“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26, ESV)
There are some days when you just don’t have the words to pray. It might be that you are so bone tired from exhaustion that your mind and heart just can’t seem to get it together. Maybe you just lost a loved one and are so numb in mind and heart and soul that you can’t seem to form logical thoughts. Overcome with anger or hurt or pain, you might lack the ability to summon up a prayer to God that is in any way coherent. When mind, soul, or heart are a mess, just realize that God is with you. In fact, the scripture above tells us that when you “do not know what to pray for”, the Holy Spirit will take up the prayer and “intercede” for you (Romans 8:26). Because you are a true Christian, because you have asked the Holy Spirit to fill you, because you love God, the Holy Spirit in you continues to converse with God even when you cannot.
I hurried over to the home of a family in the congregation. I just received the news that their only child had died in a freak accident. Arriving, I knocked, and the father let me into the home. He told me that the two were totally shocked and still didn’t know all the events that surrounded their son’s death. The police had just left. They were grasping for information and becoming overwhelmed with loss.
As I walked into the living room, I saw the mother. She sat in a chair in the corner, staring off into the distance. The father stood by her side and massaged her shoulder. Though they were my age, they looked like they had both aged twenty years. I tried talking, but the mother wouldn’t say a word. She was still in shock. The father did all the talking. Without desiring to burden them any longer, I told them I would be there for anything they needed and I’d take care of any arrangements they required for the funeral and visitation and more. We prayed together, and then I left. The mother had never uttered one single word.
A few months later, I talked with that mother about those terrible days. She responded that the hours were a blur of pain and tears and mourners and too much. She was still trying to cope with all the changes that her loss had wrought. After a short talk, I mentioned the verse above and told her that God was not only with her, God’s Spirit was going to help her out for a while. Even when she couldn’t think, the Holy Spirit would help her form words and heal and pray. It comforted her to know that the Heavenly Father not only knew what it was like to lose an only child but was going to comfort her personally in the present.
I have no doubt that at various times in your life, your world will be turned upside down. As a child, this might occur with a loss, a big change, a health crisis, and more. As a teen, this will occur as you spread your wings, take chances, do new things, take on new responsibilities, and make mistakes. As an adult, this can occur during dating, when having children, during a disaster, and at various stages of life. There are many things that can steal the words from you and cause you to go numb. All of life is full of risks and dangers and trials and challenges. So often, we surround ourselves with the familiar and don’t even realize what could go wrong until it does go wrong.
For one moment, think about the people of the Bible in real terms. King David lost a child at birth. His son attempted to kill him. His best friend’s father attempted to murder him. Jeremiah was wrongly put in chains. Joseph was wrongly accused on rape. Lot lost his entire house and his wife on the same day! Job lost several children to death, then became very sick for a time. Jonah was thrown overboard! Elijah was struck with deep depression. Jesus was wrongly accused and crucified! All these put their hope in God. In their moments of deep pain when words could barely be formed, they put their trust in God. And God came through.
God doesn’t come into your life only when things are going well. God doesn’t align Himself with only the winners or the powerful or the successful. God is there through thick and thin. And when things really take a turn for the worse, God will not let you down. If you look hard enough, you will find God’s presence in your most difficult days. Why? You are loved beyond measure. Jesus has declared you part of His family. The Holy Spirit is at home in your heart and soul and mind. So, don’t worry about the difficult days that will come. God will be closer than you can even imagine. God’s Spirit will carry you through no matter what you face. HE promised!
I hurried over to the home of a family in the congregation. I just received the news that their only child had died in a freak accident. Arriving, I knocked, and the father let me into the home. He told me that the two were totally shocked and still didn’t know all the events that surrounded their son’s death. The police had just left. They were grasping for information and becoming overwhelmed with loss.
As I walked into the living room, I saw the mother. She sat in a chair in the corner, staring off into the distance. The father stood by her side and massaged her shoulder. Though they were my age, they looked like they had both aged twenty years. I tried talking, but the mother wouldn’t say a word. She was still in shock. The father did all the talking. Without desiring to burden them any longer, I told them I would be there for anything they needed and I’d take care of any arrangements they required for the funeral and visitation and more. We prayed together, and then I left. The mother had never uttered one single word.
A few months later, I talked with that mother about those terrible days. She responded that the hours were a blur of pain and tears and mourners and too much. She was still trying to cope with all the changes that her loss had wrought. After a short talk, I mentioned the verse above and told her that God was not only with her, God’s Spirit was going to help her out for a while. Even when she couldn’t think, the Holy Spirit would help her form words and heal and pray. It comforted her to know that the Heavenly Father not only knew what it was like to lose an only child but was going to comfort her personally in the present.
I have no doubt that at various times in your life, your world will be turned upside down. As a child, this might occur with a loss, a big change, a health crisis, and more. As a teen, this will occur as you spread your wings, take chances, do new things, take on new responsibilities, and make mistakes. As an adult, this can occur during dating, when having children, during a disaster, and at various stages of life. There are many things that can steal the words from you and cause you to go numb. All of life is full of risks and dangers and trials and challenges. So often, we surround ourselves with the familiar and don’t even realize what could go wrong until it does go wrong.
For one moment, think about the people of the Bible in real terms. King David lost a child at birth. His son attempted to kill him. His best friend’s father attempted to murder him. Jeremiah was wrongly put in chains. Joseph was wrongly accused on rape. Lot lost his entire house and his wife on the same day! Job lost several children to death, then became very sick for a time. Jonah was thrown overboard! Elijah was struck with deep depression. Jesus was wrongly accused and crucified! All these put their hope in God. In their moments of deep pain when words could barely be formed, they put their trust in God. And God came through.
God doesn’t come into your life only when things are going well. God doesn’t align Himself with only the winners or the powerful or the successful. God is there through thick and thin. And when things really take a turn for the worse, God will not let you down. If you look hard enough, you will find God’s presence in your most difficult days. Why? You are loved beyond measure. Jesus has declared you part of His family. The Holy Spirit is at home in your heart and soul and mind. So, don’t worry about the difficult days that will come. God will be closer than you can even imagine. God’s Spirit will carry you through no matter what you face. HE promised!