Tips for Growing in Confidence to Pray Out Loud

It’s that moment in Sunday School when everyone’s eyes hit the floor.  

The question is simple, but it seems to suck the air out of the room: 

“Will someone pray?” 

For some reason, we’d rather be caught in 5:00 traffic on a Friday than praying out loud for someone. Even stubbing our toe and, dare I say, spilling our PSL sounds easier than voicing a prayer. (OK, maybe bringing our pumpkin spiced lattes into this was a bit too far.)  

The practice of praying out loud seems to be a lost art. We fear we might say the wrong thing, go completely blank, or not pray as well as the woman next to us. Instead of capturing an intimate moment between believers and our Father, it’s become a moment of dread. And, my friends, you’re not alone in this feeling! 

Why is praying out loud important?

To start (and the most important): we want to model Jesus. Hebrews 5:7-8 says Jesus, “… offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of his reverence.” 

If Jesus did it, the response I want to have is a posture of obedient imitation. Remember, this obedience is for our good. When Jesus spoke out to the Father, it developed intimacy, vulnerability, and focus on communion with God. This “nearness of God,” to quote the psalmist, “is my good” (Ps. 73:28). 

Second, James 5:16 urges us to “… confess your sins to one another and pray for one another…” (Jas. 5:16, emphasis added). Praying with our brothers and sisters develops an intimacy that, I would argue, intimidates the enemy (and I love watching the enemy squirm). The church is stronger when we step into confession and praise to our Father together. We’re reminded we’re not alone in the trials and triumphs of this world. Our God has given us the Holy Spirit and the encouragement of the church to champion each other.  

Finally, praying out loud produces humility. Friends, we need Jesus. Setting potential discomfort aside to enter the throne room of heaven on behalf of another will always be worth it. It’s more holy than the fear we may unknowingly hold onto. It’s needed more than the pride we try to protect.  

I remember a season in my ministry when spiritual warfare felt particularly heavy. I was worn out, spiritually drained, and feeding into the lie from the enemy that I wasn’t good enough or doing enough.  

One day I sat quietly in our church staff meeting, pretending like I was put together (I’m sure I was wearing an ascot that day—I’m usually my best self while wearing an ascot). Our pastor began the meeting…  

“Who needs prayer?” 

My heart began to race and a wave of heat rolled over me (y’all ever get a little sweaty when you know you need to speak up? No? Me either … ahem.). One-by-one our staff began to pour their hearts out. We brought every request before our King.  

I finally opened my mouth to share how defeated I felt in my calling. One of my best friends volunteered to pray over me that morning. As she prayed, we wept. I had finally brought to light the shame that was keeping me from walking in the freedom of my calling. And my friend didn’t care how she looked as she drug my beat-up spirit into the throne room. My people battled for me in prayer that day. To be honest, I don’t remember what she prayed, but I do remember feeling seen. Seen by my Savior through the body of believers.  

That, my friends, is why we should be the first to volunteer to pray over one another. To be used by God in such a mighty way, to care for His people, to have a front row seat in watching a miracle happen as heaven touches earth.

Psalm 142:1-2 says,  

“I cry aloud to the LORD; I plead aloud to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble to him.” 

As we cry out to the Lord, may we only be concerned about the opinion of One. He is our reward and worthy of every ounce of us.  

Now that we’ve tackled the why, let’s look to the how and make the enemy nervous! 

Pray by yourself.

Commit to verbally praying in the car on your way to work or on your way to the grocery store. Pray your petitions out loud as you fold laundry at home or when you’re putting away the dishes. Consider journaling your prayers and audibly reading them. Get used to hearing your voice in prayer.  

Pray the Scriptures.

There’s something comforting about hearing someone pray God’s Word over you. This is a beautiful habit to establish in your personal prayer ministry. However, to pray the Scriptures, you must know them. If you’re looking for a place to start, jump into the book of Psalms. For example, you might pray this: 

“Father, Psalm 23:1-2 says, ‘The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.’ Father, this passage says that You’re my good Shepherd—the One who takes care of and guides my soul. Yet, I feel like a wandering sheep. I keep getting lost and am desperate for You to draw me nearer. Help me distinguish Your voice above the world’s. Please lead me to quiet waters to rest and to hear You more clearly.” 

Pray with a friend(s).

Grab a friend who can join you in growing in this practice. Take turns praying loud and clear. Allow each other to stumble over words, giggle over the missteps and mumbles, sit quietly in the pauses as you each try to find the words, and to welcome raw vulnerability.  

As your confidence increases, challenge the small groups you’re in to participate. Some tips for groups: 

• Pre-assign who will pray each week so each person has time to mentally prepare (sounds silly, but this helps!).  
• Write down the requests so whoever is praying has a guide to reference. 
• Have a different person pray after each individual request. This alleviates the pressure of someone having to work through a large list on their own.  

Be gracious with yourself!

You don’t have to apologize after a prayer for stuttering or for feeling like you didn’t say the right thing. The Father has never turned a prayer away because someone accidentally said, “I play,” instead of “I pray” (we’ve all been there). Be kind to yourself! The Father is overjoyed when His people come before Him. He’s not expecting perfection. I can assure you; He is smitten over every conversation with you.  

I’d like to leave you with a quote from the Chronicles of Narnia. It’s the moment when our dear Aslan leans in to whisper a word of encouragement to Lucy as she faces her fears (and I think this area may bring out a little fear in all of us). I can hear our Heavenly Father gently whispering these words to each of us as we grow in this discipline:  

“Courage, dear heart.”¹

Now, who will close us in prayer? 

Dive deeper into the practice of prayer in the When You Pray Bible study.

About Faith Grosshans

  Work Cited

1. C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (New York: Harper Collins, 1952), 187.