# "Unspoken"



## ChananBachiyr (May 9, 2017)

I've settled into the OPC in my vicinity, praise God! (But that didn't really have anything to do with my question.)

Almost every church I've been in has had a time of corporate prayer, when requests and praises were given as a congregation and documented for continuing prayer afterwards.
While I haven't heard it within the church I'm with now, I've very frequently heard "unspoken" prayer requests. Where one simply says "I have any unspoken prayer request, thank you all." Or something like that. 
I've always found it awkward, and just recently thought to ask the PB fam.
Is there any biblical basis for this? 
Isn't it just as easy and actually more helpful for the congregation to be specific in prayer, to say something like "I'm in a time of trial and would really appreciate your prayers," or ... something! ... "Unspoken" seems so distant and closed...

I dunno, maybe it's a perfect signal to the leadership of the church to inquire privately... 

??


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## Gforce9 (May 9, 2017)

Daniel, welcome to the OPC. May God bless you through the means of grace there. Working backwards, I do think an "un-named" prayer request would be cause for a session member to ask about the goings on in ones life. The session is there to help the church to grow in the knowledge and grace of Christ and to call to account when necessary. To the "un-named" prayer itself: there are several reasons one may ask for prayer in this way, some not-so-good reasons, some very good. The session engaging (they may already be engaged) is the way to go. It may be a very embarrassing situation they're dealing with and uttering it would seem shameful to them. If anything, it should be a signal for brothers and sisters to petition on their behalf.


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