In Matthew 6, Jesus’s disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. These men grew up hearing prayers in the synagogue. They knew the prayers of scripture. They even heard Jesus pray. Yet, they wanted to learn how to pray.
Over the years I have read many books on prayer. Each one has helped me learn about the heart and purpose of prayer. Yet no matter how skilled I think I am in prayer, or how well I construct and organize my prayer, no matter the length, there are times when I go to the Lord and simply have no words.
We might have stood muted before of the painful sorrows of life. Barely being about to breathe, much less give a voice to how our heart is broken by loss or paralyzed by great fear. And prayer just seems impossible when we feel like we are drowning in despair, fear, pain, sorrow, or shame. When I am made silent by the circumstances of life, I remember what David said in Psalm 77:4,
“I am so troubled that I can’t speak.”
I realize I am not alone. Psalms tells us the groans of David’s and the echoes of our own hearts.
“I am weary with my moaning, every night I flood my bed with tears, I drench my couch with my weeping” -Psalm 6:6
What God wants most isn’t necessarily a steam of eloquent words, but a broken spirit, and a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).
When we bring a broken heart. Just a simple act of coming before His throne of grace reveals the content of our hearts. He sees our humble offering and if all we can muster up is “Help me!” that is enough.
The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. When we don’t know what to pray the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that are too deep for words. Even when our mouth is hindered, our sprit is not.
No matter how much of your anguish has gone unnoticed by others, not one moment has escaped the attention of God because He neither climbers of sleeps.
When our difficulties of life mute us, remember it is not how well we pray, but that we pray.
I have gone to God with my hardships of life (there have been many). I have felt the weight of my sin and the sting of arrows flung at me from others, and the pain of loss and heartache. God has given me mercy and grace even when I come to Him with wordless prayers, He has heard my heart.
“My tears flood my bed day and night. All I can do is cry out to You for help. Hear me Lord, Help me, Lord. Help me to know who you are. Carry me through this, comfort me with your love” (Psalm 6:6 -Paraphrased).
From Pity to Praise 