"We don't know..."

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for.  But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.  And the Father, who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will."  Romans 8:26-27

I never cease to be amazed at the way God can bring a "fresh word".  You've read and heard a certain verse or passage countless times and you think you've gotten its message.  Then you read it for the hundred and first time and BAM!!... God hits you with something all new!!  This passage from Romans is one of those familiar ones.  I've turned to it many times when I was so distraught that I just didn't have words to pray.  I have taken comfort in the fact that the Spirit was speaking on my behalf when I just couldn't muster the words.  When I went through my "dark years" of depression I am certain that His Spirit did most of the praying for me.

But then this morning my devotion led me yet again to Romans and it was like I was reading it for the first time.  One of my constant prayers is "not my will Father, but Yours".  I know that as much as I love the Lord and I want to glorify Him in my life,  I cannot escape the fact that I am human and, therefore, selfish.  I can very easily convince myself that whatever I'm asking for in prayer is according to His will.  Knowing that, I feel the need to end any request with a quick, "if it's your will, Lord".  Today it was as if He said, "Child, don't worry!  I've got you covered."  He revealed to me that not only is this passage referring to the times when we can't muster a prayer.  It also assures us that when we do pray, the Holy Spirit acts as a sort of filter.  I know that really sounds holy!!  What I mean is that because God knows our hearts and knows that "we don't know what to pray for" He has assigned His Holy Spirit the task of making sure our prayers are "in harmony with God's own will."  Pheww!!  What a load off my shoulders that is!  All this time I've been worried that I would ask for things that were out of His will and He had my back the whole time.

Thank you Father!