Praying out loud

I guess you could say i'm still new to praying. Even though I pray every night I for some reason am unable to allow myself to pray out loud. It's the same way with singing/worshiping. I don't know what i'm afraid of. I guess maybe i'm just scared of doing it wrong.

I know its a fear I just need to get over but does anyone have any helpful suggestions?

I still have that problem, but it's gotten better. One thing that helped me is praying with my husband. Maybe you could try praying with a close friend, each of you taking turns praying...maybe picking a particular topic or issue to pray about once a week or something. That might get you used to praying out loud with others, and you'd feel "safer" praying with someone you trust. And as you got more comfortable with it, it would feel more natural and less scary for you.

tinysdancer19

well, i think you should see praying outloud as something you have to accomplish, becuase you do.
im not trying to correct you, but you really need to get past that and begin to do this.

sometimes i can feel within myself, a pressure that is building and it wants me to give it release by loosing my tongue and praying outloud. you ever feel that? it the spirit that is in trying to get you to do it, becuase it knows you need to.

and sometimes i can feel what seems like some kind of evil resistance, and it doesnt want me to open my mouth and speak. ever feel that?
it is the devil becuase he knows praying outloud will cause you to grow in Christ. we only grow when we feed and release, feed and then release, if we dont, we die. and you must give yourself release by opening your mouth and releasing it.

you can pray in your thoughts, but there is a very real diffrence when you pray outloud. your words are more powerful than your thoughts.
Gods thoughts never did anything as far as we know from the bible, but his words did everything. it isnt easy to do, but you have to press on and keep doing it, it does get easier.
and we are made in his image, were supposed to function like he does, and one of the things he does the most is speak.

there is a valley you must cross to go to the other side, the other side is a more powerful and more free prayer life. and the valley is you loosing your tongue and vocalising your prayers.
if you dont pray outloud, God still loves you and your still saved.
but you really do need to break through that wall the enemy has put up and press though the resistance you feel when you try to pray outloud.

get away from other people if your scared to doit around them, what you do in private long enough...you will begin to do in public.

if you dont pray outloud, its ok.
but you really do need to, to go in christ to where he wants you to end up.
be encouraged, press on toward mark of the high calling. you can doit.
we are required to be bold, and we really cant do that if we cant speak.

Tinydancer19 said:

I guess you could say i'm still new to praying. Even though I pray every night I for some reason am unable to allow myself to pray out loud. It's the same way with singing/worshiping. I don't know what i'm afraid of. I guess maybe i'm just scared of doing it wrong.

I know its a fear I just need to get over but does anyone have any helpful suggestions?

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While praying out loud is certainly not necessary, one way to help faciliate this is to use the time tested prayers that have been given to us by the Church. Though at first this may seem strange, over time you will find that the words become your own as you offer them up to the Holy Trinity.

For example, here are portions of the prayers that are read during each 'Hour' of the day by monastics and laypersons when able.

Prayer of the Hours

O Thou Who at every season and every hour in Heaven and on earth art worshipped and glorified, O Christ our God—longsuffering, greatly-merciful and deeply-compassionate; Who lovest the just and showest mercy upon the sinner; Who callest all men to salvation through the promise of good things to come:
Do Thou, the same Lord, accept also our prayers in this hour, and direct our lives according to Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, guide aright our minds, cleanse our thoughts, and deliver us from every affliction, evil and sickness. Compass us about with Thy holy Angels, that guarded and guided by their legions we may attain unto unity of faith and the knowledge of Thine unapproachable glory, for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer of St. Basil the Great
O God, the Lord of Hosts and Fashioner of all creation, Who, in Thine incomparable tender mercy, didst send down Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation of our kind, and through His precious Cross didst tear asunder the handwriting of our sins, thereby triumphing over the principalities and powers of darkness:
Do Thou, the same Lord, O Master and Lover of Mankind, accept also these prayers of thanksgiving and supplication from us sinners, and deliver us from every deadly and dark transgression, and from all the visible and invisible enemies that seek after us to do us harm. Nail our flesh with the fear of Thee, and let not our hearts incline to evil words or thoughts. But wound our souls with Thy love, that looking ever unto Thee, and guided by Thee in the light, beholding Thee, the Eternal Light that no man can approach, we may offer up unceasing praise and thanksgiving unto Thee—the Father Who is without beginning, together with Thine Only-begotten Son, and Thine All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

tinydancer19

one more thing, be careful who you let speak into your life.
not just in this page, but in all of life. dont let any crafty snakes in your garden. go with what God has put in your spirit IF IT IS THE SAME AS THE PEOPLE THAT GOD PUT IN YOUR LIFE TO HELP YOU.
(and im not saying im one of them)

for example, i think i hear many things from God... but if my pastors dont agree with those things, i know im wrong and that it wasnt God.
BECUASE I KNOW THOSE ARE OLDER MEN OF GOD, WHO KNOW WHAT THEIR TALKING ABOUT, AND GOD GAVE ME THOSE MEN TO HELP ME.

find someone who you esteem a great man or woman of God, that you trust to know God, and stay close to them, untill you have the wisdom and discernment and experience to venture far on your own.
i know im not there yet. none of us may ever be, there are no lone rangers in the kingdom of God.

One thing that may help you with your prayers is knowing how to pray. I thought I knew how to pray but their are certain steps needed. I know this to be true because Jesus showed his disciples how to pray. The Lord's prayer wasn't for us to repeat, but to model our prayers after it. You may know this already but i thought it might help. An excellent book to read on this is "The Purpose & Power of Prayer" by Myles Munroe. A definite must read!

The Lord's prayer wasn't for us to repeat, but to model our prayers after it.

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I disagree, and so does our Lord:

Mat 6:9 Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name ...

You might also look at the book Beginning to Pray by Anthony Bloom. This is a well acclaimed (by all Christian faiths) easy to digest introduction to prayer.

Could i clarify what you mean when you say pray out loud- do you mean pray with others in public, or just actually speaking out loud. If you mean praying with others, then there is no immediate rush to get there. I think some people here will probably disagree with me, but i think what you first need to do is pray more in private. Prayer is a communication between you and God - a private communication when he gives you the chance to speak to directly to him. Prayer establishes and develops your own relationship with God. It's fine praying with others, but you need to have this relationship with Him established first. From experience i've found that a lot of people who pray out loud try and impress others with their majestic language of adoration for God. Prayer is definitely not about impressing others. If you're not used to open prayer then this sort of language can be intimidating and your thoughts will wander from prayer to other issues, such as 'what am i going to say in my prayer that will sound good'. Remember Matthew 5 and 6
And when you pray , you shall not be like the hypocrite. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, i say to you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
I hope that (in part ) helps.

Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name ...

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It depends on which version of the bible you are using. I'm using the NASB and the verse is as such:
Pray, then, in this way:'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

oblio

uhmm, no disrespect or anything and im not going to argue with you but i agree with jay1_z.

if it was THAT CERTAIN pattern of words that needed to be reemployed during prayer in order to get an effect... ya know thats alot like witchcraft.
they use certain phrases and words, becuase those phrases or words are what bring the power. My God isnt like that. My God is a God that doesnt look on those things which are seen, but those which are unseen.

like when people throw an amen on the end of a prayer, and dont really even know why they do, but just becuase they think saying it makes the prayer work better... thats alot like witchraft too. they make it a lucky rabbits foot ir something. and if you have a certain prayer that works really well, and you begin to rely on the memorization of that prayer and pattern or coreography of words to get something from God... thats alot like witchcraft too.
the bible speaks agaisnt vain repetition of words in prayer... like the heathen do.

if its the words you used, and not the heart from which they came... no that aint God. and if it is the heart, the words arent important.

the bible says in one place that we need 3 things.
1. the love of the father.
2. the grace of son.
and
3. the FELLOWSHIP of the holyghost.

repitition of words... that aint fellowship.
thats alot like im praying to something that cant talk back, becuase as soon as it does, im gonna have to ditch the scripted prayer becuase it aint enough anymore.

no, Jesus prayer was example of topics and themes of prayer.
it wasnt a script to follow.
becuase man prayer is supposed to eximplify your heart to God, repitition of any manner of words cant do that, theres no reason for God to believe thats the way you really feel, repitition of words doesnt do that.
and prayer is supposed to.

and what about people like paul and appollos, who probly never even heard of that prayer?
nah man, no disrespect to you, but i cant live my christian walk like that.
that stuffs just not God.

From experience i've found that a lot of people who pray out loud try and impress others with their majestic language of adoration for God. Prayer is definitely not about impressing others. If you're not used to open prayer then this sort of language can be intimidating and your thoughts will wander from prayer to other issues, such as 'what am i going to say in my prayer that will sound good'.

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This is quite true, and another good reason when praying in public or corporate prayers, to use common prayers, whether they be from a Book of Common Prayer, or the more ancient Prayer books used by Orthodox. We find that Holy men of God have penned beautiful prayers that are applicable to all. In addition, it is pleasing to the Lord for all our prayers to be lifted up in one accord. It is good to know that my prayers are in unison with other Orthodox Christians during times of corporate prayer and during private prayers as well.

on and i completely agree with tomuea, not that he needs me to agree or anything.
but heck yeah, home is where the heart is, anything else is a mask and its not really you. and let me tell you, real men and women of God can see it anyway, a person who knows God and has walked the walk for a while... they can see it, whether its real or not. they know.
it has to start in private and work its way out.
and the reason people who cant pray publicly cant, is because they dont pray privately like they should...i know that isnt nice... but it really is true.