Cry Out

Psalm 142:1-2
I cry out to the LORD with my voice;
With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.

Do you struggle with praying out loud? For years I did. I was always afraid I wouldn't say the right words, or sound "spiritual enough." What that really boils down to is fear of people - and the only One who should command our fear is God. After all, He is the one to Whom we're speaking anyway. When we pray out loud, we're inviting others to join in with us as we pray, but we aren't really talking to them.

I've recently been reading a little book by Bill Gothard titled "The Power of Crying Out." While I've somewhat conquered my fears of praying out loud in groups of people, I had never thought about praying out loud when I'm by myself. After all, God knows my thoughts, right? Psalm 139:2b says "You understand my thought afar off." So when I'm praying in my heart and my mind and my spirit, God hears me. But the Scripture is full of verses indicating we are to cry out to God with our voice.

So, I've started praying out loud. It was really weird at first. Kind of makes me feel like I'm talking to myself. My dad says only little old ladies with money talk to themselves - and I'm neither! But the truth is, I'm not talking to myself - I'm talking to my Father, and I know He hears me. "I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O LORD! I will keep Your statutes" (Psalm 119:145).

I was sharing with a friend about this "new" concept and she reminded me that, while God can hear my prayers whether silent or spoken out loud, Satan can only hear what I speak with my voice. So when I pray out loud, I'm also letting him know what I'm asking God to do - and he knows I have the power of God on my side.

Is there a burden on your heart that you've been praying about? Cry out to God - He will hear!

Ruth Schmidt

Ruth Schmidt is on full-time staff at America's Keswick, and grateful to be a daughter of the King.

DIGGING DEEPER
Matthew 6
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.