If you know me, you’ve heard me say, “Your story is your story.” When we share our personal stories, no matter what they relate to, they are unique to us and no one can dispute them. Even if someone else judges our “feelings” about something to be wrong, those are still our feelings. Does that mean we don’t listen to their opinions? No, not at all. But just because someone decides that what we’re feeling is wrong doesn’t change the fact that that’s how we feel at that moment. You may eventually come to their point of view, but for now, this is your story and should not be devalued.
Everyone’s feelings should be considered and valued. Don’t be critical of what others say. However, some of us may find ourselves holding back from sharing with certain people because no matter what we say, it is inevitable that our thoughts on an issue will be disrespected. This is where the power of “your story is your story” comes into play, and no matter how others interpret it, you know what happened and what you were feeling, and you can have the spirit to forgive those who challenge your claims.
You may be wondering, “What does praying out loud have to do with praying out loud?” I think it lays the foundation for the fact that the sincere words that come out of our mouths are always of value. If we can practice fearless sharing of our stories, praying out loud will give us the courage to share God’s story with others.
I think we all remember the first time we heard someone pray out loud. We know it can be done! Although I wasn’t yet a believer, I attended a preschool mother’s group that had a time of sharing and prayer. They went around in a circle, and each mother prayed out loud. Here I thought, “What? I’m not signed up for this! I don’t know how to pray like the other women!” I listened carefully to each mother’s prayer, and when my turn came, I stumbled through my own. In retrospect, it was pretty foolish of me to think that these Christian mothers would be criticizing my prayers, but sadly, as I said earlier, we all have experience of being criticized for things other than what we said, and that carries over into praying out loud.
I still empathize when a new believer, or someone who grew up in a faith tradition that didn’t pray out loud, says, “Oh, I’m not good at praying out loud.” Others remain silent in a prayer circle. In fact, as believers in Jesus, all of our prayers come from the Holy Spirit. When we open ourselves to God’s will in our prayer lives, it is the Holy Spirit who prompts us to pray. Now, who can argue with that?!
There are great figures of faith in the Bible who struggled similarly…
“Then Moses said to the Lord, “Lord, I beseech you, I have never been eloquent, neither in these days nor in ancient times, nor since you spoke to your servant. Or who becomes unable to speak, or deaf, or blind, or blind? Is it not me, the Lord? Now go. Then I will speak to you and tell you what you should say. ” Exodus 4:10-12
God gave Moses a mission, but sadly, Moses still refused to speak out loud due to fear. Instead, the mission was accomplished through Aaron, who received the word from Moses.
May we choose to believe that the Lord speaks through us, and may we not be afraid to pray out loud. Every prayer we say out loud for others to hear is a commission from God.
See how the Lord uses our verbal prayers to accomplish His mission and be inspired to overcome your fear of praying out loud in groups.
mission of encouragement
What makes prayer different is the means of “preaching” or giving a poetic, flowery speech. Our prayers are never “framed” with thoughts of what others think about us, whether we are being judged or nominated to a “place of prayer.” Sometimes the simplest prayers with the fewest words can have the deepest impact on the person praying. Our prayer comes from abiding deeply in the Holy Spirit who speaks through us as we take this posture.
God’s Word is deeply connected to our prayer life. The more time you spend in the Word, the richer your prayer life will become. Occasionally the Holy Spirit will remind the person of a Bible verse and pray out loud to encourage the person through whatever they are going through.
Your story may be part of how you pray for encouragement for someone else, as you may have walked a similar path. Pour out heartfelt words of encouragement to them, remembering God’s faithfulness to you.
If you practice these things, you will feel more comfortable praying out loud in a group.
Mission of comfort
No matter how uncomfortable it may be to pray out loud, it is important to overcome that fear in order to comfort others.
When I first became a believer, I was introduced to a woman who had recently lost her sight. We became prayer partners. We gathered together to pray for each other and others, and we memorized Scripture together. As you’ve probably heard, people who are blind have their other senses heightened. Whenever a friend of mine prayed out loud about the difficulties I was going through, he said that at the end of the prayer he could feel my whole body relaxing (even though he wasn’t touching me). And she wasn’t wrong. When she prayed words of comfort on my behalf, I truly felt peace come over me.
May we overcome our fear of praying out loud and let the words of our prayers comfort others so they can experience comfort and peace.
mission of courage
In September of this year, a close friend of mine passed away after a year-long battle with cancer. Her reliance on the Lord and her faith through it all was inspiring. She still shows up to Wednesday night Bible study with her chemo bag still on. Even though she was going through so much, she always thought of others and always sought out the happiness of others. When my daughter was going through a particularly difficult time, she led everyone to lay hands on her and pray out loud for her.
When my friend was nearing the end of her life, she expressed her own fears, even though she was so faithful and trusted in the Lord. I was so impressed by how she portrayed the moment so realistically. That’s completely understandable.
The last time I visited her, the Lord reminded me of a psalm to pray out loud for my friend. Many of the psalms show the tension between fear and faith, and even though we are afraid, there is still faith. We can read the Bible on behalf of someone as a prayer. The Psalms are perfect prayers for courage. The Holy Spirit has given courage to my friend through this psalm and through all the prayers I prayed out loud for her on her last day. She passed away peacefully in her sleep and is with the Lord.
When we overcome our fear of praying out loud in a group, we set aside our selfish concerns and instead put others ahead of our own comfort. In doing so, we bring encouragement, comfort, and courage to those the Lord has placed in our path to pray. Not only that, but there may be other people listening to your prayers who need the same encouragement, comfort, and courage. And now you have multiplied your blessings many times over.
Especially when we overcome our fear of praying out loud, we bring glory to God by becoming His spokesperson.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/vadimguzhva
Karen Dell Tattoo is a blogger, author, women’s ministry leader, pastor’s wife, mother, and grandmother who is passionate about God’s Word. Her blog, “Growing Together in Grace and Knowledge,” and her books, “Choosing to Trust God: Breaking the Habit of Worry,” “A 30-Day Devotional,” and “Choosing to Trust God Companion Journal,” reveal her heart offering biblical insights to inspire women to grow in, through, and overcome hardship. Karen and her husband live in Rhode Island and enjoy walking in the woods, petting owls, and spending time with their grandchildren.
