![]() He played a role that he was not meant to play. He stepped into an office that wasn’t his. King Saul had the best intentions when he decided to go to war to protect the Lord’s people instead of waiting for the prophet’s arrival. You may even have the best of intentions. Sometimes we are deprived of God’s voice because we have become too fond of hearing our own. Remember that you are speaking to someone that you know. That comes when we learn to quieten ourselves and listen to him. Some of the most critical decisions and clear communication to come from God comes in our moments of silence. You have probably heard prayer described as dialogue. Yet, the Lord heard her prayer and stretched his loving hand to change her situation. The priest even thought that she was drunk. We know that when Hannah desperately prayed to the Lord that she may have a sign, she did so silently. Three times a day he would kneel down, pray, and give thanks to his God, just as he had previously done.ġ1 The conspirators then went as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking help before his God. Daniel is Accusedġ0 When Daniel learned that the written document had been signed, he went to an upstairs room in his house that had windows opened facing Jerusalem. We all know how that ended! Daniel 6:9-11International Standard Versionĩ So King Darius signed the edict contained in the written document. At a time when prayer had been outlawed, he was found guilty of praying! He would have stood in defiance of the king’s edict and prayed. One of my favourite examples of this is the case of Daniel. It is said that his enemies feared his prayers! Daniel His loud prayers would have been in defiance of this. In his quest to keep the church as pure as Christ would have wanted it, he made enemies of the Catholic Church. He was a man that was at odds with the church of his day. It is said that he did this because he “wanted even the devil to hear him pray.” Martin Luther was known to have prayed aloud. It is in that place where the miracles that we see would have been birthed. We know that Jesus would often draw away from the crowds, to spend time alone in prayer and contemplation. It is in such places that God works mighty things. ![]() The secret place mention above is what is often referred to as the prayer closet. He hears what is said in secret places and rewards us publicly. We know that God sees what is done in secret. Their prayers were said in a way that those around them could hear of their virtuous ways. In a manner that was boastful and filled with pride. Jesus teaches about this through the example of the Pharisees. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ġ4 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ġ3 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. Luke 18:9-14New International Version The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collectorĩ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. In such a manner that you would find yourself praying more for the pleasure of the people around you instead of pouring your heart out to the Lord. It is easy to get caught up in your surroundings. Going back to the point about who you are praying to. As such, the only way that we could facilitate such agreement in prayer is through prayer that others can hear and agree with. It also tells us that whatever we agree to bind or to loose on this earth is bound in heaven. The scripture tells us that where two or more meet in his name, he is present. Praying in AgreementĪdding to the previous point about the body of Christ. In which case, loud prayer is for the edification of the body of Christ. Unless of course, this is a prayer that is being done in a corporate setting. If you’re praying to the Lord our God, there isn’t much of a need to shout about it. The first thing to consider when discussing the silent prayer versus loud prayer is who these prayers are being sent to. That saying that no matter how you choose to communicate with him he will understand and hear you. Daniel 6:9-11International Standard VersionĬonsidering that God is omnipresent.The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
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