When you pray, do you pray out loud or can you just pray in your head?

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Repetitive or meditative prayer calms me down. I use the Jesus Prayer a lot. What people don’t understand is that you can do this prayer in prayer as your activity, but also anywhere. Walking, at work, on the bus, in the car, in the dentist office waiting room, etc. etc. It is great for neutralizing anger, depression, fear, anxiety, worry. Or as a prayer of thanks, joy. Or when you can’t sleep. I think the rosary, or Hail Marys at any rate, can be used exactly the same way. In fact, I find the rosary to feel pretty much exactly the same as the Jesus Prayer. Google the Jesus Prayer and and you can find some really good articles about it and why it is beneficial - what the goal of it is. I like the idea that it keeps God centered in your thoughts and completely blocks other influences including your own. You have to practice at it, just like you would running or playing a musical instrument or whatever. Start out slow and you get better and better. It comes to you on its own after awhile. When I can’t concentrate for the life of me, I pray it out loud softly, under my breath. Or just speak loud in my head, if you know what I mean by that. Really force it.

I do sometimes say Hail Marys or the Lord’s Prayer out loud - always in Church, morning prayers, or whenever I want to say it - I will do this when I really need to seriously pray about something right then and there - for myself or others. I was walking across a street in San Francisco right after this car crash - the guy was ok but the car his truck hit had these older Asian women in it - one was trapped, all doubled over. The car was so smashed. I prayed a Hail Mary right out loud. I think they were waiting for the ambulance, cops, etc. The guy who had the truck heard me and looked right at me while I did it. And I looked right back. I fancied he felt remorse. Hope I was right.
 
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My default is to pray out loud. When circumstances dictate - in the presence of others at Adoration, for example - I pray silently. Both options are fine. :+1:t3:
 
I pray mentally most of the time. I find, especially with the Rosary and the like, that it’s easier to focus on the Mysteries with mental prayer.
 
I try to pray the rosary with recordings from youtube or EWTN or private recordings, but I find myself distracted too much, to the point that I am beads behind from the recording.
 
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Wow your prayer life sounds beautiful. I’m sure you keep God busy 😂
 
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