It’s time for a confession: sometimes, I fall asleep while trying to pray. I don’t mean to, and I really wish I wouldn’t, but sometimes I get in a comfortable space and pray in my mind, and before I know it, I am out!  If you have ever been there, I want you to know that our heavenly Father loves us and may even delight in us resting in His arms. But as we seek to grow in our prayer lives, there is a small trick I have found that keeps me from dozing off: praying out loud.

While we know theologically and biblically that God hears our prayers even when we don’t verbalize them, there is a power to praying out loud. It focuses our thoughts into words and allows us to speak, vent, cry out, plead, show gratitude and emote on a different level.  When I find that my prayer life is in a rut, I usually try to find some time and space to pray out loud as a remedy for my sluggish prayer life. 

Practically, this can happen in your house (probably best if you are alone), in your car, or out in nature.  Yes, it is possible that someone may see you and think you are talking to yourself, but is fear of the judgment of strangers really how any of us want to live our lives?  Worst case scenario, you get asked about it, and you get to share with your inquisitor that there is a God in heaven who has the time and inclination to hear your prayers!

Final Thought: Pray out loud for 60 seconds today!