Text: Philippians 4:6-7, James 5:13-16, Psalm 131:1-3, Romans 8:26-30
The question has been posed to me almost daily in this season: “What do you want to do?”
My husband and I are in a crux we didn’t plan for, one that necessitates a job change and possibly a move—and quick. There are three solid options on the table, one of which is to stay here in Denver, in the home we love, in the city we felt God calling us to a year ago. The others take us to the opposite side of the country, near where we both grew up. Neither option to move back east seems best today. I don’t know what to ask for, and I don’t know what to pray. My prayers lately resemble something like this: I don’t know, but You do, so just do it quick—even if it hurts.
I feel weak of praying. I don’t mean tired of praying, I mean weak in it. Praying feels like the weakest thing I could do and the most necessary. Never in all my life have I felt so out of control of my own life and person—and I’m weak for it. I feel bruised, sucked in, spit out, worn over, trampled, even crushed. I am like one with dry mouth trying to ask for a drink of water; more desirous than ever, and unable to form the words with a parched throat and cracked lips.
My will is strong, my body is weary.
In these moments, I’m tempted to keep quiet because God knows my prayers anyway; He knows the words I’d say if I could. In Romans 8:26, we read, “The Spirit also joins to help in our weakness.” It would seem more fitting if it said, “The Spirit will carry us along in our weakness,” but it doesn’t. It says, “joins.”
The Holy Spirit comes to us, gets down in the trench with us, imbeds inside us, melds against and with us, and helps in our weakness. This changes things. A parched person need not cry out for water if one who is satiated joins her pleas, groaning alongside her for what she needs.
This is what the Holy Spirit does for me and you. He dips down and hears those earnest and difficult cries, and He, who knows the will of God, takes every petition to the Father who gives good gifts (Matthew 7:11). Our prayers are not powerful because we ourselves are powerful. The power of prayer lies in the power of God.
I do not know what to pray for as I should, but I know the Holy Spirit joins with me. He knows what I need better than I ever could.
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
-Philippians 4:6-7
Lore Wilbert is the Director of Community and Formation at Park Church, Denver, and writer at Sayable.net. Find her on twitter @lorewilbert.
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133 thoughts on "The Power of Prayer (3 of 3)"
This is the pecerft post for me to find at this time
The Lord knew our frame before we were ever created. He knew we would need a helper in our time of weakness. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who aids us along our journey.
Absolutely needed this ! Loving this study
I love (and hate) that illustration of the parched prayer in the trenches. I’m there with you, exhausted and spent and not even knowing if it’s worth praying anymore. And the Holy Spirit brings refreshing through this devotion. Thank you, Lord, for sisters everywhere that are honest in their walk and help to lead us back to Your heart
Kara, I just read your comment and it resonated so much with me. I have many moments in my life, even at this very moment where I feel exhausted and spent praying. Yet, I know that stopping will not do anything. Stay persistent in whatever you are asking God for!
Something that stood out to me in reading the passage from Romans was not just that the Spirit intercedes when we don’t have any words, but also intercedes when our prayers are not what they “ought” to be. When our requests – even those coming from a genuine desire to serve God or to love people well – are not in our best interests according to the will of God, the Spirit comes along side us to bring before God the correct request. It’s such a beautiful and gracious thing that He does for us!
Amen!
Don’t worry about anything:
-Tell God what you need
-Thank Him for all He as done
Then you will experience God’s peace
That act of counting your blessings and trading all your worries for all His peace is such a gift! And He asks us to do it DAILY!
Clearly I am a day behind, but this is so on time (of course). I can relate so much right now, to that feeling of restlessness about what’s ahead, and just weakly asking God to see whatever it is, through. I’m worn out from asking him to do that, really. And he’s probably like “okaaaaay. Girl. I’m working, though you can’t see it yet.” It is SO comforting in that place, to remember that the Holy Spirit is my Helper and my advocate during times when my human brain has just timed out. What a blessing to know that we have a guide when we feel like we’re just meandering around. One look over my shoulder shows me clearly that I’m not, and that (sometimes seemingly haphazard trail) has been for purpose, and for good.
On a side note, I had so much fun researching the hymn! Ms. Annie Hawks wrote “I Need Thee Every Hour” when she was a young mother of 37 as she was “busy with her regular household chores…” Sah-WEET.
“My will is strong, my body is weary”!!! Yes! So we’ll put!
Love this. So thankful we can pray to our Father at any time. And when we don’t know what to pray the Spirit intercedes for us, strengthens us. I’m desperately trying to learn right now how to rely on the Lord for everything in life and not myself. So often I put so much pressure and a burden on myself when it’s not mine to bear. My job is to rest in God and to enjoy my relationship with Him. Rest and enjoy two things I’m learning to do. The more I do those things the more affective I’ll be in living out the Great Commission.
Praise God!
Phil 4:6-7 is the memory verse this week for the 4th grade class I teach on Wednesdays! I love reading the comments after the Devo to see what everyone is going through and how God is working in our lives!
I get this. I love this! These are some of the scriptures I have clung to as I navigate the difficult road of having a daughter with a fairly new diagnosis of cancer. I’ve been in the trenches- not knowing what to pray or how to pray. With cancer, it makes you realize how weak one really is and how you really have no control of anything. But God has been so faithful to reveal Himself to us in the midst of this journey. We serve a loving, compassionate, and faithful God that is full of mercy and grace! to God be the glory.
Praying for you and your daughter Randie! BlBlBless
Blessings! (Typo before)
Praying for you and your daughter.
Prayer is so much more than closing your eyes and folding your hands but a connection between you and the creator of all, he chose you and he LOVES you!!!
Amen
Amen!
This was such an encouragement to me today. It was exactly what I needed to hear and I’m so glad it was in my devo. God was really working in me today and I’m so blessed to be apart of this sweet community where I can share that.
This pretty much reached into the depths of my heart today and brought forth tears that have needed to be released for some time now. And it’s just so fitting and like God that as I read this the song “Trust in You” by Lauren Daigle began playing on the radio at the exact same time. It was the first time I’d ever heard this song. Sometimes I just can’t get over how kind and faithful God is~
Philippians 4:6 is a verse I always go back to. I’m struggling with anxiety at the moment and although I find it extremely exhausting each day, I know that God is with me and he won’t burden with me anything more than I can handle. As well as doing this study every day I’ve also started a prayer diary so that I can make my prayer requests known to God. He listens and the Holy Spirit helps us in these times of need and for that I am eternally grateful!
As someone who also has major anxiety, I just want to point out that God has never promised to not give us more than we can handle. I have routinely felt overwhelmed and totally spent. God alone can help us, it is not by our strength. It is by his grace that we make it through each day, not by our own efforts. He IS with us each day, carrying our burdens. “Cast your cares/anxiety/burden on him” What a relief! Much love to you :)
Though God knows that we all fall short of His glory, how amazing it is that He still has our backs. He gives us His Word to teach us how to live [and live well in full abundance]. When we need to be saved or need a fresh start, He sends us Jesus [in every moment we need Him]. Even when we don’t know what to pray or how we should pray, He sends us the Holy Spirit to join us in our weakness and make pleas for us before the Father. He knows our inadequacies and all our empty, dark spaces, yet He gives us every single thing we need through Himself, to make us whole. Praise God!!
Perfectly said, Tiari! Thank you so much for sharing your wise words!!
Thanks for pointing out that the Spirit ‘jointly’ helps us. I hadn’t seen that before.
us. us
I have often heard the phrase, ” Tears and prayers too.” I think this is depicted perfectly with this verse from Romans,
“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.”
The Holy Spirit always knows what is on our heart and he is always there to deliver the message to God even when we are not able to or when we are anxious.
This last devotion was perfect. I have been there, so recently, in moments of desperation when the only words I could get out were, “Help me, Jesus.” It it so comforting to visualize the Holy Spirit standing there beside me in those moments. Holding me up. Bearing that heavy, heavy weight of life. Articulating the words that I cannot. I can cling to Him. He can be my strength when I have none.
These last three days have been incredible. Thank you for these words and for the realness of them.
Amen
There is action for all things, even being cheerful! Let us not become stagnant and complacent in our day to day lives but walk forward with purpose in our day. If you are cheerful, praise! If not, pray! (Okay so pray anyway!)
Lore, thank you for the beautiful devotions the last few days. These devotions on prayer have been just what I needed. Thank you for sharing your heart in such a relatable way. :-)
“Never in all my life have I felt more out of control of my own life and person”. This is me, and the rest of that paragraph. The Holy Spirit is using your words as my own and I am telling Him I am sucked in, spit out and trampled these days. Parched from giving without receiving and unable to find the resources to ask for anything because I don’t know what it is I need. I am not in a life crisis, just 3 months away from my second child and I’m scared I can’t do it with grace or patience or love or just plain physical energy. Then I feel pathetic because come on it’s only two kids, millions of other women do this every day. And so I pray these feeble prayers and go about my day feeling unchanged, powerless but trusting in God because I know His Word is true and His will for me is good. It’s all I’ve got to hold on to.
Don’t feel pathetic. Going from 1 to 2 is a scary thing. I felt many similar emotions when our second child came. But you are right to say it that you, we all, need God’s grace, especially in this high-calling of motherhood. It is a high-calling indeed, but one that requires more than we are capable of, and that is where we need God’ grace!
The transition may be difficult, but know that things WILL get easier as you adjust to the new dynamic and new needs. In the end, it is a beautiful thing for a child to have a sibling, I am so blessed every day by just watching my children (now three of them!) interact with each other. I am whooped every night? Yes! But I am blessed and that trumps everything!
Thank you Allane for your encouragement!
Wow!!! I can’t. Thank you for being so open. My faith has been strengthened because of yours honest. I am going through something similar. I have been pulled out of a job that I have been there for almost 14 year. And put on permanent disability and I’m only 32. And we are a two income family. I know I should pray and I do try but like you, I feel like I have no words. I will keep pushing forward in prayer and I will hold on to the scriptures given to day. Thanks you again.
I love how we all face similar situations, regardless of where we are in life. I know a lot of you are right smack dab in the middle of a similar struggle, but I’d like to share my story so it might offer you some hope. I was in this exact situation a little over a year ago. I remember sitting in my car with my boyfriend crying and unable to put into words how confused and terrified I was. I was trusting in God, I was praying… But I still couldn’t figure out which big decision was the right one. That’s when my boyfriend stopped me and explained that whatever steps I took, I could bless God in them. Whatever decisions I made, I could give the glory to Him. While I couldn’t discern which decision was right, I learned that I didn’t have to… But that didn’t mean I was useless. I could use my current situation to bring glory to Him. I could use my prayers to draw closer to God rather than beg Him to make it clear to me. I could take baby steps toward what I thought the “right move” was, while still being open to wherever He directed me. And I’m sitting here a year later, completely grateful, with a clear picture of how God has gotten me here. It took lots of little steps and lots of trusting in God, but it is so worth it. Allow Him to use you wherever you are, even if you don’t know where you’re headed. He’s got your back!
Thank you for sharing. This is so where I’m at. Draw closer… less of me Lord. Be blessed ladies, one day at a time.
Thank you for sharing your story, Klaire!
My husband and I have been seeking God for months regarding our big decision. Trusting, seeking, trusting, seeking and still….silence.
Our story is that we must move out of our rental home in the next few months – so the decision is to either stay in our current town (been here about 5 years) which we really enjoy, have finally made some great friends and are very involved with our church that we love…. Or move clear across the country on what seems like a ‘whim’. No jobs lined up yet and no clear calling from God to move to a particular area. We just feel like He’s saying “GO”. So option 1, to stay isn’t likely :)
I feel a little like Abraham where God said ‘go to the land I will show you’…. Which is super vague and not helpful in my opinion. ;) – thanks God.
Blessed by today’s Devo reminding me that the Holy Spirit is there with me when I don’t know how to pray.
Thank you, Klaire for your words. That whatever step we take, whatever decision we make, we can BLESS GOD. I have been so focused on myself and making sure that I choose the ‘right’ place to go to so I don’t mess up God’s unknown calling or plan on my life. I realize now that I wanted to make sure God would bless ME in my decision and not seeing it as a way to Bless him instead.
We had made the decision to move to a state we haven’t even visited yet, and while it felt good to make a decision, I was still struggling with making absolutely sure it was the ‘right’ choice. We are blindly trusting the Lord and are still open to a new calling from him, should he give it, but today I feel the anxiety and pressure leaving.
Let the peace of God be present today! Praying Philippians 4:6-7 over my life today. He had GOOD things in store :)
Steph, I totally understand how you feel. I’ve been living like this for a few years now…being led by the “cloud” by day and the “fire” by night. Although it’s an exciting way to live especially because you see how God works thru you to bless and impact other lives. BUT it can be a little scary, uncertain and bewildering as you wait on God’s instruction. Oh yeah, He also sharpens your discernment of “the times” ;- )
Amen!! I’ve always begged for clear signs and have only now begun to realize that I just need to believe and move and trust that He will be with me. That He may be glorified with each step I took towards Him. Thanks for sharing! Such truth!!
Sometimes we must take a step and let Him guide us. He can’t correct our steps if we are not moving
Lore, I deeply appreciate your vulnerability through this recent bump in the road for your family, thank you. I work for a college ministry in Utah, and we are going through a tough transition right now, too. It will be hard for me and the students, but also very freeing. A lot of unknown lies ahead. But I find myself not knowing how to pray, especially when I don’t feel deserving. So thank you for presenting these passages that defeat those lies and insecurities and help us ladies come before God. It’s so comforting to know that the Holy Spirit is an active intercessor. I’ve been feeling my hurt along with my students’ hurt often, and this is calling me to intercede along with the Holy Spirit. He hears us. That’s so crazy…
Oh. My. Each day as I read the SRT comments, I write each prayer request in my book. So many with such heavy burdens and of course, I have my own. Sigh. This morning I was feeling especially burdened as I went over the list. Overwhelmed by the magnitude. Wondering if my prayers make much difference compared to the weight of so many. I was sighing more than praying. Oh, Lore, I needed your words! Thank you for reminding me that the Holy Spirit is here in the trenches, embedded with all the prayer warriors… And especially with those of us who are battle – weary. Praise God that the Holy Spirit grabs ahold of our hands and intercedes for us with unspoken groanings! His groanings rise above my own. Lore, your honesty and truth have given this soldier the strength to fight on for another day. And I know He will empower me in all my tomorrow’s. Cannot fully express my deep deep gratitude…
Sending so much love your way, sweet churchmouse. I look forward to your encouragement each day!
xoxo-Kaitlin
Great idea writing the prayer requests down. I need to be reminded that these are real people with real prayer requests on the other side of the screen. Thank you that you do this, and for the idea!
We just faced this choice, and we ended up moving. Away from family and friends, where we felt called, with a newborn. I know the Lord led us here for a reason but if is so hard and I struggle with frustration and anxiety each day. Lord, please guard my heart.
Praying with you, sweet friend. So glad you’re here!
xoxo-Kaitlin
I can so, so relate to the devotion today. Just last week we went from expats to being former expats without jobs. My prayers, too, feel weak. We need jobs that provide for our family but we want more than that. We want jobs that use our gifts and talents, that feed our souls and allow us to pour into others. It’s so very hard to trust, but at the same time trusting is all I know to do.
Praying for you, thisgalsjourney, as we are also facing this. We are currently expats and are considering becoming former expats without jobs, hoping that we listen and follow God’s direction for us. I can relate to the heaviness of your situation.
*continuing
Praying for you Shannon!
Thank you so very much!
Praying for healing from breast cancer. Contouring to ask boldly.
Amen Shannon! May God provide you with the miracle of healing, for he is our doctor and our healer, he is the only one we need.
Thank you!
Praying for you.
Asking God to be especially near to you today, friend. Grateful for your bold example.
xoxo-Kaitlin
Joining in prayer for you!! May Christ’s blanket of peace cover you during this time, and may you feel his presence ever so close to you.
Covering you in prayer this night and in the days to come! Jesus doesn’t love us in way that isn’t best. He is so good – every day. Even in the very hardest ones. I know this season is so very hard and I will be continually praying for you! Also if you are into books, John Piper has a very short, very powerful book called “Don’t Waste Your Cancer”
Saying a prayer now.
Thank you for sharing your story. Last year around this time I was hit with so many decisions that would impact my future. To move back home or to stay in a new city. I felt paralyzed with indecision and all could remember saying was GOD please just do what you need already “even if hurts”. Fast forward and I’m in a much better place. I still don’t know what GOD has in store for me or why I had to move (I decided to move back home). I do know that it definitely changed me and my relationship with HIM. I really just wanted to say thank you for sharing. Sometimes it feels like I’m alone and that somethings wrong with me because I can’t quite discern. I pray that GOD reveals HIS plans for you and that he gives you the strength to follow/trust HIM.
Amen, Shanelle I think we have all found ourselves in these cross roads, but when we hold on to Gods promises we gain so much more than what we loose. I found myself in that dark place a year ago and I’m so thankful that I stood firm in Gods word, for now I see his plan for my life and is so much greater than I could ever imagine.
I am in a similar place now. Trying to discern if I should stay in my home town or move on. I have been stuck in not knowing what to pray so this really helps. It is frustrating when I do not feel I get any clear answers. It seems as though I can see a fuzzy outline but it is just out of reach. Nice to hear you both have also experienced this so I am not alone. I have been trying to figure out if there is something wrong with my approach but after reading this, I think it may just be the season I am in. I do trust Him. Always.
Anxiety is overwhelming me. I feel out of control and hopeful less in my current situation. My husband and I were getting divorced. He and I began to see other people once the petition was signed. When we decided to reconcile we let the people we were talking to know. The lady he was talking to was fine. The man I was has become angry. He went so far as to email my husband inappropriate things about he and I. We both got rid of our email accounts and will be changing phone numbers. My fear is that this will only make him more angry and he would try something more crazy. My husband is a police officer and says we don’t have enough to get a restraining order (he was calling me and texting me from different phone numbers but never saying it was him but saying things only he’d know) My husband says he’s intelligent and knows we need to prove it was him and without him stating his name we can’t since it’s different numbers. I’m afraid of what he’s going to do next if anything. My husband feels he’s done but I’m not so sure. I’m terrified and overwhelmed. Any ladies out there who are divorcing or separated DO NOT get involved with anyone Til you’ve healed and the divorce is final. Run from any man making you feel special. He is a vulture and knows you’re insecure. I didn’t believe it when a friend said it to me. I wish I had heeded her warning. Please pray with me that this man would stop and leave us alone. I worry for myself, my husband, and my kids. My husband and I were able to dismiss the divorce case and are doing well and are back in church together and putting Christ as the head of our marriage which we stupidly didn’t do before. I am so thankful for restoration. I am still concerned and anxious about this man and his motives. Please pray with me that God would calm this man and distract him with something else to do than harass us. And that my heart would be at peace. I’m sorry this is so long. Please pray for us.
*hopeless sorry typo
I am praying for you and for your family, Vanessa. May God watch over and protect all of you! Also, thank you for sharing your story of reconciliation. May God continue to bless and keep you and your husband.
Thanks so much.
Praying! And so happy to hear a story of marriage reconciliation!
Thank you so much. Our reconciliation is def a result of answered prayers. I cling to that now as you ladies pray along with us.
Melissa, ladies, correct me if I’m wrong. Is not it the truth that we are as Christians should not even consider divorce as an option for our marriages? Is not it our commitments to our husbands and children? I learned it when I came to Christ and accepted his term of taking a cross and following him… Is not it what we choose in every situation?
Praying for you Vanessa! Keep pressing on and holding on to his promises. He will never leave you nor forsake you!
Thank you.
While this comment is late, please know you’ve been in my prayers Vanessa. Hope you are well this day and will continue to pray for God’s presence and wisdom in your life. xo
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. AND THE PEACE OF GOD, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
-Philippians 4:6-7
I am about to finish my Masters, and I am currently applying for an internship position. God has been so good opening doors in all the places I applied ( which I did not expect at all). That is a blessing that I am really grateful for but it also turned out to be a little bit confusing because all of the options seem to be great for me, providing what I want. Nevertheless my constant prayer has been where do you want me to be Lord? Over the past weeks I have been praying this words, with no specific answer about the place I should pick. God’s silence only made me more nervous and anxious until today :) I am glad to say that my Lord answered me through this devotional, confirming in my heart that no matter how many options He opens in front of me HIS PEACE that surpasses all understanding will lead my way, will lead me to His perfect choice for me. All I need to do is wait on Him recognize His peace and follow it. Thanks my Lord!
I feel this so deeply today. This last year has been a year riddled with true anxiety, the kind that has left me unable to breathe or even think. I’m certain the Spirit has laid in the trenches with me daily, helping me whisper, “Jesus, help.”
The anxiety you’re talking about is where I’m at today. Praying for you too. Thanks for sharing.
Your honesty and transparency, your willingness to share your vulnerability, is a real blessing. We don’t have it all figured out…we just have to be willing to allow the Lord in…thank you for your devotional, Lore. Praying for you today.
Hit with news of yet another 20% of our company to be laid off…which will bring the numbers to over 50%. Definitely have no words left to pray…
Pam, know that I’m praying for you now, asking The Holy Spirit to intercede for the words we cannot find. Praying for God’s peace and presence over you today.
xoxo-Kaitlin
Praying for you, for a peace from a sure and steadfast God. He is good in the waiting, He is good in the answer and the work of fulfilling the answer. When we are weak, He is strong!
Lore,
“I feel weak of praying. I don’t mean tired of praying, I mean weak in it. Praying feels like the weakest thing I could do and the most necessary. Never in all my life have I felt so out of control of my own life and person—and I’m weak for it.” Oh, how I feel this. I was thinking about this last night as I was trying to form words to know how to pray for a specific situation in my life. Your post has brought me much encouragement this morning. Thank you.
Like you, I feel weak in prayer. This morning I came back hear after too long of a break. Life just got busy and I didn’t make time for it like I should have. This is the message I needed to hear, though, this morning. There is power in prayer. Yesterday my dad went in for a routine colonoscopy and they found a mass. Today at 9, he will have a CT. I am desperate in my prayers and I know that the Holy Spirit helps me when I have no words. We are praying that it is found only in the colon and can be easily removed with surgery alone. I would covet anyone else’s prayers as well. All of these verses were meant for me…do not be anxious, He works all things for the good of those who love Him. “The power of prayer lies in the power of God.”
Praying for your dad and the whole family! Love to you, sister.
Praying for your dad and your family…for peace and strength in the coming days, knowing that no matter what the CT finds, you are not walking through this alone.
Praying for you my dear sister in Christ – and for your dad and family.
Praying.
Lore,
Thank you for this transparency in your life. This spoke to my heart today as my fiancé has found out about a job opportunity in his home town, which he misses dearly. The possibility of picking up our lives and moving is so scary to me. In moments I’m all in and other moments I’m questioning if that’s where I see myself. There’s so much unknown. I pray, but I don’t know what I’m praying for. I’m scared to see where God will take us. In the end I know that His will is good- even if I don’t know where His goodness will lead us.
Blessings
This was exactly what I needed to hear as I go through my own journey. Thank you for being raw and open about what you are going through. Praying for you.
Lore; Reading your three Lent devotions about prayer, I am moved by your honesty in sharing weariness in a season of upheaval. Thank you for being so open and guiding me to scriptures that lead to pondering my own prayers. I read the disappointment you are experiencing in how things have not gone as excepted. Your hopes replaced with searching for answers which come not fast enough about the near future. Things pressing. I hope and pray for you today. Hope that encouragement comes to you this day. Streams in your wasteland. A way in the desert.
I have a son with significant emotional special needs due to trauma. He has really been struggling lately, to the point that we have had some doubts as to whether he will ever function in society. I have been praying for him for 10 years, daily, pouring my heart out and just crying to God. Recently, it has gotten worse. As I continue to cry out to God this morning, as he does super inappropriate things and laughs, this devotion reminds me that God is with me, even when it feels like my prayers just bounce off of the ceiling.
Praying for your family!
I will pray for you, Dana.
Praying for you and your family today, Dana. Asking for God’s presence to be close and known. Grateful for your heart and boldness.
Grace and Peace,
Kaitlin
Lore Wilbert, thank you for sharing your heart with your SRT sisters!
Please know that we are lifting you and you family up in prayer and also joining with you in asking God for clarity, wisdom and peace as you wait.
Everything about this devo has a parallel to my circumstances, and I love the scriptures they address. My heart is full of questions, hope, and a bit of sadness (that’s just me) at how life has taken a turn, and I don’t quite know what I want or how to pray. Will ruminate on these scriptures and seek strength.
Praying for you today, Kimberly.
Prayer is my favorite subject. One of the best things about it is that MY faith can be built when God moves in your life. I would love for you to come on over to https://wordpress.com/post/awordthatmatters.wordpress.com/153 and read “For This Child I Have Prayed.” I’m so encouraged by you SRT sisters! Be blessed!
I so often feel inadequate in prayer. You know those people who just pray so beautifully and always have the perfect words? Yeah, that’s not me! Thankful for this reminder today that the Spirit intercedes for me. My words do not have to come out pretty. My heart just needs to align with the One who lives within me!
Right there with you, Carie. Love the point you make!
I used to feel the same way, Carie, and a friend told me to talk to God just as you would talk to a friend and that has helped me when I pray. God doesn’t need beautiful words, He just wants us to come to Him
“But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groaning” – what a powerful image. The Holy Spirit aching with us, crying with us, hoping with us, rejoicing with us. We have a God who is active in out lives, in our very souls. What a privilege we so often take for granted. Our Father didn’t stay behind a curtain – He chose to get down in the mess and pain with us.
I love that image too Joy, the NKJV reads “with groans that cannot be uttered” almost like it’s a language that I don’t yet know and the Spirit is translating my discombobulated thoughts into perfect clarity for the Father.
“Never in all my life have I felt so out of control of my own life and person—and I’m weak for it. I feel bruised, sucked in, spit out, worn over, trampled, even crushed.”
The past couple days have been rough as heartbreaking situations of the past have come screaming back into my head and affecting my heart, my mind, my view of what God has already done in it all. Its so easy to give up and just assume the HS will take over and I can just lay there until it’s OK again. and sometimes that’s how He works but when I join in and pray and praise anyway, that’s when I’m awed, that’s when I see His work more clearly. Thank you for these not so gentle truths. Praying that today I can stand with Him, or atleast open my eyes as He’s carrying me.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ” I used to look at this scripture differently when I first began walking with God. Naturally, I wanted it to mean that Christians not only had a direct line to heaven but all of our prayers would be answered and life would pretty much be chocolate and sunshine. Not so, Candacejo! Not so!
But as I have “aged” and grown in the Lord (hopefully), I see the promise is actually much, much better than that. The verse doesn’t mean everything will be GOOD, it means (to me) that in every situation, no matter what is going on in my life, how bleak it looks, that God hasn’t forsaken me, but He is ordering my steps and even though I can’t see it, He will somehow turn that situation into one of benefit for me and even others around me. It’s just another stepping stone in our walk toward home! And along the way, even though there is suffering, even though there is hardship and pain, He is there, using those valleys as testimonies to encourage our faith and bring Him glory. That is so much better than just making everything GOOD.
He is a good, good Father! ♥
A
AMEN to that truth!
Amen, Candacejo, Amen! :)
Well said
!
Amen Candacejo! He is a good, good Father even when we are not good children. So thankful for His answers to prayer even if it wasn’t what I had wanted or expected. He surely knows best.
Thank you for writing your post. I can definitely relate to that ..blessings for you and your family. Is there a grand baby yet?
Thank you for asking! Little Miss Norah is set to arrive April 2 although my DIL was in the hospital with contractions a minute apart for over two hours. She’s just 34 weeks so that was too early and thankfully not dilated. Hoping she can hold out at least two or three more weeks. ♥
Amen!
I am with you! He has a much deeper and more fulfilling “good” in mind for us <3
“The Holy Spirit comes to us, gets down in the trench with us, imbeds inside us, melds against and with us, and helps in our weakness.” I love this and need this type of thinking. It’s not me by myself, alone with my troubles. The Holy Spirit is there for the asking to help me sort out my worries and give them to the Father. Thank you Lore!
Nancy – I truly believe this but not sure I have ever experienced this communion with the Spirit in prayer. I desire to know the presence of the Holy Spirit and to feel HIs stirrings and prompts in my life !
Ivey….consider reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan. It’s all about the Holy Spirit and how Christians often forget about the power of the Holy Spirit and how to follow the Holy Spirit daily.
Today was just one of those days where I wanted to pray but everything I said felt like it didn’t have meaning. When I went to bible study with a few friends it suddenly felt like clarity was coming to mind and we really had a fruitful session. But as we closed with prayer I just couldn’t put my heart into it. To know that Holy Spirit joins me in my weakness is really a comfort blanket for me as I struggled to understand why I could form the words or energy to pray though I truly wanted to.
Hi Alice, I had a similar thought yesterday about asking God to help with work. I was presenting to a panel of judges for a chance to win a £50k prize fund. Praying to God seemed like cheating! In the end I did pray that the Holy Spirit would help me to speak clearly. We do all things for the glory of God, including our work. It is good to ask him to be with us and help us in all things, including work. He wants to bless us in all that we do. Even though you can’t imagine Jesus with a computer I am sure you can understand him giving you clarity of thought on how to solve a problem. Go for it! I will pray for you too.
I am struggling with a technical issue at work at the
moment – something to do with a database.
It completely fills my mind right now – but I always feel weird asking God how to fix this particular problem. Maybe because I can’t imagine Jesus with a computer. I’m never sure about praying for things like this – what do you guys do?
I’m sorry this is bothering you know Alice! Hmm maybe instead of praying for Him to fix the actually computer and for Him to give you the answers, you may try praying for Him to give you wisdom and resources to find the solutions to the problem.
To provide you with calmness and patience when dealing with the database. And lastly, to lead you to people that may help with the situation. Maybe that will open different door, but at the end I still believe no matter how you phrase the question, if you ask, He will give! :)
Hey Alice, actually I think Jesus knows more about computers than we humans do – he is God, so why shouldn´t he? :) I am a freelance designer and I wouldn´t know how to survive if it weren´t for him helping me out ever so often …
Just yesterday I needed to talk to a client of mine who owns the shop where I buy my veggies. Normally he is busy with other customers, so I asked God if he could keep those customers away and give me the opportunity to have a few minutes with the shop owner. You guess it already – the shop was empty and I could clearify what was bothering me. :)
Hope this encourages you to entrust your every day work to him as well – you will see that he cares cause nothing is too little or to insignificant of him. :)
Alice, never feel you shouldn’t talk to God about anything. He will listen. He wants us to talk to Him every minute off every day. Here is a little story that may help.
I have a friend who was hosting a party. I was helping her at three last minute as it seemed things were getting overwhelming for her. As I hustled around the kitchen doing whatever needed to be done, I looked up and noticed she was looking for something and seemed anxious about it. I went over to help, and overheard her praying to God to help her find the knive she needed.
I am going to be very honest. I laughed to myself. I thought, “who asks God for a knife?” God had bigger thing to take care of than that knife! I never forgot that moment. I now know God didn’t want me to. As I said God always has a plan. Just because I don’t understand it, didn’t mean t here is no plan!
So, I have watched this woman closely and talked to her about lots of things. Always remembering that moment. Then I started to study and learn about praying. Guess what! My friend had done just what I should have done. She relied on God instead of herself for the answers she needed. When things were overwhelming, she stopped and have it tho God by asking Him for help…even the little things that we think we shouldn’t bother Him with!
Ask God. Talk to God. Tell Him what you have done so far to try to solve the problem and then just ask Him for help. You might not get the answer you thought you would or get an answer when you thought you should, but you will be amazed! Nothing is ever unimportant to God! Nothing!
Also, God made the universe. How hard can a database problem be for Him? Maybe I should have opened and closed with that…sorry for they long winded reply, but I know what you are experiencing!
This was great :) loved your insight.
I think God totally wants your prayers about this database – He’s the one who gave the knowledge and ability to people to create it in the first place, right? :)
Alice, God is the designer and giver of all ideas. Simply ask him to give you the wisdom , the knowledge you need and the ideas to fix the computer issue. He helps me paint all the time!!
Our prayers are not powerful because we ourselves are powerful. The power of prayer lies in the power of God…..Amen…
What great and truthfully powerful words…
Thank you Lord God, that your power is made GREAT in our weakness…
Sending some Wednesday love SIsters…Be Blessed…xxxx
Thank you…
Personally, I have always struggled with asking others for help. Whether it is from strangers, family, friends, and ultimately from God. I’m so used to take care of my self and to be the one that is alway here for others. It seams like every time I would find a person that I feel I can share my heart with, I would open up. I would share all of me and based on different circumstances it would end up by them turning their back on me. I believe that exact reason has made me build my walls even higher.
For a long time I was beating myself down and thinking that people left because of me, because my friendship and my love was just not good enough. Once I found God, He helped me realize that those people were just passing through. The ones who are meant to be in my life will stay in it for as long as it is His will. Because God will personally pick and choose every individual to be send my way for a specific reason!
By loving others we are sharing His love that He selflessly pours into us. We are showing others that He has not forgot about them. That He is present and if we just ask, He will act!
As James 5:13-16 said, let’s share our pain with others and let’s get together and pray to the Lord. Praise His name, worship His word and ask! He will provide because God is Good!
Thank you for sharing this. You’ve given me something to really think about this morning. I have also had the mindset that people leave and friendships crumble because of me, because I’m not good enough or I am not worthy of having strong relationships. I talk with God daily and I pray about my friendships and relationships, yet I’ve never stopped to think that some of these people were just passing through in His plan for my life. They had a purpose in my life, but like you said, those who are meant to be in my life will stay in it for as long as is His will. Relationships are constructed by God in His timing and by His plans. It is my prayer today that I will look at relationships with others in this new light, knowing God has a purpose for all of them, whether passing through or staying for the long-haul. I am good enough.
Wow. I’ve struggled a bit with this too, with regard to a couple of friendships in my life recently. But yes! God is sovereign, and it isn’t anything I said or even did “wrong”, but rather…they were there for a time and purpose and now we are all in a different place. I needed this today…thanks for your perspective!
I somehow knew this, but you wrote it down very clear. Tnx!