The Power in Praying Out Loud

We felt a battle being won! Our confidence grew as prayer continued.

We're finishing up with the final post today in the #summersizzlebloghop and we're finishing strong!  I'm so excited to welcome Carmen Brown, who writes at Married By His Grace.  Carmen is someone I've prayed with.  She's an amazing woman and friend whom I highly respect. I know that what she has to share with you today is a truth that she lives out in her daily life. 

A friend once came to me and told me about her burdens she was bearing through at the time. She was expressing so many different types of emotions; anger, sadness, despair, and helplessness. My heart went out to her, I truly wanted to bring comfort to her.

During the two hour talk we had I was compiling all the situations we were going to pray through. My inner spirit was rising up for battle. My friend was not saved and I could vividly see hopelessness overwhelming her.

When she was done talking she sat there silently waiting for a response from me. I stood up from my chair with full confidence to tell her, "It's time to pray!" This wasn't the first time she had came to me with her hurts so she knew the end result with me was going to be prayer.

As I began to pray, the spirit of battle was rising. I thanked the Lord for His presence being there and asked for the Holy Spirit to continue to dwell within the place and to lead our tongues into the Word that was needed to be spoken to break any bondages that had a hold on her and the situations that were not changing.

Scriptures were being repeated over and over as the Lord was showing me spirits that needed to be prayed against. Depression, pride, generational curses, anger, idolatry. The longer we prayed hand in hand as two coming together, the louder we both got. We felt a power of release coming upon the atmosphere. We felt a battle being won! Our confidence grew as prayer continued. Our voices rose with authority and our bodies straightened out from head to toe with strength.

"Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure all diseases." -Luke 9:1

When I first started in a prayer group years ago, I went because of desperation. I felt that I didn't know God well enough for Him to hear my prayers. I wanted a "experienced" prayer warrior to pray over my situation. My thought process was that a person closer to God could get my prayers faster to God.

As the prayer team started their meeting they opened up with prayer requests. There were many requests with just a few people attending. I thought it would be best to give one quick petition so they don't forget about mine with the long list they had.

The prayer leader started by praying for the Holy Spirit to dwell and for the Lord to lead the tongues of His people. She continued to ask the Lord to hear the prayers of the righteous and to have every need to be revealed and spoken out loud. She gave the same requests for spirits that needed to be revealed and for the people to be delivered from them all. The leader prayed loud with authority and persistence. She didn't stop till she was weeping at the alter for Gods people.

The next five warriors that attended the meeting prayed with the same authority. Each one prayed what was requested and even spoke life and hope into every situation. Then came my prayer request. The last warrior to pray began to pray for my small prayer request, "my marriage." The louder she prayed, the more in depth she prayed for the small request.

The person that I never spoken more than two words to, prayed for my husband that she never met. The addictions that no one in the church ever heard about. My children's night terrors that I never told anyone and for my depression that I thought I hid so well. I cried and cried till my cries became a loud sound. That loud sound then became a freedom that I never knew.

Acts 16 tell us about Paul traveling to preach the gospel and how he was consistently being led by the Holy Spirit.

Paul had a vision in the middle of the night about a man that he was to travel to. As he and Silas continued on with their travels they found a place for prayer near a river. When a women heard the prayer and speaking of Paul she came to him and requested for her and her household to be baptized in the river. Then invited them to stay with her and her family before traveling again.

As days went on, another women that was enslaved by a fortune teller was following Paul and his companions, speaking against them everywhere they went. After a few days Paul became much annoyed and commanded with authority for the spirit to leave her and it did. When the women's owners heard of her being released by the spirit they became enraged. He then put Paul and Silas into prison.

While in prison, Paul and Silas was praying and singing praises unto the Lord and all the prisoners were listening. A great earthquake came upon the earth and all the shackles of the prisoners became loose. They were free.

When the jailer woke from the great shake, he drew his sword to kill himself because of the fear of him being persecuted for prisoners escaping. But Paul shouted "Do not kill yourself, we are all here". The jailer was so astonished by no one leaving that he fell to the ground asking Paul and Silas to baptized him and all in his household because he now believed who the Lord is. The next morning the jailer requested for them to be released from prison and they were. Paul and Silas was able to continue with their travels.

"The Lord brings freedom to the prisoners." -Psalm 146:7

Did you notice every time Paul prayed out loud others were baptized? Salvation was brought upon His people. Paul was led by the Holy Spirit. He spoke against spirits and his prayers brought others to the Lord.

Praying out loud brings authority and confidence. So much so for Paul that every prisoner released by the shackles stood inside the jail just to listen to him. By this happening, it proved their spiritual freedom by listening to the prayers and praises. Deliverance happened. And just as earlier in the story as a woman overheard the prayers and preaching of Paul, an entire household was baptized.

As we learn to develop the confidence of knowing the freedom and authority we have in prayer, we too will have the Holy Spirit lead our tongues to speak out loud. It will grab the ears of others to hear from the Lord. It will also encourage, bring deliverance, and redemption to others.

Authority will command spirits to leave. Speaking with authority in prayer is to speak loudly with a courageous voice and a self confidence that has no fear.

Just how the women and prisoners in Acts chapter 16 heard voices out loud praying and praising God, then all baptized; I too was a person that witnessed a prayer out loud that was led by the Holy Spirit and it brought me to my knees for redemption.

My friend was not a believer years ago when I had prayed with her but she is now. Seeds were planted each time we had prayed together. As it was continued to be cared for with continual prayers, the faith grew like a tree firmly planted by the water.

"He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters that brings forth his fruits in its season." Psalm 1:3

I highly encourage you today to go through your home, room to room and pray out loud. Speak with authority and confidence the Lord has given you.
Please leave a prayer of needs today for all to read out loud in their home. May the prayers travel from home to home, place to place.

Carmen Brown is the creator of Married by His Grace blog. She actively writes to women who are desiring to build their home with the word of God. Her passions involve staying connected with her family, drinking an immense amount of coffee daily, and developing content that will help and encourage new Christian Bloggers. You can connect with Carmen on her blog, Instagram, and Pinterest.

The #summersizzlebloghop is 9 bloggers sharing their best posts all summer long!  You can find more of these posts right HERE.

Linking up with Deb Wolf at #faithandfriends (Friday), #GraceandTruth (Friday), Holly Gerth at #coffeeforyourheart (Wednesday), Susanne Eller at #livefreeThursday, Carmen at #salt&light (Thursday), Kelly at #RaRalinkup (Tuesday), and Lori at #Momentsofhope (Monday)