Help in Weakness
By Vicar Shaw
“Likewise 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. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” -Romans 8:26-27
Have you ever felt like you don’t know what to pray? Have you ever felt like you need God’s help but don’t know how to put it in words? I have certainly felt this way before and I’m sure that you have too. We’ve all been there when we don’t know what to say or do. We’ve all been there when we’ve felt so overwhelmed that anxiety begins to take hold of us and we feel unable to do anything at all. Perhaps you didn’t even want to pray but instead tried to find some other help during your time of need. Have you felt this way recently? Has this COVID-19 situation made it difficult for you to pray? It’s tempting for us to see the world around us and feel that God doesn’t hear us and doesn’t answer us. We’re tempted to despair and to give up during times like these.
The truth is, we are fallen and sinful human beings. Our sin makes us weak. Because of our sinful condition, the temptations of the devil, and the conditions of the world around us, we do not know how to pray as we ought just as St. Paul writes in Romans 8. There are times when we don’t know what to pray and when to pray. We often forget that prayer is our greatest defense against the devil and his schemes. We often forget that God promises to hear and answer us as a loving Father hears and answers His children. Prayer is a great blessing because through it, our Heavenly Father strengthens our trust in Him amidst the trials and challenges we face. We have direct access to God because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Christ has made it possible for us to speak to God and to be heard and answered by Him. God demonstrates His power and love for us in and through our weaknesses. He says to each of us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
There are times when we can scarcely make sense of the trouble in our fallen world, neither can we comprehend how good can come from any of it. We desperately need help with prayer. It isn’t something that we are naturally good at or inclined to do. Thankfully though, the Lord gives us His Holy Spirit, who intercedes for us and speaks for us to our Father in Heaven even when we don’t know what to pray.
I will be the first to admit that have been times when I’ve felt like I don’t know what to pray. Sometimes all I can think to say is, “God help us” or something very short and simple like that. We get so weak that we don’t know what else to do than cry out to God in our helplessness. It’s a great comfort for me to know that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we certainly need His help. We need His help much more than we often realize. Thankfully, our Lord has not abandoned us and has not departed from us even after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, He promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them. He has indeed come upon them and upon all of us in baptism. In the waters of baptism, we received the gift of the Holy Spirit and the assurance that we are God’s own forgiven children.
The Holy Spirit speaks for us on our behalf and helps us when we don’t know what to pray. We can rest assured that even when we don’t know what to pray, God knows our needs and cares for them. He has sent His Spirit into our hearts through faith to intercede for us to the Father, even as Christ Himself intercedes for us in Heaven even now. I hope and pray that you find comfort in this good news in whatever you’re going through. This truth has certainly given me great comfort. Thanks be to God for the Spirit whom He has given to each of us and for the great blessing of prayer! My prayers are with you all as we look forward to being together again at church soon.