By Jacqui – One of God’s Intercessors
It’s easy to pray when we feel confident that God hears us. It’s easy to pray when we see the answers to prayers he brings so often. It’s easy to pray when our prayers are for small things or for those requests that we don’t feel as connected to personally.
It becomes difficult when we don’t quite believe God is going to answer. I heard from a dear friend who is a wonderful prayer warrior. Her prayer needs are deep needs. Some are needs she has been praying about for a long time. Today, she found she couldn’t pray as she usually does. Today, prayer became hard.
You may question why prayer would ever be hard if you are a believer. But, God doesn’t. He knew we would experience this. He knew there would be times we wouldn’t know what to pray, just as he knew there might be times we would find it difficult to even speak the words!
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. Romans 8:26-27
It may be hard to pray because possibly, today, you aren’t sure if God is listening. You may be wondering if he actually hears your prayers or if he’s even ignoring you! You may wonder if God can possibly answer this prayer you want to pray.
God is still hearing you. He never stopped hearing you. Maybe, that’s even harder to hear because if he is hearing you, you may then wonder why he isn’t giving you what you believe would be best for you!
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
There will be days that it is hard to pray, friend. It may even feel impossible. That’s when you remember that ‘two are better than one’. Sometimes, we need to ask a friend to pray for us. Sometimes, we just need that one-word prayer that is more powerful than any other. “Jesus.”