I recently had a conversation with a dear friend about the effectiveness of silent prayer. It seems like an insignificant issue on the surface but when you dig deep in God’s word you can see that it does matter.

You see God is the great creator of this earth. If God is all powerful then why did He have to say, “Let there be light?” (Genesis 1:3) Couldn’t God just think light or snap his finger? No, He said it to demonstrate to us that there is power in what we say. God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) He didn’t think, ponder, or mumble it. He said it with purpose. He said it out loud.

Like I mentioned in a previous article, our words have power. In Proverbs 18:21 it says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”

So in order to breathe life into our prayers we must say them out loud and with purpose. You see we are meant to have a relationship with God. A relationship requires a conversation between two people with an expectation that the other will respond.

Some might say that God doesn’t answer prayers. But indeed He does. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes no, and sometimes He says wait.

I look at it this way. I have a relationship with my wife. If I want to keep it growing I must converse with her daily (when I wake up, before meals, before I go to sleep, and any other time that we are together). Just thinking I love her isn’t going to cut it. I must say it and then prove it in my actions.

The same goes for my relationship with God. I must say I love Him and prove it daily activities.