Hope in the Unseen
Scripture Reading — Romans 8:22-27
The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
One of the ways Jesus taught his disciples to pray was to ask God the Father, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This is often a difficult prayer for us to pray honestly. How can I pray for God’s kingdom to come when it is a kingdom without selfishness and I tend to be a selfish person? God’s will is different from my will, and it is easier for me to pray that my own will be done than for God’s will to be done.
A person might hope and pray to get a new job that pays a lot of money. But God’s will might be that he get a lower-paying job that will help him grow in dependence on God.
That’s why we can be thankful for this promise: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” God the Holy Spirit wants what is best for us and for God’s kingdom. The Spirit is praying for us, interceding for us in ways that human language cannot even express. God knows what we need, and God cares for us, providing what is best for us.
Even when it is hard to pray, we can trust that the Spirit is praying on our behalf. We can live in the hope that God, by his Spirit, will work out his perfect will for our lives.
Holy Spirit, pray for us. We do not have the words we need, but we trust that you know everything we need. Your kingdom come, O Lord, and your will be done. Amen.
About the author — Rebecca Jordan Heys
Rebecca Jordan Heys serves as a pastor at Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She and her husband, Kyle, are the parents of two children.
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