Romans 8.26 (nrsv) . . . 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.
It reassures us, Lord, to know that you have your arms wrapped tightly around us, around every necessity of our living. So much so that, when we are powerless to portray our needs, unable even to express our frailty, there is Someone who sees. Someone who knows where we’re coming from, and what bothers us. Someone who will appear before the face of the Father, and put in a word for us.
Reassuring, Lord, but also humbling. For we have always assumed that we and our faith are in the driver’s seat. That our human resources are mostly adequate for the issues of life. And that when and if we find ourselves inadequate and unable, we still may resort to the spiritual resource of prayer to have what we want. We have always counted our selves and our God a majority.
But here we are confronted with reality: you alone, Lord, are the majority. There is a will that transcends our will, such that no human resource—not even the force of prayer—may overturn it. Maybe it is our intuition of this that produces our “groanings” and our “sighs too deep for words.”
So search our hearts, Lord, for that will of ours which ignores the desire of our Creator. Then preferring the perfect will of God for us—even over our own wishes—grant us peace in knowing that Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us, sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us, claiming all that is best.
And having that peace, let us offer these words of graceful acceptance:
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. . . . [1]
Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
– by Steve Pressley
[1] Rom. 8.28 (nrsv)