Beyond Sunday Mornings
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Sometimes I Don't Know What to Pray

1/15/2013

5 Comments

 
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Do you ever fail to pray for something because you don't know how to pray about it? 

I certainly do.

I really want God's will, and sometimes I get so tangled up in wanting to want what He wants that I just clam up and don't pray anything at all.

It paralyzes me.


Then my prayers are paralyzed.


I realized something this week though, I need to pray anyway. 

I don't need to worry about whether it's right or wrong, or exactly what His will is, I just need to pray.  The rest is up to Him.  Here's why I say that:

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 too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
-- Romans 8:26-27
Verse 26 confirms what I already knew about myself, I don't always know what I ought to pray for.  God knows that, these words are proof that He does. He knows I don't know what I ought to pray, and He has a plan in place for that.   He knows that my mind is only capable of so much and that what I pray may not be His BEST for a situation.

...... And that's where the Spirit comes in. 

He intercedes. 

What does that mean really?

To intercede is to intervene or to mediate for someone else.  I've understood for a long time that the Spirit interecedes for me like verse 26 says, but I didn't realize that He intervenes in my prayers.
 
He intervenes according to the will of God.  

There we go, problem solved.

All I need to do is pray.  I don't have to wrestle with the concerns of whether my prayers are exactly in line with His will.  No more "should I say this or should I say that" thoughts.  I can't always know His perfect will because I am not sovereign and I don't see the big picture.  I am limited in my understanding, and He is very aware of that, He searches my heart and knows that I want to please Him.  He knows that I want what He wants.

I must merely pray.

The rest is up to Him.  And the Spirit, being God himself, always gets it right. 

Pray on, my friends. Pray on.
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5 Comments
sarah
1/16/2013 01:14:13 am

Amy, I am so glad to read you post . I have not been able to get it by e-mail, but found it on facebook.God is so using you to get His word out. It is so refreshing to read your Beyond Sund Mornings. Love Sarah

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Amy link
1/16/2013 10:15:14 am

It's wonderful to hear from you, Sarah! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Hope He blesses!

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Brittany
1/16/2013 03:25:10 am

Something that I heard preached at CFC a few weeks ago really helped me on this, especially if praying for healing for someone. I always felt like I should pray for someone to be healed or for something to happen and try to muster up the faith that he would do it. Then I would end up not praying because I wasn't sure if it would be God's will to heal or move in the way I prayed so then when it didn't happen I would feel like maybe my faith was lacking. I learned that my faith is not in whether or not God will do it, but CAN he do it. I can definitely pray with faith in the fact that he is all powerful and CAN do it even if I'm not certain if it's his will. My faith is that he CAN not in whether or not he will. Hope that's clear, it's hard to type in words, but it has really encouraged me not to shy away from praying for certain things.
Brittany

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Amy link
1/16/2013 10:20:40 am

Yes, He CAN. Can you imagine the power in our prayers when we pray unparalyzed by our thoughts?

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Alecia link
1/18/2013 08:43:17 am

oy, so many times this week I came before God with a heavy heart but not sure how to get it all out. So I just sat and was still. And like you said, the words came. Sometimes just making yourself sit and be still makes all the difference.
Lovely post! and thanks for your visit!!

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