I Don’t Know What to Say
Do you always know what to pray for?
Verse of the Day
‘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.’
Today’s Devotional
If there’s a time when I don’t behave well, it’s when I feel stupid. I’m not sure where I got the idea that I was supposed to know all things in all situations, but it seems that I function with that idea sometimes. If, however, I am continually supposed to be learning, then there would naturally be times when I don’t know or understand whatever I am facing. Right?
I love today’s verse. God is telling us that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. And the example we are given is about prayer. The Holy Spirit prays on our behalf when we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. We should also then assume that the Holy Spirit helps us in other situations where we don’t know what to do. Are we asking for that kind of guidance?
I can think of several specific times when I knew that I needed God’s help, but I had no idea what to pray for. The problem with feeling like I don’t know how to pray or what to pray for is that it might make me feel stupid, which then might lead to the decision to not pray at all. That would be a mistake.
This brings me back to being childlike. Children sometimes get “off kilter” and they have no idea why. They might be hungry or they might need a rest. But the only thing we see is a temper tantrum or a grouchy attitude. The parent, then, helps the child to do what is actually needed – which is not for the child to get his/her own way in the moment, but to attend to more urgent needs. That’s what the Holy Spirit is doing for us in prayer. The Holy Spirit is bringing our actual needs (which might be spiritual nourishment or to simply rest in God’s presence) while we are throwing a spiritual tantrum over wanting what we want when we want it. Because we are weak. There are so many times when we don’t actually know what we need.
I remember a time recently when I had an exterminator come to our house to spray for bugs. My little dog was put in his kennel so that he did not accidentally lick any of the chemicals that were used to kill the bugs. These chemicals would not kill him, but they would likely make him sick. The exterminator asked me to keep the dog safe (aka locked up) for at least an hour after the treatment was finished. My dog proceeded to bark and cry and scratch on the door of his crate for the entire time he was in his crate. All he could understand was that he was being kept from what he wanted. He did not have the capacity to understand that his restriction was for his benefit.
Do you think we do the same thing?
I know that there are things going on in the spiritual realm that I simply cannot understand. I know that there are times when I know that I need something, but I have no idea what that is. Which makes me feel stupid. However, God is reminding me of my weakness. God is reminding me that the Holy Spirit is helping me in the midst of my weakness. When I have no idea what to say to God, or how to say it, or what to ask for, the Holy Spirit has got me covered.
I believe it’s 100% acceptable to come before God and tell Him that I don’t know what to say. Sometimes, just being with Him without needing anything is the whole point of prayer. Learning to pray and actually praying is not so much about getting what I’m asking for, it’s about getting to know God Himself.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Do you ever feel like you don’t know how or what to pray? Does this keep you from praying?
How can you invite the Holy Spirit to pray on your behalf?
How can you pray today in a way that allows you to just BE with God instead of needing something from Him?
How has God shown you in the past that what you needed was not what you were asking for?