In our weakness <3

The current sermon series at our church is on Grace. The text has been the book of Romans.

On Sunday our pastor taught from Romans 8.

The message was good but it was the last part that spoke to me. Literally.

Nothing new to me about the closing Scripture…it is an oft repeated, much counted on bit of promise that I hold tightly to….

 And in the same way—by our faith—the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we don’t even know what we should pray for nor how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with God’s own will.      Romans 8:26-27     TLB

Yes. I count on this.

I quote it when I start to pray.

I use it to invite the Spirit to pray through me.

I have read it and said it and thought it countless times…but I am not sure I have ever had it said over me.

Which is what happened on Sunday morning.

Our pastor talked about those wordless feelings. They are like the groaning of pain deep inside that has no language; can not be expressed in human words.

And then…

he spoke the Word of God over us.

And it was as if God was speaking directly  to my heart.

It fell like a gentle summer rain on dry brittle ground.

It spilled over some cracks and hard places and weariness in me and filled me with a sense of His Presence.

Because what I heard was the God who made me saying He sees me.

He knows.

The wordless prayers…

the lifting of empty hands…

the unvoiced…

unexpressed…

cries of the heart that leave one like me who loves words…speechless.

These aren’t just pathetic attempts that a gracious and kind God accepts because He is gracious and kind…

No. They are His prayers.

Authored deep within me because He has chosen to make His dwelling place in one like me.

Prayers of His own making.

Prayers that move mountains.

Prayers that break down walls.

Prayers that change things according to His Will.

So maybe you need to hear it today.

You know those times when you just sink to your knees and lift your hands because you have no words left to ask?

Or when you cry out because you are so frustrated and you can’t see how this mess is ever going to work out?

Or you think it is possible that your physical heart might actually be breaking into a million pieces along with your soul and you aren’t sure if you should go to the ER or the nearest altar?

Well…those are not times when you are just a big old mess and you think no God in His right mind would have you on His team.

No.

Those times are the exact times when His Spirit has taken over and those times are the times when you have become the vessel of the prayers that are purified by a loving God who knows your heart AND all the details of everyone and everything involved and who, according to the rest of that passage…will work ALL things for good.

Be blessed today. Be assured. Be encouraged. Be persistent. Be-lieve

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