Romans 8:26-30
" The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness." (Romans 8:26)
If, as St. Paul wrote, “we do not know how to pray as we ought” (Romans 8:26), how can we ever hope to reach God’s ear? Paul himself gives the answer: The Spirit intercedes for us “with inexpressible groanings … according to God’s will” (8:26,27). It is the Spirit—the life and power of God active within human hearts—who can lead us and teach us to pray.
It is no coincidence that Paul’s teaching on prayer comes in the middle of a letter devoted to the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. As in all other things, Jesus is our model for prayer, and his cross is the source of our prayer. Just as Jesus put aside his own will, even his own life, and relied fully on his Father’s will, the same applies to us. Prayer that touches the Father’s heart is prayer that puts aside our own ideas and presuppositions, so that we can learn to pray in a new and more powerful way.
"Do you know that the Spirit of God is within you? Can you trust that many of your desires to love God, pray for people’s healing and conversion, and offer forgiveness come from God himself through the Spirit inside you? When Jesus left the world, he sent his Holy Spirit to speak to us and prompt us on a level that far surpasses human words.
Even when we feel out of touch with the Holy Spirit, that doesn’t mean he has left us. It only means that we need to reach out to him. Look for ways that he may be prompting you to pray, to worship, and to intercede beyond what you might normally do on your own. Quiet your mind in prayer and let it rest on a passage from Scripture. Ask the Spirit to give you a deeper love for God or a knowledge of his love that goes beyond the power of words to express. Place your trust in the Holy Spirit. He has far more glorious plans for you than you ever could imagine.
“Holy Spirit, teach me to pray today. Enkindle in my heart a desire that the Father’s will be done in my life and in the life of your church.”
Psalm 13:4-6; Luke 13:22-30
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Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid, the Holy Spirit is with you. Pope John Paul II
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, be with me today. Be my teacher, my guide, my counselor, my friend. Fill me with your gifts, especially the gifts of wisdom, discernment, knowledge, understanding, compassion, love, and awe in God's presence. In all that I think, say, and do, let it be in accordance with your most holy and perfect will. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN.
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