“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:25-27
This morning while reading these words from the letter to the Romans, I had an epiphany. I know you great Road of Faith Bible scholars will be like, “yea, of course.” But, I had never read these words in this way before.
I had always seen this as the Holy Spirit prays for us because we don’t know how to pray. He takes out weak attempts and translates the words into Heavenly vernacular. We pray X and He knows that we truly mean and need Y, so the Holy Ghost translates in a sense, so God can understand us.
This morning that same Spirit gave me different insights on St. Paul’s words. I saw that all those years when I didn’t even pray, it was my spirit, my soul, that was crying out to God. My heart and mind were disconnected and separating from God, but my soul knew I needed God and begged “with inexpressible groanings.” It was my spirit that kept calling to God for His saving grace. It was my spirit that knew I needed God close, when I was clueless.
Trust your spirit to cry out in those days when you can’t pray. When the pressures are so great that your prayers are forgotten or don’t come easily, your spirit groans to God. And, He always hears. Train your soul to cry out in prayer to God, and “pray without ceasing.”
Teach your soul and trust it “to pray always without becoming weary” Luke 18:1
“There are times in life when the soul finds comfort only in profound prayer. Would that souls knew how to persevere in prayer at such times. This is very important.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 860