The Ultimate Prayer Partner

I've been focusing in on Romans 8. This chapter has so much wealth in it that I could spend a week on each verse if I wanted to. Powerful phrases that we hear all the time as Christians show up in this chapter.

"All things work together for good to those who love God."

"If God is for us, who is against us?"

"Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ."

So much brilliant love and promise pouring out of every corner of it! Then I ran across some verses that I knew had more than what I was seeing.

Romans 8:26 - 27

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings toodeep for words;

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

As I thought about this I felt the discouragement of my prayer life rush over me. I feel a desperate need to pray more for other people, but so often I feel I just don't have enough information. I get cut short because I only know bits and pieces of their situation and my own guesses at what the root issues may be. I don't know how to pray as I should.

Then it hit me. That's what the Holy Spirit does! He fills in the blanks! He meets me on my knees where I pray for people and situations and whatever I don't know to pray for- He does! I don't have to be afraid that my friend will only get the meager portion I prayed over them just because I didn't know everything. I can pray confidently knowing that the Father hears my prayers as well as the prayers of the the Holy Spirit who does know my friends heart and the real issues going on!

So what was the point of verse 27? It seemed obvious that the Spirit would pray according to the will of God. I mean, He is God. I must be missing something. There was magic here and I just couldn't see it. As I was walking that day I asked God to show me something new in this verse that I had never seen before.

And He did. He put that in there to be an example for us! He's stating the obvious so that we will follow along. Pray according to the will of God! Pray what you see in the Word and pray it in faith! An excitement grew inside me and my pace quickened. I began to pray, right there in some little neighborhood and out loud for any person or squirrel to hear.

God I thank you that YOUR WILL is that Lisa has an abundant full life in You!

God I thank you that YOUR WILL is that Cynthia is healed of all of her pain by Your stripes and suffering on the cross!

God I thank you that YOUR WILL is that Stephen finds the freedom and salvation that you freely offer him!

God I thank you that YOUR WILL is that there is a future for me and my hope will not be cut off!

God I thank you that YOUR WILL is that Jennifer's situation will work together for her good and You will bring about the great purposes for her life!

I don't know how many blocks passed by as I went on like this. But it was exhilarating.