People pray to God mostly in silence, using the mind and heart as they commune and fellowship with God. It is the most common form of prayer; some people don’t even realize they are praying to God with their minds as they talk to Him. Sometimes, when people cry before God and have no words at all, God takes the tears as prayers, keeps every teardrop in a bottle, and records people’s sorrows in His book (see Psalm 56:8). Communing and fellowshipping with God is powerful and unlimited. You can always have access to Him wherever you are and whenever it may be because God is everywhere. He lives and dwells in you (see Colossians 1:27).
You can pray to God in silence about anything that’s in your heart. He isn’t limited by subjects or knowledge, for He knows and understands your mind and heart more than anyone else. He already knew you before you were born. Sometimes, praying to God in silence can’t be achieved, especially if you are dealing with a lot of inner turmoil and distractions. It can be hard to connect with God if you have to deal with noises not just on the outside but from within, such as worries, problems, doubts, fears, and so on. The good news is that God allows these things to come to the surface when you enter into quietness with Him to show you the things you need to surrender into His hands.
There are many things that you can pray to God in silence. It can be about anything—your life, someone you care about or even hate, your job, your children, your spouse, financial matters, and even hobbies and things that you like to do. God is a great listener, and He also responds to you as you talk to Him. For instance, if you want to pray in silence about a financial breakthrough, you can pray to God in this manner:
Lord, thank You, for I can trust You in all things. Even in my finances, Your presence is there, guiding me and helping me handle financial matters. I know that You already know my situation, and I don’t need to magnify the problems. I exalt You and magnify You because You are greater than all of these. You are my Great Provider, and I don’t have to worry about anything in Jesus’ name. Thank You, God. Amen.
How to Pray Silently
Can you talk to God silently?
As mentioned earlier, most prayers are silent prayers. People talk to God mostly with their minds and hearts. He has given us a choice to talk to Him silently or pray out loud, depending on how the Holy Spirit may be leading us. It is important to be led by the Spirit when you pray to God. He knows when it is the right time to pray to God in silence and the perfect time to pray out loud. Either way, both are powerful ways to communicate with God because of Who you pray to.
Praying in silence can give you a sense of privacy, and you can be more open and transparent with God. It is powerful like that because no one can really know what you are communicating with God except God. Not even the devil knows what’s on your mind because, unlike the Almighty Father, the enemy is not all-knowing and all-powerful. God is a safe place and refuge you can run to anytime. Even your darkest secrets are safe with Him, and He helps you overcome, repent of your ways, and be transformed according to Christlikeness.
Unlike some people, God is never judgmental about the things you’d rather speak of in private and in silence. He can take the most unimaginable sin as you confess it to Him. 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is so amazing for giving us the option to pray in silence and be comfortable with Him. If you haven’t yet had this kind of relationship with God, you better start talking to Him now about anything you want to say and confess to Him. He alone knows your mind and your heart, and He alone is able to help you overcome and give you the wisdom and insights that will surely bless your life as well as that of those around you.
How to Pray Silently
Most often, when you pray in silence, God reveals His secrets too. He calls you to intercede and pray about certain things He will show you and impress in your heart. Sometimes, He will show you specific persons who need your prayers in silence. Sometimes, it can be about a particular event or happening He wants you to intercede; it can also be about a nation and His will for that country. God, too, speaks to your mind and heart in silence. No scientific explanation is needed to prove that God reaches out to humanity. First, He has already given us His Word and His will through the Scriptures. And through your knowledge of the Scriptures, God can speak to you in contemporary ways, in which you can relate and understand, considering the thoughts are biblically aligned.
Praying in silence is powerful as it gives you the freedom to connect with God without restrictions, limitations, and hindrances. He is in you, and you are in Him, inseparable through the love of Jesus Christ. And the best relationship is the one you can have with God.
Should I pray out loud or in my head?
Praying to God using your mind is the most common form of prayer, but praying out loud is also another way to pray powerfully and effectively. As the Holy Spirit leads you, it may depend on the situation whether He will call on you to pray in your head or pray out loud. Now that we have discussed praying silently, let’s talk more about praying out loud. Why do you need to pray out loud when you can pray in silence? Know that the enemy doesn’t know what’s on your mind. When Satan bombards you with fears, doubts, anxieties, insecurities, and worries, praying in silence to God is one thing. But to pray out loud – for instance, about the Scripture promises of God, an exaltation of Who He is, magnifying the Father, and praising His goodness – can really terrify the enemy and make him tremble and flee.
Sometimes, it is necessary to pray aloud and not just in your head. After all, the words you speak have the power to bring death and life into a situation. Proverbs 18:21 says that Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. So, when do you pray to God in silence and when do you pray out loud? As mentioned earlier, you must let the Holy Spirit lead you whenever you pray to God. He knows when it is best to pray aloud or to pray in silence.
There are instances when, location-wise and crowd-wise, it is not a good time to pray aloud, so you can opt to pray in silence. For example, you are in a public market when the Holy Spirit suddenly prompts you to pray about something or someone He puts to your mind. Praying aloud in that case may cause a scene in a public market that’s filled with different people with different backgrounds and beliefs. You may attract persecution and unnecessary, rude comments if you suddenly pray aloud. However, there may be cases where the Holy Spirit will prompt you to pray for a person who may have a cast, is in a wheelchair, is limping, and so on. When you pray for healing, you want the person to hear the power of Jesus’ name and declare, “I command you, be healed in the name of Jesus!” rather than praying in silence.
Praying out loud is usually to exercise your authority in Christ Jesus. Praying in tongues, casting out demons, healing the sick, raising the dead—you don’t pray in silence in these situations because you want to verbalize and make manifest the name of Jesus. Whoever hears the name of Jesus – be it a soul, a demon spirit, or the angels of God – bows down to it because He is the name above all names (see Philippians 2:9). Praying to God in silence is powerful to give you that safe place and privacy, while praying to God aloud is powerful to make demons flee and creations of God to submit to His will.
So, as you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to pray, whether in silence or out loud, may the Lord use you powerfully as you intercede and pray the will of God. Let heaven come on earth through you in Christ Jesus.