“I Just Don’t Know What to Say”

 — for we know not how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)

Sometimes there just aren’t words.

I’m in Chicago this weekend, enjoying a terrific conference with the Restored Hope Network and reconnecting with valuable longstanding friends. Last night we saw the premiere of a documentary I was privileged to be part of titled “How Do You Like Me Now?”  which chronicled the experiences of Christian parents and family members whose loved ones had come out to them and declared themselves gay. Their stories were gut wrenching and hopeful all at once, and I found
myself groaning.

Just like I groaned when hearing about the Orlando shooting, or the terminal illness of a dear friend, or the breakup of a marriage I thought was solid. Words fail; sometimes you gotta just groan.

Although groaning often is just evidence of our human inability to find words, there can be spiritual dimension to it, if and when the groans are more heavenly than human. So said Paul – “…the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.”

I’m finding that one of the by-products of praying for the Church, or my family, or my country, is a tendency to get overwhelmed. I mean really – start thinking about the level of need versus the available resources, or about the level of deception these days versus the level of Biblical truth-telling, then ask yourself, “Where do I begin my prayer list?” It’s like being a bee in a nudist camp asking “Where do I
sting first?”

And maybe that’s part of the value of prayer. Because when I start seeking God I’m made aware of how little I know, how much I yearn, and how limited I am. Getting overwhelmed drives me to start letting the Holy Spirit take over after I’ve said all I can say with my feeble understanding.

I think, at times like that, I’m reduced to saying, “You, Lord, are doing something, somewhere, with some resources, among some people. Let me be one of them. Let us be part of what You’re doing. Let Your Church be in sync with Your will.”

Then the mystery starts. When the Spirit intercedes, I’m doing more groaning and sighing than speaking,  knowing He’s praying with a perfect understanding of the need and the answer. And I know, in allowing Him to pray through me, that these prayers are spot on accurate and will be answered.

When they are, the “praying person” can hardly take credit, seeing I didn’t even know what to ask. But I – we, really – got the honor and incredible blessing of being part of the process. Our prayers for today’s church, or for England in all it’s current controversy, or for the families and the wounded in Orlando, for the poor, the hurting, for our nation and loved ones, are offered with full knowledge that we don’t have full knowledge.

Yet we’re commanded to ask, seek, and knock through a glass darkly, laboring though limited, recognizing that when we say “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done” we’re admitting our boundless passion and our finite understanding.

Prayer is the great leveler, answered in time but also answered immediately in the effect it has on us when we give ourselves to it.

That’s what’s on my mind this morning. Hope you’re having a great weekend. Thanks for being here. God bless.