Can We Still Pray Without the Noise?

I was wondering about something recently,  just a thought, really.

As Christians nowadays, we are surrounded by so many resources. We have the Bible in multiple versions. We have YouTube. Spotify. Audio messages. Worship playlists. Sermons on demand. Devotionals. Podcasts. So many ways to access Christian content.

Most times before we even begin to pray, we make sure there’s a worship song playing in the background. Something spirit-filled. Something to set the tone. Something to stir the atmosphere and help us get into prayer.

And sometimes, some Christians will say they prayed for an hour or more, when in reality, a large part of that time was spent listening to a message or singing along to a song.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s wrong. And I’m definitely not saying anyone who does this isn’t spirit-filled. I do it too, sometimes. 

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But then I started thinking about the ancient times.

What did people like Moses, Elijah, Joshua, and Daniel use when they prayed?

• No Bible
• No worship playlists
• No recorded messages
• No background music
• No phones
• Nothing even close

Yet these men spent serious time with God, deep, consistent, effective time.

So how did they do it?

Daniel 6:10

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”

Daniel prayed by the window. Not once in a while, it was his custom. Even when he was told to stop. Even when it could cost him his life.

No Bible to read from. No song playing softly in the background. No message to “prepare his heart.”

Elijah prayed, and fire fell on wood soaked with water. Elijah spoke, and there was no rain for years and there truly was no rain. Moses spoke with God so closely that his face reflected glory.

These were not casual encounters. These were men who knew how to stay with God, in silence, in stillness, in obedience.

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And honestly, it made me uncomfortable to ask myself this:

How many Christians nowadays can truly stay in prayer without background music helping to stir the atmosphere?

How many of us can sit with God, no song, no sermon, no emotional buildup and still pray?

It’s no wonder we have so many Christians today, yet so little visible fruit. So much noise, yet not enough depth.

Apostle Selman once said:

“Who told you that you need to feel something or be emotional for your prayer to be valid?”

That question stayed with me. Because a lot of the time, our prayer lives become inconsistent because we think we need to feel something first.

But prayer in the ancient times wasn’t about feeling charged. It was about relationship. Obedience. Consistency. Showing up.

I’m not saying we should stop using worship songs, messages, or Christian contents. These are tools, helpful and beautiful tools meant to enhance our walk with God.

But somewhere along the line, we started using tools to replace genuine intimacy.

• We listen instead of speak
• We sing instead of sit
• We consume instead of commune

And maybe this is just a reminder,  for me first that God has always been near. With or without sound. With or without stimulation. With or without background music.

Silence used to be enough.

And maybe… it still is.