It's almost like having a speechwriter!

"We do not know what we ought to pray for"

Romans 8:26

We've got a busy weekend coming up.  Amazing Boy's baseball team qualified for the Tournament of Champions, so he's got a game Saturday, but we don't know what time, or where.  And Awesome Girl is having her last volleyball tournament of the season on Saturday, but we don't know what time, or where.  And we're invited to a good friend's graduation party on Saturday.  But at least we know what time and where!   And I have a meeting with the directors of the Bible Study in which I volunteer, so the Apple Of My Eye is going to have to handle all of it.  Not to mention, I had to say "no" to a wedding shower, and an out-of-town wedding this weekend.

So naturally I've been praying for everything to go smoothly.  We've known for weeks that this calendrical* collision was coming {*yes, that's a real word ~ don't you love it?}, but we couldn't even prepare without knowing the times and places involved.  All we could do was pray.  But pray what?   I don't even know what time is the best time for which game, or where the location possibilities were.  So my conversations with God consisted of the very deep and profound prayer:  "Dear Lord... um.... best case scenario, please, whatever the heck that might be..."

And then this verse popped into my mind.  The whole verse is, "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."

Have you ever felt that you didn't even know what to pray?  Usually when I think of this verse, it's in times when I'm in such pain ~ physical, emotional, whatever ~ that I can't even seem to form words.  And I'm so thankful, at those times, that I don't have to.

But it occurred to me this week that it applies to more than just times of agony.  It applies this very week.  I have no idea what would be best for me and my family this Saturday ~ although frankly, when do I ever?  I only think I know what's best, right?

So I think this should be one of my top three prayers.  I already rely heavily on, "Thy will be done" (Matthew 6:10) and "You work all things for good" (Romans 8:28).  These are both reminders to me, and acknowledgments to Him, that He knows more than I do, and that I trust Him.   But I love this verse for its reminder that while He cherishes my prayers, it doesn't stop there.  His Holy Spirit is advocating on my behalf, knowing what I need more than I do, and making more sense than I ever could!

~ "Dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith, 

and pray in the Holy Spirit." ~

Jude 1:20