SPEECHLESS

  • When have you been speechless?
  • Was it a positive or negative reason that left you speechless?

Commonly, we think of speechless moments resulting from something that has suddenly happened to us, whether good or bad.

  • But what about those times when we have experienced something for an extended period and find ourselves speechless and uncertain how to proceed?
  • And what about those times someone we know is struggling or something has happened across the city, state, nation, or globe, and we find ourselves speechless?

Those times can feel much like the vantage point of the person outside the maze in the picture above.

Not knowing which words to speak, we hesitate and linger just outside of the maze, hoping for someone, something, anything, to illuminate our mind with the correct words and choice of direction

  • Does the Bible yield any encouragement or insight for these times of speechless uncertainty?

ESV  Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

The Apostle Paul penned the above sentence as part of instruction on how to live out our earthly lives as heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ who suffered on our behalf.

ESV  Romans 8:10-11 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

ESV  Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs– heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

  • What did Christ suffer?

See any of the following eyewitness accounts to review what Christ suffered:

Matthew 26:47-27:56; Mark 14:43-15:41; Luke 22:47-23:43; or John 18:1-19:37.

Leading up to today’s post have been a series focused on learning how to pray per instructions from Jesus Christ.

Teach us to… looked at Luke 11:1 when Jesus’ followers asked Him to teach them to pray.

Motive, Practicing Secrecy, The Danger of Many Words, and Before You Ask  reviewed Jesus’ instructions on how not to pray in Matthew 6:5-8.

We then walked through the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 a verse at a time with these posts: The Issuer’s ID, Kingdom, Supplies for Breadmaking, Something Owed, and Navigating Life.

Matthew 6:14-15 provided us some additional commentary for Matthew 6:12 in The Importance of Reciprocity and The Challenge of Reciprocity.

Today we are learning that even with this great instruction on prayer there are times when we will be speechless in prayer.

Today’s verse reminds us that if we have accepted the gift of the Spirit into our hearts, then we can trust that the Spirit will manage these moments for us.

Review our verse for today:

ESV  Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

There will be times when we or those around us suffer.

When those times are present, no matter how brief or extended, we can trust the Spirit to intercede in those moments.

Our role in those situations, whether for ourselves or others, is to continue to be faithful in turning to the Lord in prayer.

When we find ourselves speechless due to struggles, we can rest in the promise that the Spirit knows God’s will and intercedes accordingly.

Reflection Questions:

  • How has the Holy Spirit helped and comforted you at times you were speechless in prayer?
  • Are you, or someone you know, currently experiencing suffering that has left you speechless?
  • How have you been dealing with this suffering?
  • How does the hope expressed by a co-heir of Christ differ from being wishful?

A prayer for us:

Heavenly Father, help us trust you are still at work in us and others even whenever we are uncertain how we should pray. May our speechless heart in those times provide opportunity for You to speak to us and assure us that we are not alone but have your Spirit interceding on behalf of all who are co-heirs in Christ.

Blessings,

Barbara Lynn

Do you have a topic, passage, or verse you are interested in studying? Put it in the comments below for consideration.

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