Prayers Without Words

Recently I came across this song by Craig Courtney. It's absolutely beautiful.

My words lie still and lifeless as dust upon the sand,

I can no longer voice one request or demand,

My cup of tears is empty, I can no longer cry,

My lips have fallen silent, my prayer is but a sigh.

Spirit come and rest Your ear upon my heart,

O come and hear my wordless prayer,

My silent plea and take them far away from me.

Take them from this heart of mine to the Father’s heart divine,

Speak in tones unknown to man that God may hear and understand.

My voice is weak from calling to You both night and day.

How long will You be silent? Why do You turn away?

Spirit, come and rest Your ear upon my heart;

Come and hear my wordless prayer,

my silent plea and take them far away from me.

Take them from this heart of mine to the Father’s heart divine.

Speak in tones unknown to man that God may hear and understand.

My middle brother, Mike, has a cognitive disorder and verbal apraxia. Because of that he didn't talk till he was three. Oh, he could understand what we were saying and could communicate to us through some sign language and gestures, but he couldn't form coherent words for a long time. Because of this, my parents worried that he would think that because we couldn't understand him God wouldn't be able to, either. So my mom would tell him (and us) this verse:

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."(Romans 8:26, KJV)

For those that find it difficult to understand KJV, here's how The Message puts it:

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good."

This became one of my favorite verses. Sometimes when I'm really distressed and all I can do is just mentally scream it's a HUGE comfort to remember that God still understands exactly what I mean. There are other times when I just have no idea what to say...I pray in emotions and pictures. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this!) It's the same. God understands.