The Holy SpiritSample

Experts say that when someone is mourning the loss of a loved one, we shouldn’t say, “Let me know if you need anything.” They probably won’t - not because they don’t need anything, but because while they’re in that dark place, they can’t bring themselves to think of it.

Instead of saying, “Let me know if you need anything,” we can show up for them. Simply showing up with a home-cooked meal, offering to do a load of laundry, or cleaning up a few rooms around the house can work wonders. We’re stepping in, taking care of the things we know they need, without them even having to say a word. In the same way, the Holy Spirit steps in when we can’t come up with the words to ask God. He asks on our behalf. He knows what we need.

God answered prayers that the weak and struggling person couldn’t pray for themselves. In Genesis 16, the slave girl Hagar is mistreated by her mistress Sarai and runs away. God speaks to her in the desert and makes a promise to her, answering a prayer she hadn’t even prayed, and Hagar said, “Here is the God who sees me.”

In the gospels (Matthew 9, Mark 2, and Luke 5), some men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus to be healed. Jesus said, “Take heart. Your sins are forgiven.” No one had asked Jesus to forgive, and the teachers of God’s law were angry. To prove that Jesus has the power to forgive, he also healed the man.

When you feel weakened by the struggles of this life, remember that the God who saw Hagar sees you too. And the God who came into time and space to die on a cross for your sake also sent you a comforter to live inside of you and give you strength.

Prayer: Dear God, you are the one who sees me. You see every struggle and every need. You see when the finances can’t stretch any further, when the diagnosis is devastating, and when sin overwhelms me. But you have never left me, and when I can’t come up with the words, the Holy Spirit prays on my behalf. What a beautiful gift that is! I trust in you. Amen.