Day Thirty = A Little Help Please

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words” (Romans 8:26)

Awkward silence, we have all experienced it in some way. Maybe you have gone to dinner with someone you don’t know very well, or perhaps as a teenager or young adult you found yourself lacking in the art of conversation on a first date. Your mind is racing trying to come up with a funny anecdote or interesting tidbit to pull that awkward silence out of the air. Alas, you come up empty; and there in the silence you sit staring at your dinner plate.

It is interesting to note that those awkward moments generally occur with people we don’t know very well, someone with whom we are not totally comfortable around. You see, when we are in the presence of close family and friends; we generally know how they will react to our jokes. We know their lives enough to discuss issues they may be facing, or subjects found in common; but to the guest or stranger we know none of this…..Enter the awkward silence. When we are in close relationship, those moments of awkward silence are much fewer. Those closest to us, like our spouses or children; often know exactly what we will be thinking or what we will say.

The verse above tells us that the Holy Spirit knows His people so well that when we find ourselves in our prayer time and we can’t think of what to say He will intercede to our heavenly Father on our behalf. He has the perfect words to express what we are thinking or feeling even if we cannot come up with them on our own.

So as you spend time in prayer this week ask yourself this question: Do I know the Holy Spirit? Am I in relationship with Him? Don’t remain in that awkward silence of the unfamiliar relationship. Get to know the Holy Spirit, in doing so he will be like your closest family; loving and understanding you even when you are at a loss for words!