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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Silent Prayer	Chris	Sunday, July 25, 2004
Question: Hello and thanks for your great website. It has been a major catalyst in my ongoing attempt to return and be faithfull to the church. I love your no nonsense straight to the point answers If we pray silently, can Saints and Angels hear our prayers? Can the devil?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Chris: I praise God that our apostolate as been helpful to you, and thanks for the comment about my "no nonsense" approach; there are people whop do not like that about me :) No one but God can read our mind. Angels, demons, Saints cannot read our mind. Since God has asked us to pray to Saints, however, any prayers we direct to a saint or to an angel will be heard by them by God's permission and will. Otherwise no angel, demon, or saint can eavesdrop on our interior thoughts and prayers. This, if I remember correctly, is a teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas. On another aspect of this question, I do not believe the devil can hear our prayers that are outwardly voiced. I do not have any evidence of this from the Church or the Saints at the moment, but it makes sense to me. Why would God allow the enemy to over-hear a conversation between us and Himself or with the Saints? I cannot say this for sure, but it makes sense to me just as two people in public may talk to each other in hushed tones and off in a corner to avoid anyone hearing them, so God does the same thing with our outwardly expressed prayer I believe. Just my opinion on that one. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Silent Prayer

Chris

Sunday, July 25, 2004

Question:

Hello and thanks for your great website. It has been a major catalyst in my ongoing attempt to return and be faithfull to the church. I love your no nonsense straight to the point answers

If we pray silently, can Saints and Angels hear our prayers? Can the devil?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Chris:

I praise God that our apostolate as been helpful to you, and thanks for the comment about my "no nonsense" approach; there are people whop do not like that about me :)

No one but God can read our mind. Angels, demons, Saints cannot read our mind. Since God has asked us to pray to Saints, however, any prayers we direct to a saint or to an angel will be heard by them by God's permission and will. Otherwise no angel, demon, or saint can eavesdrop on our interior thoughts and prayers. This, if I remember correctly, is a teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas.

On another aspect of this question, I do not believe the devil can hear our prayers that are outwardly voiced. I do not have any evidence of this from the Church or the Saints at the moment, but it makes sense to me. Why would God allow the enemy to over-hear a conversation between us and Himself or with the Saints? I cannot say this for sure, but it makes sense to me just as two people in public may talk to each other in hushed tones and off in a corner to avoid anyone hearing them, so God does the same thing with our outwardly expressed prayer I believe. Just my opinion on that one.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.