January 4 -- "Wordless Prayers"

 Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 21 & Psalm 5

"Wordless Prayers"

When we pray, we are accustomed to using words to express ourselves to the Lord. But did you know that God doesn’t need you to put your requests into words? In Psalm 5, king David asks God to listen to him. Specifically, he asks God to hear his words, his groaning (or meditation), and his cries.

There are times in all of our lives where we have difficulty putting our prayer requests into words. Perhaps because we don’t fully understand what to pray for, or perhaps because our heart is so burdened that words become nearly impossible and all we can do is groan or cry. Whatever the reason, be confident that God hears your groans and, in His wisdom, He can - and does - fully understand the deepest desires of your heart. We may not always know what to say, but God knows our hearts.

Interpretation of our groans and cries is one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:26, the Apostle Paul said, “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.” When we are wordless and don’t know what to pray for as we ought, the Holy Spirit intervenes, helping us to utter groans and sighs and cries that God will understand and respond to.

God hears our groans, and pays attention to our cries. Our prayer doesn't need to be understandable in human language, it just needs to be the expression of our heart. God can comprehend our nonverbal prayers. As David prays, “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4). 

Yes, God listens to the prayers we put into words. But He also hears every “wordless” prayer that our hearts cry out. He listens to your thoughts and yearnings as they happen. In Psalm 38:9, David acknowledges that “all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.”

So, dear follower of Christ, groan! Sit in the presence of God and pour out your heart. Use words if you can find them, but don’t stop there: groan, cry, sigh, yearn, grunt, or just whimper. The Lord will give ear to your words and will give attention to your non words.