Praying Out Loud, Does Anyone Else Have This Problem?

SnowyMacie

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I've always had this strange problem whenever it comes to prayer. When it comes to silent prayer, I can go on and on and have no issues what's expressing on my heart to say. It comes natural to me to pray silently, even around other groups of people. However, when it comes to praying out loud and specifically leading people in prayer, I can't ever think of what to say, even when I get prayer requests it's still a struggle. I would just kind of stumble through the prayer until I hit everything on the list. I was always told "The more you do it, the better you get at it", but I lead prayers weekly for a year as my fraternity's chaplain and it still didn't get better. It's not an issue with public speaking, I'm in front of a classroom of students talking every day at work.

I just don't know what it is, I always avoid try to avoid leading prayers and praying out loud because of this. I see other these other Christians, in fact, it seems like every other Christian I know has no problem praying their heart out loud, but I just can't seem able to do so. Does anyone else have or had this problem? What helped?
 

JCFantasy23

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I'm with you on this one. I hate praying out loud in front of other people, and I don't like group prayer. My friend wants to do a leading prayer thing when we eat out together but it just makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. I like doing my own praying instead with that sort of thing. I'm the same way in church -- when the pastor is leading in prayer I concentrate as well as I can, but usually end up privately praying on my own at the same time.
 
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AMM

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I find it beneficial to pray out loud, and here's why: we have no indication that Satan and the other demons can read our thoughts. So I pray aloud so that they can hear my prayers for mercy as I call upon the Holy Name of the Christ, invoke the most Blessed Trinity, and pray as Christ has taught us ("Our Father who art in heaven...").

I'd agree it is harder to pray out loud. I think partly that's our sinful flesh not wanting to confess Christ when others may hear us, but I think it could be attacks from the demons trying to prevent you from prayer (going along with the idea that they are not mindreaders).

Just my $0.02
 
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SeventyOne

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I've always had this strange problem whenever it comes to prayer. When it comes to silent prayer, I can go on and on and have no issues what's expressing on my heart to say. It comes natural to me to pray silently, even around other groups of people. However, when it comes to praying out loud and specifically leading people in prayer, I can't ever think of what to say, even when I get prayer requests it's still a struggle. I would just kind of stumble through the prayer until I hit everything on the list. I was always told "The more you do it, the better you get at it", but I lead prayers weekly for a year as my fraternity's chaplain and it still didn't get better. It's not an issue with public speaking, I'm in front of a classroom of students talking every day at work.

I just don't know what it is, I always avoid try to avoid leading prayers and praying out loud because of this. I see other these other Christians, in fact, it seems like every other Christian I know has no problem praying their heart out loud, but I just can't seem able to do so. Does anyone else have or had this problem? What helped?

If you can't think of what to say, then make a list beforehand of points to hit on an index card. Nothing elaborate, just enough info to remind you to hit on a point. It helps that you know when and whre the prayer would be delivered.

If you don't want others to see you reading from a card, finish it the night before, then review it right before praying.

Just a thought.
 
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Mountainmike

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I've always had this strange problem whenever it comes to prayer. When it comes to silent prayer, I can go on and on and have no issues what's expressing on my heart to say. It comes natural to me to pray silently, even around other groups of people. However, when it comes to praying out loud and specifically leading people in prayer, I can't ever think of what to say, even when I get prayer requests it's still a struggle. I would just kind of stumble through the prayer until I hit everything on the list. I was always told "The more you do it, the better you get at it", but I lead prayers weekly for a year as my fraternity's chaplain and it still didn't get better. It's not an issue with public speaking, I'm in front of a classroom of students talking every day at work.

I just don't know what it is, I always avoid try to avoid leading prayers and praying out loud because of this. I see other these other Christians, in fact, it seems like every other Christian I know has no problem praying their heart out loud, but I just can't seem able to do so. Does anyone else have or had this problem? What helped?

I know how you feel..
In another life, i think I would have been a hermit in silent meditation too.I also find that sung prayer doesnt do it for me either - prefer such as gregorian chant

But on your main point...

Having a structure in group prayer helps such as (here)- Padre Pios novena.
(leaving out a few of the bits that might upset protestants! -choose your request.

“Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of (here name your request). Our Father …Glory be … Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.

O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in My name, He will give it to you.” Behold, in Your name, I ask the Father for the grace of (here name your request). Our Father … Glory Be … Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.

O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away.” Encouraged by Your infallible words I now ask for the grace of (here name your request). Our Father … … Glory Be … Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.

You see...catholics do talk to Jesus!

The chaplet of divine mercy makes a good group or sung prayer.
 
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faroukfarouk

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I've always had this strange problem whenever it comes to prayer. When it comes to silent prayer, I can go on and on and have no issues what's expressing on my heart to say. It comes natural to me to pray silently, even around other groups of people. However, when it comes to praying out loud and specifically leading people in prayer, I can't ever think of what to say, even when I get prayer requests it's still a struggle. I would just kind of stumble through the prayer until I hit everything on the list. I was always told "The more you do it, the better you get at it", but I lead prayers weekly for a year as my fraternity's chaplain and it still didn't get better. It's not an issue with public speaking, I'm in front of a classroom of students talking every day at work.

I just don't know what it is, I always avoid try to avoid leading prayers and praying out loud because of this. I see other these other Christians, in fact, it seems like every other Christian I know has no problem praying their heart out loud, but I just can't seem able to do so. Does anyone else have or had this problem? What helped?
Write one or two headings on a piece of paper. :)
 
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Bluerose31

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I've always had this strange problem whenever it comes to prayer. When it comes to silent prayer, I can go on and on and have no issues what's expressing on my heart to say. It comes natural to me to pray silently, even around other groups of people. However, when it comes to praying out loud and specifically leading people in prayer, I can't ever think of what to say, even when I get prayer requests it's still a struggle. I would just kind of stumble through the prayer until I hit everything on the list. I was always told "The more you do it, the better you get at it", but I lead prayers weekly for a year as my fraternity's chaplain and it still didn't get better. It's not an issue with public speaking, I'm in front of a classroom of students talking every day at work.

I just don't know what it is, I always avoid try to avoid leading prayers and praying out loud because of this. I see other these other Christians, in fact, it seems like every other Christian I know has no problem praying their heart out loud, but I just can't seem able to do so. Does anyone else have or had this problem? What helped?

I have not had problems praying out loud but I can sympathize with your situation. Maybe pray to God about this struggle and ask that he make it so you can pray out loud without stress and worry. God bless you.
 
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AMM

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I will also add that written prayers aid me greatly when it comes to this. If someone asks me to pray before a meal, for instance, I will always say, "Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. + Amen."

If I don't have a prayer for a specific petition, I'll rely on "O Lord, bless _____" or "Lord have mercy on ____", etc.

When it comes to structure, Luther's 4-stranded garland of prayer is also very helpful to me: he breaks down the commandments into Instruction, Thanksgiving, Confession, Prayer. So, for example, let's say someone asks me to pray before a car trip. I might say something like this (I'm literally coming up with this on the spot)
"O Lord, you have given us our bodies and souls, eyes, ears, and all our members, and you still take care of them. You give us all that we have, including this vehicle and the opportunity for travel. We thank you for this, and for your countless blessings and benefits of body and soul, which we can never truly enumerate or understand. We confess that we have not honored our bodies or properly used the gifts that you give us, and we pray that you will forgive us of this, and bless our journey in spite of our sin. Teach us to remember that you are everywhere present and have promised to never leave us or forsake us. If our last hour comes on this journey, keep us strong in the faith and remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray, Our Father, who art in heaven..."
 
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brinny

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Tune out everything but Who you are talking to, and that is God. And keep the prayers, short and to the point, and tell God very briefly how much you love and praise Him and worship Him, and the Holy Spirit will "kick in" and all self-consciousness and our tongues getting "tied" will dissipate eventually. Keep in mind how delighted God will be with even this effort. He will be in the midst of this precious effort and be celebrating through His Spirit. Also read the Psalms to just get a sense of the delightful way that David prayed his heart out to God, sometimes silently and sometimes out loud. And c'mon, it's not like God is asking you to dance before Him like David did. :D
 
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brinny

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I had this problem back in my churchgoing days, when we'd pray during small-group meetings. It was so awkward.

I had the same issue at one time....plus i always feared my stomach would growl when it got reeeeeally quiet LOL!

By the way, your signature is hilarious.

^_^
 
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brinny

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I have not had problems praying out loud but I can sympathize with your situation. Maybe pray to God about this struggle and ask that he make it so you can pray out loud without stress and worry. God bless you.

This is precious and it's true.

Amen.
 
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Solomons Porch

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I've always had this strange problem whenever it comes to prayer. When it comes to silent prayer, I can go on and on and have no issues what's expressing on my heart to say. It comes natural to me to pray silently, even around other groups of people. However, when it comes to praying out loud and specifically leading people in prayer, I can't ever think of what to say, even when I get prayer requests it's still a struggle. I would just kind of stumble through the prayer until I hit everything on the list. I was always told "The more you do it, the better you get at it", but I lead prayers weekly for a year as my fraternity's chaplain and it still didn't get better. It's not an issue with public speaking, I'm in front of a classroom of students talking every day at work.

I just don't know what it is, I always avoid try to avoid leading prayers and praying out loud because of this. I see other these other Christians, in fact, it seems like every other Christian I know has no problem praying their heart out loud, but I just can't seem able to do so. Does anyone else have or had this problem? What helped?
This would be a problem "IF" I was trying to make prayer "pretty" and sound good to others. That is what would cause me discomfort. But therein is the problem that: are you wanting it to sound good? and be powerful "sounding" as to please another man or woman?

IF that above is a YES then read no further because then you are praying to mans ears and not Gods ears. Not judging you here I promise, but the LORD knows how we talk, our character, our attitude, everything about us, so to start making something sound fancy and powerful just for a person to approve of it and think we are big time warriors and can move mountains by blinking our eyes, we got problems in the camp.

If were doing this for mans approval and not to judge us then our hearts not in it and were just blowing smoke. Is God really answering the prayers we try to "think" up and make pretty, because He's looking straight into our heart as we are praying, seeing that we are not praying with our heart and mind FIXED upon HIM answering what we are asking for. If you want GODS attention, speak to HIM just the way you speak to another person, its a relationship and HE is listening "for the sound" of His son or daughter, not a fake sounding prayer. You want your prayers answered, thats why your praying, right? If right now God spoke to me: Behold thou Solomons Porch goeth into the wilderness and findeth me a lamb with.......:scratch::scratch:

Yeah, He wont talk to me out of character and neither should we, He's our Father. He knows our voice He knitted us in our mothers womb. Be yourself and watch them prayers get answered.

fcf9c89ee642a8956acd59e5bdefc09a.jpg
 
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I've always had this strange problem whenever it comes to prayer. When it comes to silent prayer, I can go on and on and have no issues what's expressing on my heart to say. It comes natural to me to pray silently, even around other groups of people. However, when it comes to praying out loud and specifically leading people in prayer, I can't ever think of what to say, even when I get prayer requests it's still a struggle. I would just kind of stumble through the prayer until I hit everything on the list. I was always told "The more you do it, the better you get at it", but I lead prayers weekly for a year as my fraternity's chaplain and it still didn't get better. It's not an issue with public speaking, I'm in front of a classroom of students talking every day at work.

I just don't know what it is, I always avoid try to avoid leading prayers and praying out loud because of this. I see other these other Christians, in fact, it seems like every other Christian I know has no problem praying their heart out loud, but I just can't seem able to do so. Does anyone else have or had this problem? What helped?

You are not alone.

I truly and fully believe in Christ, and make effort to follow Him, and am being changed over time to better do as He said to do, and one part for me is how He said we should pray in secret to the Father.

Just like He instructed us to in Matthew chapter 6.

Just like He said to do.

I now refuse to "pray" out loud with people, except only the 'giving thanks', which is something Christ did out loud in front of others. Only that.

I don't presume or judge anything about "prayers" others do out loud in front of people. I just know that I'm not supposed to, as best I can understand words.

I can imagine good from prayers out loud others do, like setting an example of how to pray, later, in secret! It's not that such out loud prayers in front of people can never be of any good. I don't presume that they are bad. Just not what is instructed to me to do.
 
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Rajni

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I had the same issue at one time....plus i always feared my stomach would growl when it got reeeeeally quiet LOL!
Oh no I hadn't thought of that!! :D

Kind of like taking a test in a silent classroom:

upload_2017-7-17_12-35-31.png
 
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brinny

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You are not alone.

I truly and fully believe in Christ, and make effort to follow Him, and am being changed over time to better do as He said to do, and one part for me is how He said we should pray in secret to the Father.

Just like He instructed us to in Matthew chapter 6.

Just like He said to do.

I now refuse to "pray" out loud with people, except only the 'giving thanks', which is something Christ did out loud in front of others. Only that.

I don't presume or judge anything about "prayers" others do out loud in front of people. I just know that I'm not supposed to, as best I can understand words.

I can imagine good from prayers out loud others do, like setting an example of how to pray, later, in secret! It's not that such out loud prayers in front of people can never be of any good. I don't presume that they are bad. Just not what is instructed to me to do.

Agreed, this is why I think it is so awkward for many or why so many don't seem to feel God the same as in privacy. I think worship is great as a group and public, but prayer is supposed to be private and individualized.
 
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