The last time I saw my grandmother alive was when I was in my early 20s. It was in the hospital. This woman was like a mom to me. She really was my mom after my mom passed away when I was 14 years old. In that hospital room, I stood at the foot of my grandmothers bed. She was hooked up to machines. I could of walked over and whispered in her ear. I could of said a prayer over her.

But I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t think of what to pray in that moment. I didn’t know what to pray.

I don’t know how to pray. Sometimes I don’t know. Even as a pastor I don’t. I think this is ok.

For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Romans 8:22–23

Life can be painful sometimes. It can be difficult in life’s most painful moments to know how to respond. After all, this world is full of sin, death and decay. Yet for those of us who have placed our trust in Jesus, we have hope. We have hope and at the same time groan along with creation for the day we will be restored and redeemed.

In the midst of our pain, grief and sorrow, God steps in.

²⁶ And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26

I don’t know what to pray, but God steps in. God knows us. God knows what we are going through.

²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. Romans 8:27

Our Heavenly Father knows our hearts. The Spirit pleads for us. Who then can be against us?

Yet it is in our weakness that God pleads for us. We don’t have to fool ourselves or fool anyone. We don’t have to paint a perfect picture to others. People see a world of sin, death, and decay. We don’t have to pretend like we have it all figured out. People will see right through that facade.  What would happen if we were real with others? What would happen if we actually said we were weak but look at what God is doing in the midst of my weakness? In a world of brokenness and sin, they need real people who follow Jesus in the midst of suffering. They need people who follow Jesus through the darkness into the light.

God is working. God is working in our prayers even when we don’t know what to pray. God knows us and is pleading for us. Thanks for reading.