When We Don’t Know What to Pray

Devotional Reading: And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26 NLT

Have you ever started to pray, but you were not sure what to say? Or perhaps you’ve been praying for a friend or situation that seems hopeless and you don’t even know what to ask for.

Paul reminds us in chapter 8 of Romans that the Holy Spirit Himself helps us when we pray. Verse 26 which is our anchor text says that the Spirit intercedes for us. The word intercede means to intervene on someone’s behalf.

The Holy Spirit, who knows God’s perfect will and knows the answer to every question – even the ones we don’t know to ask – intervenes on our behalf. He knows the desires of our hearts and helps align those desires with the will and plans of God as we pray.

We can also pray with confidence because we know that God is working on our behalf. In verse 28 of the same chapter, Paul reminds us that God works in all things for our good. God has a purpose for each of us that ultimately ends in redemption and the hope of eternity with God.

No matter what we are facing, we can be confident that God is working to produce these things in our lives. God does not make a shallow promise that guarantees only happiness and good things, but rather a powerful truth in all circumstances. No matter what we face, God’s plans for us are plans of hope.

Prayer and Confession
Thank you Jesus for the power of the Holy Spirit who helps me in my weaknesses.

Further Reading: Romans 8:26-28, 1Corinthians 14:1-4