Dan Ford

      Being speechless is a frustrating thing, but being speechless before God is frightening. Perhaps all of us have been in a position of being completely incapable of finding the right words to say. As a young Christian I often found myself unable to express thoughts or emotions when attempting to pray.
      Imagine the parent of a child with a severe speech handicap. When the adolescent struggles to express a desire or purpose, the parent will try to formulate the thought or intent. This is a prime example of the Holy Spirit knowing our deepest yearnings and aligning them with the Divine Will and purpose of God.

      "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Rom 8:26

      The weaknesses referred to in Romans 8:26 point to our inability to pray judiciously. This is manifest by the next phrase, We do not know what we ought to pray for. However, the Spirit of God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, assists us. Our feeble attempts at prayer are taken and interpreted to the Father.
      We don’t know what to ask. We’re not competent judges of our own character. We don’t know what’s good for a man in this life.

      "For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?" Ecclesiastes 6:12.

      We’re shortsighted and very much biased in favor of our flesh. At times we don’t even know what we are asking.

      "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. " Matthew 20:22.

      We’re like youngsters asking for fruit before it is ripe.
      We may find ourselves at a loss for words, but we can rest assured that we have a prayer partner who is not. What a motivating factor for us to continue praying. This certainty in the Holy Spirit should stir us up and cause us to keep on praying. No matter how helpless we feel; no matter how hard the words are to say; when we can’t put words to our prayers; be confident the Lord knows and the Holy Spirit will carry our desires to the throne of grace.