![]() I have often heard this statement made in schools, public gatherings and even in some churches. "Let's take a moment for silent prayer." I marvel because "silent prayer" is an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect. Silent and prayer are contradictory. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us that there is a time and place for everything. There is a time for war, there is a time for peace, there is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing and there is a time to speak and a time to keep silent. There are times when we should even be silent before the Lord. Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand, For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests. Out of all of scripture there is only 30 minutes of silence recorded in heaven. The rest of the time there is lots of loud prayer, praise and worship. Revelation 8:1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Prayer is communication with our Lord. Silence is silent. (Brilliant deduction don't you think?) It communicates................... NOTHING. Silent prayer is a contradictory statement. It is a term made up by people who make statements like this. I will "lead from behind, make haste slowly or this is cruel kindness." Jesus when teaching on how to pray said in Luke 11:2 "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. So, "I'm just saying;" when you pray, don't be silent!
Tim
6/20/2012 02:14:57 am
Alison emails and says "Do you really think there is no such thing as silent prayer? Hannah prayed in her heart. Sometimes when it would be inappropriate to speak aloud, I pray with words in my mind." Comments are closed.
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Tim Taylor
Founder and overseer of KLI, and the spiritual architect of 1Church1Day & Operation Rolling Thunder. Archives
December 2016
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