I was scrolling through Facebook the other morning, and one of my friends shared a photo of a prayer. It began, “Dear Jesus,” followed by a jumble of letters. Then, “Amen.”
The caption on the photo was Romans 8:26: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that the very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”
This picture spoke to me. I could see myself beginning my prayers with “Dear Jesus,” but then having no idea of what to say next.
Paul, in this passage from Romans, tells us that when we struggle to find the words; when we feel incapable of expressing the most profound needs within us, the Spirit intercedes on our behalf “with sighs too deep for words.” The Spirit offers us the prayer we cannot speak.
We know that the Holy Spirit is always among us, and we are not alone.
This message is excerpted from “With sighs too deep for words” by Jennifer Michael from the May 18, 2020, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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