Today’s scripture: Romans 8:26-27 (NRSV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
Have you ever had a friend so close that he or she could accurately finish your sentences and seemed to read your mind? Whether or not you may think you have such a friend in the religious realm, the Bible assures us that we do: the Holy Spirit, who Jesus sent after he [Jesus] ascended back to heaven.
How many times have you seen “Heaven Speak 101” offered as a learning course? Me either. The Holy Spirit could be thought of as the ultimate in translators — gathering up human thoughts and ideas, understanding them completely, and then delivering them instantly to our very Creator in the exact way that we wish we could do. Personally, it’s impossible for me to adequately express my feelings for God by using my own words.
I wish I’d read this verse as a child. I used to be self-conscious about praying. I thought it had to be: in front of people, aloud, and that I had to use a bunch of “thou”, “hast”, and “thine” type of words. Looking back, how insulting to God I was! The Creator of the universe surely understands the simple words that we speak silently and alone, too.
There have been moments in my life when my heart was so heavy with grief that I couldn’t begin to convey it to God. Several years ago, Dad was rapidly becoming so ill that it was beginning to seem he would die soon. I was sitting in a college class one evening. When thinking of him, I felt like a caged, restless animal and wanted to be doing anything except listening to the professor’s lecture. Suddenly, a sense of peace and calmness enveloped me. I knew that — no matter what happened — I would be able to endure the future. Dad did die a few days later (he “coded” unexpectedly soon and directly in front of me), but I’ll always believe the Holy Spirit earlier conveyed my fears to God and instilled in me the reply of, “I’ll always be with you; be at peace about whatever lies ahead.”
The Holy Spirit can convey our exuberant thoughts, too. Have you ever been listening to music, watching something, or hearing someone talking and were so moved by it that some tears filled your eyes, your emotions went on overload, and you couldn’t think of anything to say? The Holy Spirit can work on our behalf during those times of happiness, too.
The next time your thoughts and feelings get stuck inside of yourself, remember the Holy Spirit is already interceding for you.
Thought for the day: Thank you, Jesus, for sending the Holy Spirit to be with us.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.