Romans 8:26- 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 growing too deep for words.

What do we think happens when we pray? It’s been a question that I have been pondering lately because what we think happens will affect how we pray. In the Old Testament we see how God is moved by prayer regularly. Sodom and Gomorrah is a great example. God came because he heard the groaning and crying of the people (Genesis 18:17). In Exodus we see that God responded to the “Israelites” because of their groaning and and crying out (Exodus 2:24) and gave them a leader to bring them out of slavery from Egypt. Throughout Scripture God responds to those that cry out to Him (1 Kings 17:20, 2 Chronicles 18:3, 2 Chronicles 32:20, Matthew 8:23, etc.) God responds when we reach out to Him, when we cry out with our struggles and injustices.

Romans tells us that when we don’t know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us. It isn’t by our lack of perfectly strung together words that God doesn’t respond, its because we don’t cry out to Him and rely on Him. God isn’t a vending machine that gives out answers to pray requests, and He definitely doesn’t choose the people who cry out the loudest, but He is moved by both our faith, and by our struggle.

The first description of God can be found in late Exodus (Exodus 34:6) and He is described as a compassionate God. One whom cares about the people and listens to their requests. One whom listens to the growing and crying out from His people and is moved by it. Our God is gracious and compassionate as well as all powerful, so why are we so hesitant to bring our requests to Him? “Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Let’s bring our requests, let’s cry out and groan even when we don’t know what to pray but we need God, because that is what we are called to do. Don’t be shy to tell God your struggles or your hurts or the injustices that you feel have been done to you. Bring them to Him even if you don’t have answers on how they can be fixed. That is what it looks like to be in relationship, to not hold back when things are hard, but to share and be vulnerable. He may not answer your prayer the way you want, but He wants to hear your heart.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to trust you enough that we can be vulnerable with our wants, and our hurts. We lay them at your feet and ask for you compassion on us. Amen.

-Austin Christianson

Shepherding and Worship Pastor