Pray out loud

There are lots of reasons why people find it hard to pray out loud in small groups. Maybe English isn’t their first language, or they’ve never prayed out loud before. It could be that they’ve just become a Christian and don’t know what to say. Some people are shy, or they worry about what people will think of them if their prayers are short or they stumble over their words. Other people have grown up in a church culture where prayer is a private activity.

So how do we help them overcome their worries and pray out loud in our small Bible study groups? Before we jump in with some ideas (which I'll get to in a couple of subsequent posts), it’s worth thinking about why we want people to pray out loud. Why can’t we just pray at home or in silence? Here are a few reasons why corporate prayer is beneficial and worth pursuing in our small groups:

Audible prayer is an encouragement to those who are listening

Jesus prayed out loud so that those who heard him could know joy in him (John 17:13). In the same way, when we pray for each other out loud, we have an opportunity to “encourage one another” and to “stir up one another to love and good works” (Heb 10:24-25). Praising God, declaring truth in prayer about God that assures us of our salvation, and asking God for his help out loud are also valuable ways that God’s people can “draw near” to God “in full assurance of faith” (Heb 10:19-22).

Praying together is the pattern set for us by the early church

After the ascension of Jesus, the early Christians devoted themselves to gathering together and praying (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 12:12). Like them, we’re living between the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and his second coming. Gathering and praying together are part and parcel of life for those who believe Jesus is now seated as God’s king and are waiting for him to return.

Praying together goes hand in hand with sharing our struggles

In James 5 we’re encouraged to pray together when we’re sick and as we confess our sins (Jas 5:13-18). A small group environment is safe place to help people search their hearts to see how God’s word is convicting them of sin. Audible prayer in a group environment is also a way to “exhort one another” so that sin doesn’t harden our hearts towards God (Heb 3:13).

In the groups I’ve been a part of, it’s been rare to have a week without someone suffering or facing ill health, so turning to God as we share our struggles is a natural and comforting expression of faith and dependence on Him. Interestingly, James also says that when we’re cheerful, we should sing praise—I assume this is audible! (I wonder if it would be useful to do more singing in our small groups.) It’s one reason why at the beginning and end of each term, our women’s Bible study groups sing a song of praise when they meet together for announcements.

Audible prayer is a good use of the power of our tongues

The Bible has much to say about the harm caused by our tongues (James 3, for example). Paul commands us to put away falsehood, anger and corrupting talk; instead, we should speak truth and use only words that build up, so that we may give grace to those who hear (Eph 4:25-32). Using our tongues to pray is surely a constructive way to harness the potential for good with our words.

Jesus and the apostles taught the flock how to pray

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray; the writers of the New Testament taught the church how to pray (e.g. Matt 5:44; 6:5-8; 9:37-38; Mark 12:40; Luke 11:1-4; Phil 4:6-7; 2 Thess 1:3, 11-12; 3:1-2). But Jesus didn’t just give his disciples the theory; he often took his disciples with him when he withdrew from the crowds to pray (Matt 26:36-45; Luke 9:18, 27-30; 11:1-3; John 17). Similarly, praying out loud is a concrete way of modeling to others how to pray.

 

It’s worth taking the time to explain these reasons, rather than just assuming that people understand already. Grounding motivation in God’s word is a great way to encourage people to step outside their comfort zone. You might like to consider covering this material at the beginning of each term, and taking new members through it to help them settle into the group.

Next time I'll talk about some ideas to help give people the skills to pray out loud in small groups, so you can help them to encourage others.