Intersections

How many times have you stared your computer screen wondering what in the world you are supposed to do with your mouse to make the application do your bidding?  You may click around some menus and try some buttons and then you spy that friendly little help button with the question mark icon!  You think “Help!  That’s exactly what I need right now!”  So you click the magic question mark only to find out you have ask the right questions in the right way in order to get the help application to cough up some semi-useful hints.  Don’t you find it frustrating to need help and not even know how to express yourself in the right way? 

Do you ever feel the same way when you are in spiritual need?  Do you ever click the spiritual help button (prayer) only to feel like you have an open connection without any words to say?  If so, you are in good company because I sometimes feel that way and I believe it’s a common experience even among the most faithful disciples.  That feeling of spiritual helplessness is so common that Paul writes about it in one of the most powerful passages in the entire Bible – Romans chapter eight.  In this passage, Paul tells us not be anxious when we reach out to God in prayer because we have a translator who helps us especially when our need is the greatest.

Paul writes in Romans 8:26-27:

“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. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” 

Don’t you find this passage to be of incredible comfort?  Next time you are reaching out to God and you simply don’t know what to say try just being still and let the Spirit do the work for you.  Notice the second part of the passage.  Not only does God’s Spirit translate for your own human spirit, the Spirit of God actually intercedes for you according to God’s will.  So, when I don’t know how to pray and even when I don’t what to pray, the Spirit takes care of both things for me!  Thank God for His spiritual help button of prayer!

I can’t conclude this article without letting Paul complete his thought.  These two verses containing the promise of the Spirit working through our prayers is part of a larger context containing one of the most powerful and comforting promises God makes to his children – Romans 8:28.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

When in doubt; trust God to work it out!

I hope you have enjoyed these two articles on prayer.  I have found my own prayer life has been energized over the past two weeks as I have tried to put into practice the words I have put on virtual paper.  I plan to focus the next two articles on one of the most important faith foundation concepts before we move into more practical articles dealing with everyday exercising of faith in the real world.  In the meantime, if I can be of service to you by praying for you, please let me know.  My Tips from Mike page has instructions on how to send me a private comment that will not be published to the public.  I promise that if you ask me to pray for you I will honor your request and include your need in my personal prayers.  I will be honored to serve you in that way.

Until next week,

Meet me at the intersection!