Ever Interceding

When You Don’t Know How to Pray

BY DIANA BROWN

I got off the phone with the Hospice nurse. Her words were ringing in my ears. ”Diana, I am sorry to tell you that your aunt passed away at 3:20 this morning.”

I immediately sensed God’s care as 3:20 is a significant time. The Bible verse that Women World Leaders was founded on is Ephesians 3:20, and, to honor that, many of us pray for the ministry at 3:20 pm daily. Even in my grief, the Lord reminded me that HE is in charge and in control. Nevertheless, I was in tears - broken, sad, and confused. I didn’t know what to pray or how to pray.

This was the place where I recently found myself with the passing of my aunt. Words failed me. I leaned into Jesus, trusting that He intercedes for me in my weakness, giving me the Holy Spirit’s power to connect me with our gracious Father.

Sometimes, we are simply at a loss for words when we come to God in prayer. We find ourselves sitting in His presence with no idea how to proceed. We know that Jesus intercedes for us before the Father, but we don’t understand how Christ’s prayers help us in our time of need when we ourselves feel at a loss for how to pray.

So I reached for my phone to play the “Casting Crowns” song, Scars in Heaven.

The words to Scars in Heaven reminded me that, like everything in my faith walk, my prayers don’t depend on my own ability to pray but on Jesus. Please, pause to listen to the song.

The words pointed me to the truth—that I am not on my own, that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and He is the one holding my aunt now.

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18 ESV)

Even when our faith is floundering, Jesus intercedes for us. Jesus, the Son of God, after His death, resurrection, and ascension, was seated at the right hand of the

Father on high. When we suffer trials and temptations, God the Son intercedes on our behalf before the Father.

"Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25 ESV)

What’s more, because Jesus prays for us, we can confidently bring our prayers before the throne of God. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (ESV)

But how can Jesus’ unheard prayers comfort us in our time of need when we feel at a loss for how to pray? How can He help when He isn’t here in the flesh to tell us what to pray? Jesus promised that when He left this earth to reign in Heaven, He would send us something even better than the Son in the flesh—the Spirit in us.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever." (John 14:16 ESV)

While Christ Himself prays for us and His intercession allows our prayers to reach God, the Holy Spirit also helps us in our prayers. Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." (ESV)

When I didn’t have the words to pray, and my heart was burdened and sad, the Holy Spirit interceded for me. God isn’t seeking a perfect prayer performance, but He seeks a humble reliance on the Holy Spirit as we bring our requests before Him.

The Holy Spirit helps us know what to pray and prays for us Himself. "And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:27 ESV) When our prayers are exasperated by our limited understanding and fickle emotions, He is praying on our behalf. He takes the anxieties in our minds and the troubles in our hearts to the Father for us. We have the freedom to bring every care and concern, every need and desire, before God the Father. Humbly, we can trust that the Holy Spirit communicates for us better than we ever could.

As I pondered my heartbreaking phone call and listened to Scars in Heaven, the Holy Spirit ministered to me, bringing peace in the midst of my tears. I still didn’t have the words to express my sorrow, but I trusted that the same Jesus who saved me through His death was now holding me in His life. And I can approach God with full assurance of faith because Jesus is faithful. (Hebrews 10:22-23) Even when I can’t understand what is going on in my heart and mind, the Holy Spirit speaks on my behalf, asking for what I truly need, according to God’s will.

The next time you don’t know what to pray, read one of Christ’s prayers for you, perhaps His high priestly prayer in John 17, which is a record of Christ’s prayer not only for His disciples then but also for His Church today. When you are at a loss for words, remind yourself that the Word of God made flesh prays for you. He prays that you will grow in the knowledge of God, feel the assurance of faith, unite with other believers, experience the fullness of His joy, be protected from the enemy’s schemes, and be sanctified according to His Word. It is comforting to know the Holy Spirit is ever interceding on our behalf.

* Songwriters: John Mark Hall / Matthew Joseph West. Scars in Heaven lyrics © Anthem Entertainment Lp, EssentialMusic Publishing. Healer CD Track 2.