Romans 8:26,27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
Pray with Confidence
Have you ever heard the story of the Chinese Farmer? He was poor. He had one son and one horse. One day the horse ran away. When his neighbors heard about it, they came to console him, “That’s horrible news!”
The farmer said, “Maybe.”
The next day the horse returned and following it were 6 wild horses. The farmer’s livestock multiplied sevenfold! When his neighbors heard about it, they came to congratulate him, “That’s wonderful news!”
The farmer said, “Maybe.”
The next day while his son was trying to tame one of their new wild horses, he got bucked off and broke his leg. When his neighbors heard about it, they came to console him again, “That’s horrible news!”
The farmer said, “Maybe.”
The day after that the army came to town looking for able-bodied men to go to war. Because the farmer’s son was injured they wouldn’t take him. When his neighbors heard about it, they came to him, “That’s wonderful news!”
The farmer said, “Maybe.”
The Story of the Chinese Farmer is an actual proverb that dates from around the time of Jesus. It’s used most often by Eastern philosophers to debate whether anything is truly good or bad. Something that seems good can bring misfortune. Something that seems bad can end up a blessing. Now, I don’t want to debate with you whether any one thing is good or bad, but I do think that this Chinese parable illustrates a challenge that we Christians can have with prayer.
Prayer is the word of the day. Sometimes prayer can feel easy, simplistic even. In Confirmation Class we usually define prayer as “speaking to God from the heart.” How hard can that be?
Jesus himself taught us to pray to God as “our Father in heaven,” “so that we may pray to him as boldly and confidently as dear children ask their dear father.” When you were 5 years old did you find it difficult to ask your dad for ice cream or a new toy? Of course not! That’s how confident God wants you to be to come to him in prayer. You can ask him anything!
But there’s the rub, isn’t it? Paul says, “We do not know what we ought to pray for.”
If you were that Chinese farmer, should you have prayed that your horse never runs away? Maybe that’s the way that God brings you 6 new horses. Maybe God is planning to bless you through what at first seemed to be bad luck.
Or, if you were a poor farmer who only had one horse to your name, should you pray that God give you six more? More is better, right? What a wonderful windfall of wealth that would be! How could that possibly be a bad thing? Until your son breaks his leg trying to tame them…
Last week we heard Paul remind us how creation is groaning as in the pains of childbirth and how we groan right along with it. We talked about all the many problems that we will face for the rest of our days, until God takes us to heaven. So, what should we pray for?
Should we pray that the pandemic disappears tomorrow, even though it may be the way that God is prompting you to reexamine your priorities? For many of us, the isolation has allowed us more time with family, less time chasing unimportant things, clarity on what is truly important in life. It has given us an opportunity to think about community and our place in it and our role in serving and loving others. Has it all been bad, and should we wish that none of it had ever happened, or is God helping you even through a global catastrophe?
Should we pray that mom or dad get better and can leave the hospital and go back home, or should we pray that they leave this world of pain and go to live with God in heaven?
Good and evil are complicated concepts and we can’t possibly cast judgment until God’s plan plays out in its entirety. Something good may still come from what seems to be bad. Something bad may come from what at first seemed to be a blessing. So, what should you pray for?
Honestly, I don’t always know. But I do know this: The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
You may not know what is good or bad – what is best in any given situation – but the Holy Spirit does, and God has given him to you to help you, to convey the thoughts of your heart to your Father in heaven.
I like the older translation of this passage a little bit better: The Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. When you feel the depths of depression and don’t even know why you feel so down, the Spirit does and he can communicate that emotion to your Father in heaven even though you might not be able to put it into words yourself. When you are irate and beside yourself in anger, when the only thing you can say or do is scream into your pillow at night, the Spirit understands and he can take that scream to your Father in heaven and communicate your exact need to the one who invites you to cast all your cares on him.
With the Holy Spirit as your helper, nothing gets lost in translation. You don’t have to compose the perfect prayer. You don’t have to present your case to God to try to convince him to help you. The Spirit hears when you groan inwardly, and he intercedes for you. He steps in and communicates for you, bringing your concerns to the one person who does know good from bad in any and every situation, speaking the thoughts and emotions of your heart with groans that no human word can express.
Paul wants you to know that even when you don’t know what to pray for, the Spirit does. Even when you can’t put your thoughts into words, the Spirit can. And he does it in a way that is in perfect harmony with our heavenly Father. Paul goes on: And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
The God who created you can see into your heart. But, more than that, the Spirit who speaks for you is one with the Father. Nothing gets lost in transmission. You’ve played the telephone game before, right? I whisper, “Fluffy bunnies fighting over fresh Swiss chard” to Aiden and he whispers what he heard to Amber who does the same to Tina all the way around the room and finally Roger tells me, “Fifty babies biting apples in the orchard.” Something got lost in transmission.
Not so with the Spirit. God knows what’s in your heart. The Spirit takes it the Father in prayer. Without needing to say a word, the Father knows the mind of the Spirit. So, at the end of the day, your exact emotional, earthly situation is perfectly conveyed to our God in prayer, all because God sends his Spirit to intercede for you.
You know, we have a prayer group here at church. From September to June we meet every Wednesday to bring our requests to God, and it’s always an interesting balance. You read something in the news (e.g. Christians are being persecuted in China) and you struggle for the words to say. “God, I know that if I were in their shoes, I would want this persecution to stop. But I also know that you can turn evil into blessing and that even if the Chinese government takes these Christians’ lives, they’ll be home with you in heaven. I don’t know what’s best, Lord, but I trust that you do. Your will be done.”
We don’t need to presume to tell God what to do. He knows what is best, but he still invites us to pray to him, to speak to him from our hearts, to cast all our cares on him because he cares for us. He gives you the comfort of knowing that he is not deaf to your cries. He is not blind to the problems and difficulties of your life. He knows what is best for you and is eager to do it, even if we don’t recognize it as a blessing right away.
So, instead of telling God what to do, when we pray to him we can do what the Spirit who intercedes for us does: the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Just pray, “Your will be done, Lord.” Give voice to your inward groaning. Accept the Spirit’s help in prayer. Lay your problems at God’s feet and trust that no matter what happens, God works for the good of those who love him.
Technically speaking, that’s next week’s passage… We’ll talk about that more in 7 days, but for now, Paul wants you to know that even when you don’t know what to pray for, the Spirit does. Even when you can’t put your thoughts into words, the Spirit can. Not one part of your prayer gets lost in translation or transmission. God reads your heart. He knows the mind of the Spirit who intercedes for you. He knows what is best for you and he is eager to do what is good for you, because you are his people. That’s why you can know that God hears your prayer, because you are his people.
God hears your prayer because he has chosen you. He has forgiven you. He has clothed you in the righteousness of Jesus. He sacrificed his Son to save you, and the God who did that for you does not leave you helpless here. He is not blind or deaf to your need. He sends his Spirit to intercede for you and promises to hear you and to act according to his good will.
Pray to him, with boldness and confidence, knowing that you have the help of the Spirit and a Father in heaven who loves you, who searches your heart and hears your prayer because you are his people. Amen.