Trusting God in the Midst of Suffering: The Perfect Prayer

 

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;  Romans 8:26 NASB

 On Friday nights, I get to hang out with my family, including my little nephews. They are 3 and 5, full of energy and spunk. The littlest has a thing for cookies. He always wants cookies. Before dinner. After dinner. While he is actively eating another cookie, this guy wants a cookie! If we gave him a cookie every time he asked for one, he’d never eat anything else, and as you can imagine, that wouldn’t go well for the growth and strength of his little body. But it’s awfully hard to say, “No” to that sweet little ask. As adults, we know that it is not best for him to eat cookies all day long every day, but he doesn’t understand that. Cookies taste good and they are fun to eat! That’s all he sees. If we say, “No,” he is deeply disappointed. He doesn’t get what he wants. We seem mean, stingy even. Here we are, holding all the cookies, and not sharing with him. We fully have it in our power to give him a cookie every time he asks, so why wouldn’t we? Because we love him, and we want the best for him, and that’s not cookies 24/7.

 If I’m being honest, I’m not much different from him. I see what I want: health, a fancy new chair for my lounge, a trip to the Caribbean. God fully has it in His power to give all that to me and more. It wouldn’t cost Him anything, or take it away from someone else, because, truly, everything on Earth belongs to God and He is in control of it all. So why wouldn’t He give me everything I ask for when I ask for it? Because cookies aren’t good for you all the time. And, truly, what is good for you may not look like it. Maybe suffering is in my best interest. Maybe radiation therapy is actually a blessing. Maybe losing things in this life draws me closer to Jesus, with whom I will be spending eternity. So, do I start praying for more suffering? No! Realistically, I don’t think that’s any different than praying for more cookies. What I need to pray for is God’s will, God’s best for me, no matter what that looks like.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  1John 5:14

That sounds pretty great! I want to pray like that, but how do I know God’s will? I could never presume to know the mind of God! You know who does though? The Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit is a part of the triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three in one), He intimately knows the will of the Father. The really cool thing is that, once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us too. He takes up residence in our hearts and knows us inside and out. He actually knows us better that we know ourselves! Oftentimes, when we pray, we are asking for what we want in the moment: comfort, peace, security, provision, etc. Sometimes we are even praying out of our weakness, asking to be freed from something or asking for things that would not benefit us in the long run, like a new car. You see, we only see the want, but God sees how it would play out. Maybe we see a shiny new hybrid SUV and think, “That’s what I need! If I had that I would be happy!” But God knows that the payments would overwhelm us or maybe it wouldn’t fit well in our parking spot or perhaps there is a terrible flaw in that model that ends up killing dozens of people. All we see is our want, but God sees the outcome. Like a Good Father and a Good Shepherd, God wants the best for us, not just giving us what we think we want.

Here’s the Thing: Today’s verse tells us that the Holy Spirit actually prays for us! In His infinite wisdom, the Holy Spirit knows both God’s will and what we actually want and need. He knows how to put that together into the perfect prayer, the one that will always be answered with a “Yes!”