Prayer 2

Prayer 2

And 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.

Romans 8:26

Have you ever wanted to pray about a distressing or confusing matter, but you just didn’t have the words? I have been so sad or perplexed at times that putting my feelings into words seemed overwhelming. At times like that, it is very comforting to realize that God knows us better than we know ourselves. Not only does God know our thoughts, but he has thoughts and intents for us that are entirely right and pure.

God is much more interested in the purity of our hearts than he is in hearing fancy prayers. When the words just won’t come, groans sometimes feel more appropriate. The Bible tells us that God’s Spirit groans with us, sharing the burdens of our weakness and suffering. But he doesn’t stop at groaning—he also prays for us. And his prayer is that we will be led into God’s will even in the middle of suffering.

It is encouraging that when I encounter situations in my life or my children’s lives that I cannot analyze or pray about intelligently, groaning or pleading for God’s help is a very good thing to do. How freeing it is to know that the Spirit’s prayers on our behalf are totally in agreement with God’s plans.

Father,

We thank you that when we pray, you do not evaluate our words but rather our hearts. Even when we can’t find the words, your Spirit is gracious to pray for us. Thank you that you care about us very much. Amen.