No Words

No Words

The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. –Romans 8:26-27

When the geneticist closed the door behind him after delivering the bitter news of a fatal diagnosis for Hope, we were left alone to feel the deep jolt of pain. Out of our fear and despair, David and I began to cry out to God. I’m not sure all of what we said. Eyes open and looking up, I know we said, “We need you . . . we need courage . . . we need wisdom . . . we trust you.” I think we expressed trust more out of a desire to trust than a confession of the reality in our souls. We knew it was our only option.

In the weeks that followed, we found ourselves praying together often as we lay in bed in the dark. We were profoundly aware of our utter dependence upon God, our powerlessness to change our situation, and our desperation to see God work. But we also found, as time wore on, we prayed less often. And we felt guilty that so many people were praying for us so diligently when we were so prayerless—partly because it was difficult to know how to pray.

I want to pray. I want to pray in harmony with God’s will. But sometimes I just don’t seem to have the will to pray, nor do I know how to pray. What a relief to know that the Holy Spirit helps me in my weakness and confusion. When we are weak-willed and weak-minded, when distress has consumed our energy and emotions, the Holy Spirit helps us.

And his prayers are not passionless or impersonal. He prays for us with deep groanings that reflect his understanding and identification with our need. He prays for us with deep devotion and perfect articulation when we have no words—only tears and questions. When we wonder if heaven hears our cries, the Holy Spirit is pleading on our behalf in a language heaven hears and understands and responds to, because the Holy Spirit’s prayers are in complete harmony with God’s plans and purposes for us.

My Prayer Warrior, what a joy and comfort it is to know that you are praying for me when I have neither the will nor the words. Pray for me now.

DIGGING DEEPER