Why Is It So Hard to Pray Out Loud?

by Chris Mullis

Recently I was asked, “Why is it so hard to pray out loud?” Some people don’t mind praying out loud. Others are terrified by it! Don’t feel bad if you struggle to pray out loud. It’s a very common struggle, even for deeply committed Christians. I’ve even known pastors who struggled to pray out loud—especially at the beginning of their ministries.

So, if you are a pastor and church leader, you should always check with people before you put them on the spot and ask them to pray out loud. Even if you think you know someone, check with them first if you’ve never heard them pray out loud.

Now, let me give you some tips to help if you struggle to pray out loud.

Tip Number 1—Practice

Practice praying out loud when you’re alone. It may surprise you, but most people aren’t used to hearing the sound of their own voice. And hearing your voice when everyone else in the room is completely silent can really weird you out. So, practice praying out loud at home when you’re all alone. God will love it and no one else will know. And practice makes perfect.

Tip Number 2—Pray for Dinner

Start by praying for dinner while alone or with your family. This is how I learned how to pray out loud when I was a kid. My parents prayed for the meal and sometimes they asked the kids to pray. We simply copied them and prayed something like: “God is great! God is good! Let us thank Him for our food! Amen.”

A simple meal blessing like this is easy to remember. From this, I became accustomed to praying out loud and it was easy to progress to prayers for other occasions as I grew older. This is a great way to train your own kids to pray and it can help you too. Start a family habit of praying before your meals, even when you go out to eat in a restaurant. It’s a good spiritual practice for your family. Let your kids in on the fun while they’re young. It will bless your family in so many ways and help you and your kids learn to pray out loud.

Tip Number 3—Just Talk to God

You don’t have to sound like the preacher at church. Just be yourself. God isn’t looking for fancy language. He just wants you to be you. Some of the best prayers I’ve heard were in plain language that sounded like a friend talking to a friend. So just be yourself.

Tip Number 4—Keep it short. Keep it simple.

Trust me, no one is going to complain your prayer was too short. People like short prayers! Don’t try to go on and on. Just say what you need to say and be done. In fact, it’s perfectly okay to memorize a short standard prayer you can use. Start with a standard, basic prayer and add anything specific you need to pray. When I was growing up, I had a basic prayer that went like this: “Dear God, thank you for everything You’ve given me and done for me. Please heal anyone who is sick, comfort those who are grieving, and forgive our sins. In Jesus Name. Amen.” So, you can pray something simple like this and if you think of anything specific, just add that in too. Praying out loud can be hard when you first start, but the more you practice and the more you pray, the easier it will be. So, let’s pray right now: “Jesus, help everyone reading this to learn to pray out loud. Amen.”

About The Author

Rev. Chris Mullis is an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church with a Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Pastor Chris’s ministry has spanned twenty years and four different churches in Georgia. Chris is currently serving God as the senior pastor of Pleasant Grove Methodist Church located at 2701 Cleveland Hwy in Dalton, GA.

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