Expert: Thurman C. Petty, Jr. - 3/10/2008

Question
Are prayers only heard by God? Does it matter whether one prays aloud or silently?

Answer
Dear Pamela,

Thank you for your question about prayer.

God hears all prayers that are directed to Him, whether or not they are audible. Of course prayers that are audible could be heard by others, and if we just simply don’t want anyone else to hear, or are in a place where others couldn’t help but hear, then we’d want to pray silently.

Of course, God hears silent prayers. He is able to read our thoughts and knows at any moment when they are directed at Him. In fact, we can pray while doing anything else, working, playing, socializing. God is only a breath away at all times of the day or night. So you can think a prayer to Him at any time.

But what about audible prayers. Jesus prayed audibly enough of the time that His disciples were able to realize from whence His power came. It was listening to Jesus’ prayers (whether in public or further back in the woods or on the hill) that caused the disciples to ask Jesus to teach them to pray. And this request brought out from Jesus the words which are often called the “Lord’s Prayer.” Of course, Jesus meant it as a model to help us to know the type of content we should include in our prayers.

But won’t Satan hear what we’re saying if we pray audibly. Probably. But when we’re praying it doesn’t matter whether or not he hears what we say, because Jesus has won the war with him. The devil knows which side we’re on when we pray, so the content doesn’t make all that much difference. So don’t be afraid of Him. When you pray, you are surrounded by God’s angels who protect you from any interference from the evil one.

All through the Bible you can find the prayers of prophets and kings and others. Most of these were audible prayers. Some were offered in public and written down by someone in the congregation. Some were written down as a psalm or other writing by the one who prayed. The entire book of Psalms is a collection of songs and prayers. You would find it rewarding to read them and think of them as prayers offered by you to God.

I think you can see that it really doesn’t matter if you pray audibly or silently, publicly or privately. Prayer is a must to keep our relationship with Jesus alive, and however we pray, our eternal life depends on the fact that we must . . . PRAY!

Check out my website www.PettyPress.com where I’ve posted 18 of my books, 40 Bible study guides and much more. Feel free to write me if you have more questions.

Always be ready for Jesus to come,
Thurman C. Petty, Jr.