Right Words or Right Spirit?
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:26-27
Prayer is a blessing and something we continue to learn how to do. I don’t know about you, but the form of prayer has often been a distraction for me. Have you ever puzzled over what words to use or wonder if you got it right? Paul is wise to tell followers of Jesus that the Holy Spirit will help us when we don't know how to pray. The accent of our prayers isn’t on the words so much or on whether we get it “right.” God longs to spend time with us, and his Holy Spirit is ready and waiting to join us in prayer.
Richard Sibbes wrote that “God can pick sense out of a confused prayer.” His words sound like a modern translation of Paul’s letter. Let that ease our minds and encourage us to pray. We benefit from daily conversation with God, and prayer is the best way to do that. It's about getting close to God. Did you know that sea otters hold hands while they are sleeping so they don't drift apart? Prayer trains our minds and hearts to stay close to God. This is the function of prayer. God knows our sentences fall short and many times we don’t even know what to say. I’m thankful he provides the blessing of his Holy Spirit to intercede for us. Lift up your prayers and trust that God’s Spirit stands ready to help you.