Knowing How to Pray

Bible Reading: Romans 8:26-28

Dad, I don’t know how to pray for Grandma,” Keon said, frowning. “What do I even ask for? She’s so sick.”

“You’re right.” His father looked at the hospital bed where his grandmother lay. “She is very sick.”

“I don’t even want to pray about it,” Keon said. “She’s not going to get better.”

Dad put a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t we take a little walk and talk about this?”

They headed out of the hospital and to the trail behind it. “Did you know the Holy Spirit can help you when you don’t know how to pray?” Dad asked.

Keon shook his head. “What do you mean?”

“The Bible says when you don’t know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes for you. That means He provides the words you don’t know to say.” Dad gave Keon a small smile. “Sort of like how I helped you figure out what to say when you wanted your mom to take you to the park the other day.”

Keon smirked. “You told me just how to ask her. And it worked.”

“I did.” His dad winked at him. “Well, the Bible says the Holy Spirit will help you when you don’t know how to pray or what to ask for. Are we supposed to ask for your grandmother to get healed? Maybe. Are we supposed to pray for her to be at peace as she passes away? Maybe.” He reached down and picked up an acorn and handed it to Keon. “We need to trust that the Spirit will help us pray for the right thing, and that God will work things out according to His will. We may have trouble finding the right words to pray because we don’t know how things should work out, but He does—just like He knows how to make this acorn grow into an oak tree.”

Keon turned the acorn slowly in his hand. “It sure would be nice to have some help knowing what to pray now,” he said.

“God cares about your grandmother even more than either of us does,” Dad said quietly. “And He also cares about you. He’s listening, waiting for you to say any kind of prayer to Him, and He will put the words in your heart.” -Emily Acker

How About You?

Do tough situations make it hard for you to know what to pray for? Do you struggle to find the words to say when life is scary and hard? Remember that you have a Helper who is always with you. The Holy Spirit knows the thoughts and feelings you can’t put into words. He intercedes on your behalf and helps you pray according to God’s will, even when you don’t know what to say. Pray what’s on your heart, knowing He will guide you.

Today’s Key Verse:
Romans 8:26 We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

The Spirit helps us pray