I went through a season of doubt recently. I knew in my mind that God hears my thoughts when I pray to Him silently, but I was having trouble convincing my heart of the same. Sometimes it is good to pray aloud, sometimes it is good to even write a prayer, but sometimes it is refreshing to simply silently meditate on and to the Lord! Although it was obvious to me intellectually that God knows our thoughts, what helped me overcome this doubt, was being reminded of some of the Scriptures that confirm this truth...
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind
And declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who makes dawn into darkness
And treads on the high places of the earth,
The LORD God of hosts is His name.
Amos 4:13
O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all.
Psalm 139:1-4
I know that there are more Scriptures like this. Perhaps, for instance, when Hannah prayed to the Lord in her deep distress (1 Samuel 1:10-13), although her mouth was moving. Do you know of any other Scriptures along these lines? If so, please feel free to post them in a comment. Thanks, and may our awesome God be with you!
Great Blog!! Here are some more scripture refrences on the subject.
ReplyDeleteCol 3:16 (NIV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Romans 8:26 ESV
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
1 Corinthians 14:15 ESV
What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
The Bible may not specifically mention praying silently, but that does not mean it is any less valid than praying out loud. God can hear our thoughts just as easily as He can hear our words (Psalm 139:23; Jeremiah 12:3). Jesus knew the evil thoughts of the Pharisees (Matthew 12:24-26; Luke 11:7). Nothing we do, say, or think is hidden from God, who does not need to hear our words to know our thoughts. He has access to all prayers directed to Him, whether or not they are spoken.
The Bible does mention praying in private (Matthew 6:6). What would be the difference between praying out loud or silently if you are by yourself? There are some circumstances where only silent prayer is appropriate, e.g., praying for something between you and God only, praying for someone who is present, etc. There is not anything wrong with praying silently, as long as we are not doing it because we are embarrassed to be seen praying.
God Bless
Thank you Sister for those verses and thoughts! I especially like Romans 8:26 and Psalm 139:23:
ReplyDeleteSearch me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;