Praying Intelligently

“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

            Most people find it hard to pray, let alone pray intelligently. Sometimes we lag searching for the right word or the correct sequence in expressing our concerns to God. We tend to think if not spoken correctly God may misunderstand what we are praying for. We’re afraid of missing some important details of our request due to our many distractions squashing the whole prayer. Even the most experienced prayer warriors discover distractions, lapses in concentration, and the never-ending mind wandering as part of their prayer time. But through all the distractions and trying to find the best way to express ourselves to God, we are assured we can pray intelligently.

Praying intelligently is not having all the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed, or systematically referenced for comprehension, but having the Holy Spirit guide you and speak for you when you don’t know what to say or how to say it. Paul writes in Romans, “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 groaning too deep for words.” (8:26 NASB) We can take comfort in knowing the Holy Spirit knows and understands what we want to say and brings it before the Father. There are times when we find it difficult how to pray for a situation, the Holy Spirit is aware of that, and then there are times when we simply can’t pray at all, the Holy Spirit knows that too.

Our heavenly Father wants us to come before Him in prayer. As a father He desires the best for His children and wants to have quality time with us. We need to remember God knows what we need before we ask Him, and what we are going to ask Him before we ask. So why don’t we spend some quality time with our Father with the Holy Spirit as our helper and pray intelligently.