Is there a difference between silent prayer and declaring truth aloud?
—From a Christian Science Practitioner workshop
A1. When you are praying silently, you are actually having a private conversation with God, as His child. Christ Jesus set the tone for this prayer when he said, “When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matt. 6:6).
A quick healing comes to mind, which happened when I was praying silently. One day, my daughter had a huge boil on her arm. I began praying silently and felt the significance of the Lord’s Prayer. I then heard her calling out to me, and we found that every vestige of the inflammation had drained and she was healed. This quiet prayer enables one to understand the nature of God and the true being of the one you are praying for—to be still and listen for His angel messages that comfort, guide, and heal. Mary Baker Eddy described angels as “. . . spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; . . .” (Science and Health, p. 581). When we pray silently, it is a time when material want and woe is silenced and the divine will makes its presence felt.
On the other hand, when you are stating a truth aloud, you are declaring a spiritual fact or law governing any given situation. Christ Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). He was stating a law that frees us all from any fear and limitations. When truth is declared aloud it is, to me, affirming the kingdom of God at hand. It was the Master’s mission to reveal the facts of our spiritual being and prove the kingdom to be real and ever present.
Truth as a synonym for God is the remedy for every erroneous thought opposed to the power of God. While both silent prayer and declaring truth aloud are individual, they are spiritually related in revealing the allness of God and His beautiful, perfect creation.
Mumbai, India
A2. Whether silent or audible, Christianly scientific treatment denies the false evidence of the five physical senses and accepts the testimony of spiritual sense. In the chapter “Prayer” in Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy wrote: “To enter into the heart of prayer, the door of the erring senses must be closed. Lips must be mute and materialism silent, that man may have audience with Spirit, the divine Principle, Love, which destroys all error” (p. 15).
The Bible also illustrates the importance of being still. There is often a verb of perception that immediately follows the phrase “stand still.” For example: “Stand still, and see,” “Stand still, and I will hear,” “Stand still, and consider” (Ex. 14:13; Num. 9:8; Job 37:14). The Bible seems to be implying that man is able to perceive God only after the cacophony of material sense is
silenced. In fact, one of the most important things about silent prayer is that it silences material sense! Then the true sense can be heard.
Silent prayer cultivates a mental state of humility, sincerity, and honesty—qualities so vital to the Christian healer. You might say that silent prayer plants these qualities in one’s heart and thought, thereby enabling them to permeate the atmosphere of one’s conversation. Silent prayer and declaring the truth aloud also show two different but essential aspects of Christian life: an individual’s own spiritual growth and the need for Christian fellowship. Silent prayer certainly enables us to love God with all our heart, and this love for God naturally compels us to love our neighbor, and to communicate with him in a kind and joyful manner.
Many leaders, prophets, or healers in the Bible had a wilderness experience. Away from the chaos of city life and from other people, the wilderness provided these inspired seekers an opportunity to commune alone with God.
Today, each of us can strive to work out our “own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). Then what started in prayer alone with God radiates out to bless all mankind—and this is the activity of all-inclusive Love that heals and saves.
Bozeman, Montana, US
