I get nervous praying out loud - help

I wonder if I may take a liberty and tell a story.

When I got saved and heard that christians go preaching in Hyde Park London of a Sunday, I grabbed my bible and doubled down the Edgeware Rd full to bursting with excitement.

When I arrived at the park I froze like Sylvester cat in front of the steamroller. I suddenly remembered I have never been able to speak publicly, my mind goes total blank, I can't even remember my name. So there I was among the heaving crowds with a wooden tongue crying to the Lord inwardly, how on earth was I to get a crowd?

About 50 yards away a drill sergeant was doubling with half a dozen squaddies and he spotted my bible, he came at me like an angry wasp with his squaddies in tow.

He turned the air blue cussing me out, "so and so christians, so and so know it alls can you tell me why I gotta go and get shot at tomorrow in Ireland?" It was the time of the N. Irish troubles. Suddenly I had a crowd, nobody wants to miss a preacher being decked right?.

I said "sir have you ever been angry?" what a laugh he was ready to spit bullets, a big blue vein stood out on his brow. "Angry? of course I've been angry"
"well the same seething hate that's in you when you are angry is in those people over there, I've come here to tell folks how God can take all that rage out of people's heart and how He put it all on Jesus on the cross ... and here God gave me knowledge to see that this man was really. really frightened ... did you know that God has promised that there is no weapon formed that can harm you if you will trust Him"

He was the typical drill sergeant, big barrel chested and heavy moustache but suddenly his chest deflated and I saw the eyes of a small boy as he took hold of my arm "please sir will you pray for me?" he suddenly remembered his squaddies who were gathered around and drew himself up, "hep" he cried and the squaddies jumped to attention, "hep" he cried once more and they resumed doubling towards the gate with me doubling behind them with my bible "Jesus loves you, only believe, He will be with you."

That was the start of my outdoor preaching.

Hi again everyone,
I'm wondering if anyone else has the same experience? If so what can I do to calm my nervs?
I was raised in a brethens church where the only person praying out loud was the pastor/ministers, since then i've become a member of a pentecostal church which I really love but everytime i'm asked to pray at a prayer meeting etc I get really nervous and freeze up, my prayers become very short and sometime because I'm so nervous I have forgotten the prayer points I was suppose to address. I really want to do better, any advice.... anyone?

Wow of course you are not alone, I'm going to give you something precious.

God wants you to be the way you are, your weakness in the area of public speaking is the very vacuum God desires to fill, it is your strength. Nobody can teach you how to do this but you have to learn not to panic but to simply stand up trusting in the Lord and open your mouth.

The analogy is diving into the deep end when you are learning to swim, at first you flounder around and get into trouble, but you learn not to do that, you learn to relax in the water and let it lift you up.

Interpretation of tongues is the same thing. It doesn't come but at one sentence at a time, and line by line. By faith you utter the first sentence and the second sentence will come. So with prayer. Go a sentence at a time trusting the Lord, the next sentence will certainly come. The trick is [and what so many never ever learn] to stop when the sentences stop ... instead they go on too long.

Oh my goodness yes I still get nervous like that when praying out loud at certain times with lots of people. My personality has a lot to do with it. I go to a Spirit filled church too and the people are wonderful. I think for some of us it takes time and practice to pray with other people. Hang in there God hears you freezing up or not., long prayers or short....perfectly prayed or with a shuddering voice..

I wonder if I may take a liberty and tell a story.

When I got saved and heard that christians go preaching in Hyde Park London of a Sunday, I grabbed my bible and doubled down the Edgeware Rd full to bursting with excitement.

When I arrived at the park I froze like Sylvester cat in front of the steamroller. I suddenly remembered I have never been able to speak publicly, my mind goes total blank, I can't even remember my name. So there I was among the heaving crowds with a wooden tongue crying to the Lord inwardly, how on earth was I to get a crowd?

About 50 yards away a drill sergeant was doubling with half a dozen squaddies and he spotted my bible, he came at me like an angry wasp with his squaddies in tow.

He turned the air blue cussing me out, "so and so christians, so and so know it alls can you tell me why I gotta go and get shot at tomorrow in Ireland?" It was the time of the N. Irish troubles. Suddenly I had a crowd, nobody wants to miss a preacher being decked right?.

I said "sir have you ever been angry?" what a laugh he was ready to spit bullets, a big blue vein stood out on his brow. "Angry? of course I've been angry"
"well the same seething hate that's in you when you are angry is in those people over there, I've come here to tell folks how God can take all that rage out of people's heart and how He put it all on Jesus on the cross ... and here God gave me knowledge to see that this man was really. really frightened ... did you know that God has promised that there is no weapon formed that can harm you if you will trust Him"

He was the typical drill sergeant, big barrel chested and heavy moustache but suddenly his chest deflated and I saw the eyes of a small boy as he took hold of my arm "please sir will you pray for me?" he suddenly remembered his squaddies who were gathered around and drew himself up, "hep" he cried and the squaddies jumped to attention, "hep" he cried once more and they resumed doubling towards the gate with me doubling behind them with my bible "Jesus loves you, only believe, He will be with you."

That was the start of my outdoor preaching.

This is great advice totaly respect what your saying. She could have a gift and not realise God could be helping her to get
over her nerves

I just wonder if she was able to get over her nerves and start praying out loud what would happen if she stood up in church. maybe start with hi its lovely to be here and ask you all to take part in prayer with me,
God could speak through her at that moment. and give her the next words to say.
Maybe if she practiced at home first on a mic to a friend she could develop a passion and she could see a gift she never knew she had. you never know right.

It may not be her calling but unless she practises it she will never know, thats what happend to me lol. I was shocked one day i was speaking out loud and out came a prophecy that the world was going into lock down. i was like wow when we went into lockdown.

@de-emerald i really hope that whatever happens God uses this side of my to serve him in a greater capacity. I'm really not sure i'll ever get to a level of comfort where i use a mic but thanks so much for encouraging me.

@Evmur , wow that was really brave of you, i lack the confidence to do that sort of thing but praise God that you have the faith and trust that God would take you through it. Thanks for sharing your story.

@Evmur , wow that was really brave of you, i lack the confidence to do that sort of thing but praise God that you have the faith and trust that God would take you through it. Thanks for sharing your story.

love you sister hope we cross paths again .

Firstly, Welcome! And may Jesus be at your side always.

What you're describing is classic human behaviour. Don't stress and don't dwell on it, because the more you do, the worse it will seem.

I see exactly the same behaviour in our workplace when I employ new people. You're fairly new and you just haven't broken the ice yet., once you gain a level of comfort with people this will pass. Prayer is a very personal thing and to be just blurting it out in front of people you don't really know can be daunting. Maybe you could ask them to help you out and say some group prayers together first - I'm sure they would have some classics. If nothing else, the Lord's prayer is scriptural and saying it with them first might help take the edge off.

Again in a different setting one week after being saved I had to go to court. Prior to being saved I had taken a job as a store detective, a really well paid job but I hated it and packed it in the day after I was saved, but I had my one and only case coming up and I had to go.

My fear of public speaking is real, it is hearing the sound of my voice coming back at me ... nightmare.

I was sat at the back of the court literally in a sweat , my teeth chattering, pleading with the Lord to help. The Lord said "lift up My name and I will carry you through" now I didn't even know what that could mean, was I to stand up and tell the magistrate to get saved?
But when I was called and I stood in the witness box the clerk handed me the bible and told me to raise my right hand I said "I'm very sorry sir but I cannot take the oath" immediately the magistrate rapped on the desk "why will you not take the oath?"
"I'm a christian sir" everybody laughed
"if you are a christian that means you believe in God don't you?"
"Yes sir but Jesus said I may not swear neither by God nor by heaven but simply say yes or no"
"oh very well then you may make a civil acclamation" which is promise to serve the queen and her justice.

The rest of the proceedings just ran on oil, sweetly, the defence tore me to shreds and I made a few slips which he leaped upon like a tiger [I am not sure to this day if that lawyer was not a young Tony Blair] He questioned me about why I had left my job since I was evidently very good at it to which I responded that I had become a christian

"oh, you became a christian, what? was the work you were doing immoral then"
"No sir people must obey the law, but my heart was changed, now I want to stop people before they steal rather than wait for them to steal and stop them"

At his summing up he accused me of telling a complete tissue of lies and that was why I had refused to take the oath, but the magistrate rapped on the desk

"I cannot permit this character vilification to continue, I do not believe this man would deliberately lie he is an honest man."

I won the case.

this is exactly the trick to learn, it's what we must use to launch, like that first dive into the deep end, hold your nose and "here we go Lord, You better not let me down"

He 100% will not let you down

Yes , I used to feel the same way , but then I start praying about overcome that fear and the Lord put in my heart to close my eyes and pretend that I am kneeling 🧎‍♂️ before him, and saying everything to him , that helped me to focus on him alone and forget about ppl around me and imagining that helped me to be sincere and experience precious moments before him . I still do that

Hello @IfGodis4Me, there are some books that, at least in part, address this topic, and there now appears to be a brand new book (to be released in July this year) that is all about praying in public. Perhaps it would be worth checking out? (and it looks to be discounted if you pre-order it .. just click on the picture of the book if you'd like to learn more).

I’m here anytime you need 😇 we need one another during our walk with the Lord .