Romans 8:26 says, "...For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
Often as I pray for my husband, our daughters, and the needs of other family members and friends, I come to prayer with a certain outcome in mind. While I ask for God's will to be done, I may feel that what I desire to see happen is what would be best.
However, I can't know the mind of Christ and how He may be working in a life. What a blessing it is to read in this verse that, while I may not even understand how to properly pray for something, the Holy Spirit takes my requests and conforms them to the will of God.
I have been blessed recently to see several answers to prayer - times where it seems God saw fit to answer my requests in what I would view as a positive way. Yet I must remember that, at other times, if I don't see immediate results, it doesn't mean that He is not hearing and working in the situation.
This aspect of prayer is yet another instance where I can learn to trust God by resting in the knowledge that He always does what's best and that the Holy Spirit is interceding for me.
YES!! It has taken me time to realize that an immediate answer doesn't mean "no" - it simply means "not now" and that I need to wait on His time. hard....but so worth it!
ReplyDeleteThis is how I'm praying these days. Of course, I want a "normal," healthy baby, but that may not be God's will for our family. So I pray that He will be glorified no matter what, and I trust that He will do what's best for all of us.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful that God doesn't always answer my prayers the way I think He should. He knows far better than us what we and our loved ones need, and He has saved me from myself on more than one occasion! :) Great verse, too!
ReplyDeleteMy giveaway on Shunning DVD went up last night--I know you wanted to enter. :)
This is a really hard one, Tracey - we don't WANT "no" to be the answer and I think sometimes we almost convince ourselves that "no" really means "later". We do have to be very careful to be praying selflessly - and that is SO very hard to do when it is something close to our hearts.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am very glad that the Spirit intercedes for us - sometimes I just *don't* know how to pray about something close to my heart.
Nikki,
ReplyDeleteWhat you're going through is one of those situations when our faith and trust are truly tested. I thank God for your testimony and am praying for you, too!
Raise Them Up,
ReplyDeleteAren't we thankful that God does save us from ourselves?!
I'm headed over to enter the giveaway now!
Clara,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you mentioned "praying selflessly." I heard a sermon on prayer last night and the preacher mentioned that our motive in prayer should always be that God is honored and glorified.
I was touched by our daughters' response to the message last night. He used the phrase "prayer closet" when discussing having a special place where you talk to God. The girls came home and cleaned out a corner of the closet in their bedroom so they could have a "prayer closet." You have to love it when they take spiritual things so literally!
Prayer is a beautiful thing, privilege that we often miss on :-( How often we see prayer, as a mean to demand things, but often forget that it's more then that! It a beautiful conversation with our Father!
ReplyDeletePhil 4:16-17
If it is one thing I've learned, it's to realize that God always answers my prayers.....it's just always the answer I may want. Even if that answer is, "Wait."
ReplyDeleteSo many times I have not known what it is I need to prayer for exactly, so I have also learned that it's ok, because I can just come right out and say, "Lord, I have no idea what to prayer for here! So please just help me to hear/see Your will/guidance when You present it."
Great post, Tracey! :)