This article is part of a series, Pray like Jesus, on ways Jesus teaches us how to pray to our heavenly Father. Keep an eye out for related articles.
While Jesus most often prayed privately, it is recorded in Scripture that on several occasions He prayed aloud amid the crowds — and when He did, it was always for a particular purpose.
Feeding the 5,000
Jesus preached and taught to a listening crowd of 5,000. Aware of their growing hunger, He took five loaves of bread and two fish, broke them and fed everyone. Before He broke the bread, however, He looked up to heaven and thanked God for supplying the meal. He prayed aloud to show that the miracle of multiplication came from His heavenly Father (Matt. 14:19).
In the Sept. 21 entry of “Morning and Evening,” Charles Spurgeon writes, “The prayer of thanks in public not only honors God but teaches every heart to look beyond the visible miracle to the invisible Giver.”
Prayer for divine revelation
Before this, Jesus had sent out 72 disciples into the surrounding towns, giving them authority over demons and diseases (Luke 10:1–16). They returned jubilant, reporting that the demons had submitted to them in Jesus’ name (v. 17). In response, “Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children’” (v. 21). He spoke aloud to redirect their sense of achievement back to God’s gracious revelation.
“God does not give His Spirit in answer to human wisdom but to those who come as little children, and our loud-voiced praise proclaims that miracle of grace,” John Calvin writes in his “Commentary on Luke.”
Raising Lazarus
When Jesus arrived after the death and burial of His friend Lazarus, He prayed aloud before commanding, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43). “Father,” Jesus had said in a loud voice so that all could hear, “I thank You that You have heard Me” (John 11:41). He did so to show that God’s power had raised Lazarus from the dead.
“When Christ prayed before the resurrection of Lazarus, He invited every witness to trust not in His power, but in the Almighty’s life-giving Word,” writes Augustine of Hippo in Sermon 110 in “Sermons.”
The Upper Room prayers
At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed aloud three times in the presence of His disciples:
— “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples” (Matt. 26:26).
— “Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them” (Matt. 26:27).
— Finally, in what is recorded in John as a “high priestly prayer,” Jesus prayed aloud, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. … I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message” (John 17:1, 20). Each public prayer helped prepare the disciples for Jesus’ departure and taught them to trust God.
Prayer from the cross
Even in His agony, Jesus prayed publicly three separate times from the cross in order to show the heart of God’s forgiveness:
— “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
— “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’)” (Matt. 27:46). Jesus publicly voiced the fulfillment of Scripture from Psalm 22, identifying Himself as the Suffering Servant.
— In His last breath, Jesus prayed aloud, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Why Jesus prayed aloud
Whenever Jesus prayed aloud, He pointed the people to the Father — showing God’s love, forgiveness and the cost of reconciliation and atonement. He never prayed for show but voiced His prayers to be heard and understood by the people who listened.
SUGGESTIONS
When you pray:
When you pray for others to hear, allow your prayers to reflect your true heart so that others can see your genuine faith. When we pray aloud, we allow our listeners to hear the content of our hearts.
Know that simple prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, petition, blessing and forgiveness need not be elaborate, lengthy and flowery. They can be simple, straight from your heart and directly to your heavenly Father on behalf of all who are listening.
When your church prays:
In “Power Through Prayer,” E.M. Bounds writes, “Public prayer is the sentinel that guards the soul of the Church, reminding us we belong to one another before the throne of grace.”
When the Church prays together, it builds unity, identity and purpose. Pastors and church leaders should pray prayers aloud that proclaim God’s love and provision, His power and His promised constant presence.
Public prayers should teach church members about God. They should be powerful examples that instruct members how to pray aloud within their own families and communities.
Public prayers should be anchored and rooted in Scripture, be God-focused and include intercession on behalf of others in the church, community and world. They should also be saturated with thanksgiving and praise to God, our heavenly Father.
Jesus prayed aloud when He wanted to point His listeners to God and to teach them about God.
Through His example, we learn how and why to pray aloud to reach the ears and hearts of others who are listening.
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