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.
–Romans 8:26
If I were to title this devotion, I would call it “The Problems with Prayer.”
As believers, you and I know that we are commanded and called to prayer. Ephesians 6:18 tells us that we should pray “at all times in the Spirit.”
But because of our flesh, there are several “problems” that stand in the way of effective and empowering prayer… problems that the Holy Spirit can help us overcome if we just ask.
First, we lack concern. As humans, lethargy and even laziness battle our desire to pray. We don’t feel the need or urgency to pray. The flesh really doesn’t want to pray. But the Spirit gives us the concern and prompts us to pray.
Second, we perceive distance between God and ourselves. Many people don’t pray because they feel like they’re either talking to themselves or to someone who is absent. They cannot sense the presence of God in prayer. That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in. We have access by the Holy Spirit to the Father.
According to Galatians 4:6, “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!”
We have the Spirit of God living within us to make God real and to make God ever present. The Holy Spirit helps us connect with God the Father.
THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL HELP YOU OVERCOME THE “PROBLEMS WITH PRAYER” IF YOU WILL BUT ASK.
