He Intercedes
If you're anything like me, at some point in life, you have reached the point of not being able to pray. Maybe it was because you were mad at God. Maybe it was because you were drained from your circumstances. Maybe it was because you simply did not have the words. Finding yourself in that situation can feel scary, isolating, and hypocritical at times. While it is definitely a difficult spot to be in, and if that is you right now, that is okay, I want to share what has continued to be a source of encouragement to me when going through the hills and valleys of grief so far.
Romans 8 explicitly and kindly tells us that when, "we do not know what to pray, the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." (vs. 26) It goes on to explain that God knows the mind of the Spirit and the Spirit intercedes according to the will of God. Let me explain why that can be an encouragement to us in our times of deepest despair.
In those deep moments of despair, we do not have to listen to the lies that the enemy puts into our thoughts; things like, "Your faith isn't real if you can't even pray," or, "Why talk to God when you have already lost what was so important to you?" The list of doubts that creep in continue, but the truth of Scripture remains. The truth is that, as believers, we have the assurance that we do not have to have it all together all the time. When we accept Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, He never leaves us and is always having our best interest in mind according to God's will. Knowing that all parts of God, the Trinity, are connected, we can rest in knowing that God Himself lives in us through the Spirit. Our maker is so close to us and cares so deeply. In the same way that a parent does not get mad at their hurt child for crying and just wanting to be held, God, our provider, caretaker, and comforter, is not harsh enough to get mad at us for not having words when we are experiencing such inner pain.
Another great comfort is knowing that God never changes. The same Spirit that was interceding years ago for believers before us is now interceding for us and will continue to do so for generations to come. God in His holiness and care for us never removes that gift. He already knows the wounds and he already knows the remedies, but He also already knows that we can not always have the energy, the words to say, or the clarity of thought for how to communicate to Him. He does want us to express the desires of our hearts to Him, but, in knowing we could not always do that on our own, He made that possible by this gift of the Spirit.
As I reflect on this, I am seeing a theme in Scripture: we can not do IT on our own. The "it" can be different for all of us at different stages in life. We can not be freed from sin on our own. We can not overcome obstacles on our own. We can not have peace that surpasses all understanding on our own. We can not honestly confront the Lord in our grief on our own. The list goes on, but the solution, like God, stays the same (but maybe that's because He IS the solution!).
No matter the grief you are walking through or how far into your grief journey you are, I encourage you to read Romans 8, but do not just read it; cling to it. Let God's words sit with you in whatever emotions may be mustering up. Be reminded of the freedom we have in being secure in Christ that we can be in His presence and not have words. We can feel the pain that comes with living in a fallen world and be held by the maker of all perfect things simultaneously. So, sit in it, cherish it, and give yourself grace as you need it because He already does. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, you are loved, and you are neve alone because He continually intercedes for you.
