Prayer

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. [Romans 8:26a]

This is the opening verse from this past Sunday’s Epistle. It wasn’t the text for the sermon I heard Sunday; I wish it had been. I’m not exactly sure what the point of Sunday’s sermon was, but that’s probably my problem and not the problem of the preacher. But I think I might have gotten something from being reminded of this passage. “We do not know how to pray as we ought.” This may not be a problem for you, but it is for me.

I have often described myself as “piety impaired,” and prayer is one of those areas where I’m definitely impaired. In the first place I don’t pray much. And in the second place, when I do, I sometimes wonder why bother. After all, God surely knows what’s going on with me—better than I do in fact. So I get confused about the necessity of letting God know what’s up. And, I don’t feel as if God is prepared to set aside the laws of the universe just for little ole me, so I’m always very hesitant to make requests.

The good news in all this is Paul’s certainty that it is no problem for God that I suck at prayer. God’s very Spirit is at work in my feeble prayers—both the formal ones and those I kind of toss off conversationally in passing. It is as if the Spirit is the great translator who not only can speak my words to God, but that the translation is better than I could have put it in my own words.

Comforting, no?

Peace,

Jerry+