Silent prayer
What does the Bible say about praying silently?
Do you think it is biblical to pray silently? The Bible does not specifically mention silent prayer, but does that mean that it is any less valid than praying out loud?
I don’t think so. We know that God can hear our thoughts just as easily as He can hear our words. Psalm 139:23 (NASB) says “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts.” And in Jeremiah 12:3, it says “But You know me, O LORD; You see me; and You examine my heart’s attitude toward You.” Jesus knew the evil thoughts of the Pharisees (Matthew 12:25). Nothing we do, say, or think is hidden from God. He does not need to hear our words to know what we are thinking. And He listens to anyone who prays to Him, whether their prayers are spoken or not.
Of course, the Bible does mention praying in private (Matthew 6:6): “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” But it doesn’t say whether it should be done aloud or silently. After all, you’re alone, so it doesn’t really matter.
There are circumstances where only silent prayer is appropriate. For example, praying for something that is only between you and God should be just that—between you and God. Also, praying out loud for someone who is present might not always be best. We need to be sensitive to the situation and the person(s) involved. Take the case of Nehemiah, for example. When the king asked him why he was sad and what he wanted, it says that he “prayed to the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 2:4). That was definitely a silent prayer. The king was waiting for an answer. Nehemiah, as the cupbearer, needed to reply immediately. He couldn’t leave the king’s presence, get down on his hands and knees and plead with God in a loud voice. But he could still pray, and he did—silently.
Of course, there are other times when it is best to pray aloud. There is nothing wrong with praying silently, provided we are not doing it because we are too embarrassed to be seen praying.
Perhaps the verse that best shows the validity of unspoken prayers is 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” To pray unceasingly obviously cannot mean that we are to be praying out loud all the time. Rather, it means we are to be in a constant attitude of prayer, where we take every thought captive to Him (2 Corinthians 10:5) and bring every situation, plan, fear, and concern before His throne. Unceasing prayer means that our prayers will be spoken, whispered, shouted, sung, and offered up silently as we direct our thoughts to God in praise, petition, supplication, and thanksgiving.