Sermon. Silent Prayer of the Mind
Hebrews
11:1–7
Beloved
seekers of prayer, those who yearn for communion with God! May the Holy Spirit
Father grant you the grace to possess within your heart the fulfillment of
prayer even before it is spoken aloud, and may He bless you with the joy of
praise. Amen.
Today,
let us meditate on the fulfillment of our prayers and offer praises to the Lord
accordingly.
Those
who are devout surely pray, but true prayer begins internally—within the depths
of the heart. Consider a person approaching an official with a petition. Is the
request first on their lips or already formed in the mind? Of course, it is
first conceived within, and only then expressed outwardly. After hearing the
request, the official responds. In the same way, inner prayer comes first;
verbal prayer follows.
Though
many of us are mature in faith, this question remains ever new: Is it enough for
prayer to dwell in the heart, or must it be spoken aloud?
There
have been times when I began eating and only remembered halfway through that I
forgot to pray. Did I still pray? Though I forgot to say it aloud, the
intention was present within. Yet, it is only when prayer is actually offered that
its full value is realized.
If
someone has the desire and content of prayer in their heart but never speaks
it, will God still hear it? Yes! Our Lord is so discerning that He perceives
the silent requests of our innermost being. Sometimes, the desire to pray and
even the matter of prayer is within us—yet we do not utter it. Will such
prayers be fulfilled? Certainly.
Scripture
affirms this truth: “Before
a word is on your tongue, I know it completely” (Psalm 139:4).
The Lord knows what is in our hearts. Thus, both types of prayer—those spoken
and those unspoken—are accepted before Him.
As
it is written in Psalm
37:4–5, “Delight
yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
This
message is for those whose prayers remain unanswered. Have all your past
prayers been fulfilled? Likely not—perhaps one or more remain. To such hearts,
the Lord speaks today: Even
if your prayer is hidden in your heart, it shall not go unfulfilled.
Often,
heartfelt prayer arises from sorrow. And even if such prayers are not
beautifully worded, the Lord still listens. Why? Because the Holy Spirit helps us
in our weakness (Romans 8:26), interceding for us with
groanings that words cannot express.
Without
the Spirit, prayer becomes mechanical—mere sound. But when the Spirit aids both
our understanding and our inner spirit, prayer flows richly and effectively. It
becomes a stream of grace. Prayer becomes satisfying, fruitful, and fulfilled.
Originally,
I intended to speak on another topic, but upon reaching this pulpit, the Holy
Spirit led me here. Hence, we understand this truth: When prayer remains
only in the heart, its fulfillment may be delayed; but when the Holy Spirit
brings it forth, it is fulfilled quickly.
Illustration:
Imagine
someone submitting a written request to a government official. It is placed on
a desk and reviewed eventually. But a persistent person who repeatedly
pleads—like the widow in Luke
18:1–8—receives a swift response.
So
too with God: If you desire quick answers, let your prayer be persistent. A
request that might take six months may be answered today if offered with
spiritual urgency. Just as devout souls do not immediately pray upon entering
the prayer room, but first offer reverence, so too should we begin by praising
God.
Nehemiah
9:5
instructs us: “Stand
up and bless the Lord your God!” That is why all godly people begin
their prayers with thanksgiving and praise.
So
far, I have only shared the introduction. Before we move into the core message,
remember this: Even a single rupee is hard to obtain—but through the name of
Jesus, abundance flows. If God did not answer your prayer, ask yourself—did it
begin with praise?
A
devout woman once said, “I prayed while fasting.” I asked, “Did you begin with
praise?” She replied, “No, I praise at the end.” I said, “Begin with praise.”
Who delights in this kind of word? Nehemiah would be pleased, for heaven
rejoices in praise. When we speak of heavenly things, we do not summon
heaven—it is already there. But our act of praising is new to us—and delightful
to them.
So,
as Nehemiah urged, praise
God by lifting up His attributes:
1. Love
2. Wisdom
3. Life
4. Holiness
5. Justice
6. Freedom
7. Omnipresence
8. Eternity
9. Infinity
God
reveals Himself through these attributes. Without such revelation, neither
heaven nor earth would know Him.
Secondly,
praise Him through creation. Consider even the smallest things—like sand—and
offer thanks.
Praise for Sand:
1. Have you ever thanked
God for sand?
2. It was created for
our use—should we not praise Him for it?
3. Builders use it for
construction—endless reasons to give thanks.
4. It’s used to clean
vessels—let us offer humble praises.
5. Sand lines the shores
to protect our feet—thank Him!
6. In places like Sri
Lanka, governments provide sand freely—let us be grateful.
7. Sand is used in
healing wounds—bless the Creator.
8. God promised Abraham
descendants as numerous as grains of sand—praise Him for that promise.
9. He compared sand with
stars—praise Him for His creative brilliance.
10. Sand sparkles with a
beauty that reflects the light of the sun—praise the Righteous Sun!
11. Sand that turns into
stone after centuries still retains its essence—praise God for such wonder.
Each
day, praise God for even one of His creations, and the Father will be pleased.
Though it seems small, He rejoices that His children acknowledge Him.
Third,
praise God for human creations, enabled by His wisdom—chairs, tables,
airplanes, needles, tools, medicines. The ability to invent and craft belongs
to humanity because God
gave it.
Fourth, praise God for the
redemptive work of Christ, who came to destroy the works of Satan. Through sin,
humanity became separated from God, but through Christ, holiness was restored.
That too is a divine creation—a new creation in
Christ, which began in Genesis 3 and
will conclude in Revelation.
Praise Him for making us new creatures.
Paul
writes: “If
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” We eagerly await this
transformation in ourselves. That’s why God gave us His Word—to guide us toward
that renewal.
Even the Sparrows Praise:
Every
evening at 5 PM, sparrows hold a praise service. They sing for an hour, then
again in the morning. As Isaiah
43:20 says: “The
wild animals honor Me…” Even in the Arabian desert, where the
government has dug canals, water now flows, and animals come to drink—and
glorify God. This prophecy was written 800
years before Christ, and now, after 2000 years, it is
being fulfilled. Wild animals drink from desert streams and praise their
Creator. They don’t keep time—but still, they praise morning and evening. If
even they offer praise—how
much more should we, the redeemed?
Closing Prayer: O Lord! If birds and beasts
praise You so faithfully, how much more should we, as Your redeemed people?
Grant us strength to continually praise You. Amen.
Preached by
Father.
Devadasu Ayyagaru on October 25, 1955
Hebrews
11:1–7
Beloved
seekers of prayer, those who yearn for communion with God! May the Holy Spirit
Father grant you the grace to possess within your heart the fulfillment of
prayer even before it is spoken aloud, and may He bless you with the joy of
praise. Amen.
Today,
let us meditate on the fulfillment of our prayers and offer praises to the Lord
accordingly.
Those
who are devout surely pray, but true prayer begins internally—within the depths
of the heart. Consider a person approaching an official with a petition. Is the
request first on their lips or already formed in the mind? Of course, it is
first conceived within, and only then expressed outwardly. After hearing the
request, the official responds. In the same way, inner prayer comes first;
verbal prayer follows.
Though
many of us are mature in faith, this question remains ever new: Is it enough for
prayer to dwell in the heart, or must it be spoken aloud?
There
have been times when I began eating and only remembered halfway through that I
forgot to pray. Did I still pray? Though I forgot to say it aloud, the
intention was present within. Yet, it is only when prayer is actually offered that
its full value is realized.
If
someone has the desire and content of prayer in their heart but never speaks
it, will God still hear it? Yes! Our Lord is so discerning that He perceives
the silent requests of our innermost being. Sometimes, the desire to pray and
even the matter of prayer is within us—yet we do not utter it. Will such
prayers be fulfilled? Certainly.
Scripture
affirms this truth: “Before
a word is on your tongue, I know it completely” (Psalm 139:4).
The Lord knows what is in our hearts. Thus, both types of prayer—those spoken
and those unspoken—are accepted before Him.
As
it is written in Psalm
37:4–5, “Delight
yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
This
message is for those whose prayers remain unanswered. Have all your past
prayers been fulfilled? Likely not—perhaps one or more remain. To such hearts,
the Lord speaks today: Even
if your prayer is hidden in your heart, it shall not go unfulfilled.
Often,
heartfelt prayer arises from sorrow. And even if such prayers are not
beautifully worded, the Lord still listens. Why? Because the Holy Spirit helps us
in our weakness (Romans 8:26), interceding for us with
groanings that words cannot express.
Without
the Spirit, prayer becomes mechanical—mere sound. But when the Spirit aids both
our understanding and our inner spirit, prayer flows richly and effectively. It
becomes a stream of grace. Prayer becomes satisfying, fruitful, and fulfilled.
Originally,
I intended to speak on another topic, but upon reaching this pulpit, the Holy
Spirit led me here. Hence, we understand this truth: When prayer remains
only in the heart, its fulfillment may be delayed; but when the Holy Spirit
brings it forth, it is fulfilled quickly.
Illustration:
Imagine
someone submitting a written request to a government official. It is placed on
a desk and reviewed eventually. But a persistent person who repeatedly
pleads—like the widow in Luke
18:1–8—receives a swift response.
So
too with God: If you desire quick answers, let your prayer be persistent. A
request that might take six months may be answered today if offered with
spiritual urgency. Just as devout souls do not immediately pray upon entering
the prayer room, but first offer reverence, so too should we begin by praising
God.
Nehemiah
9:5
instructs us: “Stand
up and bless the Lord your God!” That is why all godly people begin
their prayers with thanksgiving and praise.
So
far, I have only shared the introduction. Before we move into the core message,
remember this: Even a single rupee is hard to obtain—but through the name of
Jesus, abundance flows. If God did not answer your prayer, ask yourself—did it
begin with praise?
A
devout woman once said, “I prayed while fasting.” I asked, “Did you begin with
praise?” She replied, “No, I praise at the end.” I said, “Begin with praise.”
Who delights in this kind of word? Nehemiah would be pleased, for heaven
rejoices in praise. When we speak of heavenly things, we do not summon
heaven—it is already there. But our act of praising is new to us—and delightful
to them.
So,
as Nehemiah urged, praise
God by lifting up His attributes:
1. Love
2. Wisdom
3. Life
4. Holiness
5. Justice
6. Freedom
7. Omnipresence
8. Eternity
9. Infinity
God
reveals Himself through these attributes. Without such revelation, neither
heaven nor earth would know Him.
Secondly,
praise Him through creation. Consider even the smallest things—like sand—and
offer thanks.
Praise for Sand:
1. Have you ever thanked
God for sand?
2. It was created for
our use—should we not praise Him for it?
3. Builders use it for
construction—endless reasons to give thanks.
4. It’s used to clean
vessels—let us offer humble praises.
5. Sand lines the shores
to protect our feet—thank Him!
6. In places like Sri
Lanka, governments provide sand freely—let us be grateful.
7. Sand is used in
healing wounds—bless the Creator.
8. God promised Abraham
descendants as numerous as grains of sand—praise Him for that promise.
9. He compared sand with
stars—praise Him for His creative brilliance.
10. Sand sparkles with a
beauty that reflects the light of the sun—praise the Righteous Sun!
11. Sand that turns into
stone after centuries still retains its essence—praise God for such wonder.
Each
day, praise God for even one of His creations, and the Father will be pleased.
Though it seems small, He rejoices that His children acknowledge Him.
Third,
praise God for human creations, enabled by His wisdom—chairs, tables,
airplanes, needles, tools, medicines. The ability to invent and craft belongs
to humanity because God
gave it.
Fourth, praise God for the
redemptive work of Christ, who came to destroy the works of Satan. Through sin,
humanity became separated from God, but through Christ, holiness was restored.
That too is a divine creation—a new creation in
Christ, which began in Genesis 3 and
will conclude in Revelation.
Praise Him for making us new creatures.
Paul
writes: “If
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” We eagerly await this
transformation in ourselves. That’s why God gave us His Word—to guide us toward
that renewal.
Even the Sparrows Praise:
Every
evening at 5 PM, sparrows hold a praise service. They sing for an hour, then
again in the morning. As Isaiah
43:20 says: “The
wild animals honor Me…” Even in the Arabian desert, where the
government has dug canals, water now flows, and animals come to drink—and
glorify God. This prophecy was written 800
years before Christ, and now, after 2000 years, it is
being fulfilled. Wild animals drink from desert streams and praise their
Creator. They don’t keep time—but still, they praise morning and evening. If
even they offer praise—how
much more should we, the redeemed?
Closing Prayer: O Lord! If birds and beasts
praise You so faithfully, how much more should we, as Your redeemed people?
Grant us strength to continually praise You. Amen.
Preached by
Father.
Devadasu Ayyagaru on October 25, 1955
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