Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Long before the advent of the cell phone, I was stationed in Pensacola, Florida and engaged to my wonderful wife, Joann. We would schedule times when we would try to call each other. When it was her turn to call me, she would call me on the pay phone in the barracks, someone would answer and yell out my name from down the hall. I would rush to talk to my girl because I loved her and I cherished the time I could spend with her on the phone.
For the believers in Jesus Christ, prayer is a crucial part of our daily routine, or at least it should be. Spending time with the One we say we love is vital to our relationship with Him. We should have the same enthusiasm to communicate with the Lord as I did when I got the chance to talk to Joann. If we are honest, most of the time we look at prayer as a duty and not an opportunity to let God know how much we love Him.
There are times however, when we try to pray and the words just don’t come. It may be that we are grieved over a situation, or we are so saddened by circumstances that we can’t even speak, even in those times we are communicating with the Lord. We are showing God we desire to speak, but our heart is so heavy, it just isn’t possible.
The promise in the passage of Scripture above is that, even when we can’t pray, the Spirit of God takes over and prays for us. The Holy Ghost that indwells us, best knows us and our deepest needs. He also knows the mind of the Father, and it is the Spirit that brings our requests to our prayer answering God. This fact doesn’t absolve us from praying, but it is comforting to know, that when we are at a loss for words, the Spirit will make intercession for us.
Be sure to speak to your Father today. But, if your heart is heavy, know that the Holy Spirit will pray for you.