What do you do when you can’t pray? When the words won’t come. When your soul is exhausted. The great missionary J. Hudson Taylor came to that point. When anxiety filled his heart, he said, “I can’t read. I can’t think. I can’t pray. But I can trust.” We can all trust and know that the Holy Spirit is praying for us at a level we cannot comprehend.

Romans 8:26-27
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. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

When you’ve cried your last tear. When the loss weighs heavily on your soul. When you have walked away from the grave. When friends and family leave, the Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

When sleep won’t come. When worry wraps around your heart. When your stomach is tied in knots. When anxiety quickens your pulse. When there seems to be no way out, the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

When your dream is dashed. When your desire is denied. When your expectation is erased. When you learn that the one thing you want won’t happen. When God says, “No.” The Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will.

When he walks out the door. When she says, there is no love left. When your heart hurts. When you are afraid and alone. The Spirit prays deep prayers for you.

When the night is the darkest. When discouragement hangs over your soul like a thick fog. When getting out of bed becomes the hardest part of your day. When your lips can’t smile. When the smallest chore takes all the energy you have, the Spirit is there praying for you at a depth beyond human words.

Father, thank you for sending your Spirit to live in us. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your ministry of encouragement and comfort. In Jesus’ name. Amen.