by David Brenneman
"When you don't have the words to pray, God hears your heart."
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." Psalms 139:23-24.
"Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord,"
Jeremiah 29:12-14a.
We really do run into times in life where we just don't know what to talk to Jesus about or how to ask what might be on our minds.
It happens. We run into situations where fear is running amuck. We can't see how the situation began or how it's going to be resolved.
"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:26-30.
Do you remember from the Gospels where we find it recorded that while on the cross Jesus told all Creation: "it is Finished!"?
Overlay "It is Finished" over predestined, over called, over justified, over glorified. In the eyes of Him with whom we have to...these things are a done deal. They are Finished...merely awaiting time to play out.
There's no shortage of moments in my life where my thoughts were only between Jesus and myself. I still have days where I cry out to Him and all it is is a shout upwards in me because I don't know what to say. Life happens but I have learned that's where to go when I feel like I am sinking in the waters even though Jesus is standing on the water nearby.
This morning I have things going on that are heavy to me. I am often fearful that my requests to Jesus might come across as selfish. But as I am reminded in these and other passages...He knows my heart. He knows my every struggle that even I cannot fathom the true depths of.
Physically I have issues but these things will happen. Anyone growing older has physical problems. My inner man is what's still growing in Christ.
Sometimes we forget these things: "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
In the heat of the moment I will confess that I often can only cry out "Lord, save me!". Peter really said what I myself and countless others in Christ have said over the centuries when life takes a turn.
"It's ok." Says the Spirit. "I got your back. I am here to help you. That's part of my job too. To teach and to listen. To help you in your time of need. To keep your communication open with your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ."
Even today my heart is heavy with situations that I have no clear answers to...that I don't know how to describe to others. You probably do too.
Truth is: that's ok.
Even the Apostles went through dire circumstances in their ministries that they didn't either.
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation," 2 Corinthians 5:17-18.
"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
"Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure." 2 Corinthians 11:23-27.
"For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within." 2 Corinthians 7:5.
We aren't alone in our so-called personal struggles. If you are in Christ or not...you have struggles that nobody sees or knows about. The difference for those who are saved is we have the Spirit of God to intercede for us. Who knows what we mean by what we're going through even if we don't yet.
We are going to have days where the struggle is too much. It's a significant lie in Satan's arsenal that we will never be given more than we can bear. Of course we will or we wouldn't grow in our reliance upon Jesus in all things. We would only be satisfied with our own self confidence our own genius at how we solved a problem.
Pray on
Pray over
Pray through
I have many many days where my thoughts are only of being held by my Savior because the words don't come. This isn't at all a bad thing!
Not for me or for you.
Jesus got away a lot to pray with His Father. The Father, Son and Spirit united through prayer. Because of Christ and His free gift of salvation its the 3 of them with us in all of our lives. We don't remember this often enough.
Last night on the way home I remembered a chorus we sang in Church in my younger years.
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness;
And all these things shall be added unto you.
Allelu, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Allelu, alleluia.
Man shall not live by bread alone,
But by every word
That proceeds out from the mouth of God.
Allelu, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Allelu, alleluia.
Ask, and it shall be given unto you;
Seek, and ye shall find.
Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.
Allelu, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Allelu, alleluia.
"Therefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:18.
My hope for you is to comfort you with these words.
Apart from a right relationship with Jesus you're going to try this life on your own and unfortunately you will indeed fail at it. Come to Christ first to be saved then go from there.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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