“…God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves…” Romans 8:26 (MSG)
I love this verse. Although I tend to have plenty of words–often, too many–they don’t always come out the way I intended. I’m like that in prayer, too; what I mean to say isn’t necessarily what I actually end up saying. One of the reasons I enjoy writing is because it helps me organized my jumbled, rambling thoughts. I like to talk things out, and my dear husband has learned that he doesn’t have to “fix” anything or offer solutions (unless I ask), but just listen as I ramble on. But this verse reassures me that the Holy Spirit is taking all my ramblings to God, and translating them to what my heart actually means. Isn’t that a lovely thought?
This verse also speaks right to those who are in such pain that they can’t even think of words to pray. In deep grief and heartache, the Holy Spirit speaks for us.
I like to think this verse applies to singing worship songs, too. I love singing, but it’s certainly not one of my gifts! I used to be a little self-conscious about people hearing me, but if I apply this verse to my singing, then I figure the Holy Spirit sings for me, and when my songs reach God’s ears, my voice is as glorious as an angel’s. (I do, however, feel a little bad for the person sitting in front of me at church because he or she just gets my plain ol’ earthly voice.)
Last Sunday, instead of a sermon, several people gave their testimonies, and we had a little extra worship music in-between. It was an awesome service. Every song and every testimony touched me heart. But one testimony touched me in particular. They played a videotaped testimony of a few of the children who recently made a decision to trust Christ. Each child said how and when they became a Christian, recited a favorite Bible verse, and told why they wanted to be baptised. It was very sweet. The third child who gave his testimony was an 8-year-old boy named Bennett, who has serious disabilities but has defied doctor’s expectations by attending school and church and doing many of the things they said he’d never be able to do. Bennett is rather difficult to understand, so his video had subtitles. He ended his testimony by saying, “I want to be baptised because I asked Jesus into my heart, and God understands me.” God knows exactly what Bennett is saying, because God sees right into Bennett’s heart. And He does the same for you and me.
This verse also speaks right to those who are in such pain that they can’t even think of words to pray. In deep grief and heartache, the Holy Spirit speaks for us.
I like to think this verse applies to singing worship songs, too. I love singing, but it’s certainly not one of my gifts! I used to be a little self-conscious about people hearing me, but if I apply this verse to my singing, then I figure the Holy Spirit sings for me, and when my songs reach God’s ears, my voice is as glorious as an angel’s. (I do, however, feel a little bad for the person sitting in front of me at church because he or she just gets my plain ol’ earthly voice.)
Last Sunday, instead of a sermon, several people gave their testimonies, and we had a little extra worship music in-between. It was an awesome service. Every song and every testimony touched me heart. But one testimony touched me in particular. They played a videotaped testimony of a few of the children who recently made a decision to trust Christ. Each child said how and when they became a Christian, recited a favorite Bible verse, and told why they wanted to be baptised. It was very sweet. The third child who gave his testimony was an 8-year-old boy named Bennett, who has serious disabilities but has defied doctor’s expectations by attending school and church and doing many of the things they said he’d never be able to do. Bennett is rather difficult to understand, so his video had subtitles. He ended his testimony by saying, “I want to be baptised because I asked Jesus into my heart, and God understands me.” God knows exactly what Bennett is saying, because God sees right into Bennett’s heart. And He does the same for you and me.
