a success!

Genesis 24:45
And before I had finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'


David in the psalms references a number of times that God searches the heart, sees it etc. And many passages about meditating basically thinking about God's word, not to mention more negative passages regarding adultery, covetousness, God exposing secret sins etc. But the point being made, our spiritual life covers more than the overt verbal end of things, it also covers the more hidden and private areas as well.

 

[Kenny'sID]

I hope so.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

When we pray silently in our minds and thoughts, does it count the same as praying out loud? Like can He still hear our thoughts directed to Him? This may be a silly question, but I cannot find anything about this.

He knows our heart even before we pray. Blessings.

 

[paul1149]

There's place for both. David writes, "may the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight".

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Well in a lot of ways this is an important aspect of theology. Their is a lot of things that separated the Jewish God from the gods of pagans. Pagan gods for the most part were almost like an ancient versions of today's "Super heroes". They were human like being only with fantastic powers, but they didn't claim to be all powerful, all knowing, all present. While the Jewish God did claim those things, so if God didn't hear silent prayers it would basically lower his status to being more like Zeus, Oden, Baal, etc. (Those gods had to literally hear someone praying our loud while like looked on from the clouds, Mt Olympias etc. or at least saw them standing or kneeling in front of their temple statue to know someone was praying to them).

 

[Daniel Marsh]

When we pray silently in our minds and thoughts, does it count the same as praying out loud? Like can He still hear our thoughts directed to Him? This may be a silly question, but I cannot find anything about this.

Jesus told us to go to our prayer closet. It is not likely we would pray out loud there. God knows our thoughts. So, silent prayer is great. There are people who can not speak. Thus this makes sense.

 

[tall73]

Romans 8
:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

Jeremiah 17
10 “I the Lord search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”

 

[bbbbbbb]

As an ancillary question primarily for Catholics and Orthodox, do Mary and the saints understand silent prayers offered to them or must they be audible, as in the Rosary?

 

[The Liturgist]

As an ancillary question primarily for Catholics and Orthodox, do Mary and the saints understand silent prayers offered to them or must they be audible, as in the Rosary?

The Rosary can be prayed silently...

 

[The Liturgist]

When we pray silently in our minds and thoughts, does it count the same as praying out loud? Like can He still hear our thoughts directed to Him? This may be a silly question, but I cannot find anything about this.

In answer to your question, the answer is certainly that God can hear your prayer at all times, whether silent or audible, for among other reasons, that God is all-knowing, and therefore knows your prayers before you do. He also knows what you desire consciously and subconsciously, what you need, and God is also infinitely good, forgiving, magnanimous and beneficent.

 

[bbbbbbb]

The Rosary can be prayed silently...

I am aware of that. However, if only God can read our minds and finite beings cannot, then does that not place Mary and the saints in a position as demi-gods?

 

[BobRyan]

Matthew 9:4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said...
Luke 5:22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them...
Luke 6:8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand...
Luke 9:47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts...

Excellent post!

 

[myriamDo78]

Yes i recommand you too the Jesus Prayer !