Prayer for the Holy Spirit to search for my heart
Laura Bailey
Bible Reading:
“And those who search our hearts know the spirit, because the spirit is engaged by God’s will for His people.” – Romans 8:27 niv
Read or listen to the following:
My heart was getting heavier and heavier as I read the demands that my friends, colleagues and family had been sharing with me last week.
My uncle’s cancer has returned. Wayward girl. Husband’s Infidelity.Life-Altering Diagnosis.Job Loss.
My list of prayer journals was endless, and the petition for help far outperformed the report of praise. I scanned the list and felt helpless overwhelmed me. I desperately wanted to help each and every one of them, provide relief, comfort and peace, but the prayers were not sufficient. Often, I find prayer a last resort. After trying everything else I turn to. With a sense of defeat, I think, “Well, all I can do is pray.” But as a friend of mine shared with me the other day, “Prayer should be our first response, not our last one to offer.
It’s not just about praying. As I began to think about prayer in this light, it began to change my perspective. And I began to feel a sense of relief when I liberated these demands to someone who could fulfill these demands, relieve the mind, heal the pain, and provide peace.
Paul encourages Christians in the Roman Church with these words. “And those who seek our hearts know the spirit heart for God’s people according to God’s will (Romans 8:27 NIV). We have future hopes and promises of eternal life, but that does not mean that we will not experience pain or suffering while we are not just before the Lord, but all of our creation moans, and wait for the Lord to return and make new things new (Romans 8:23).
The reality of suffering may feel like we are fighting this battle alone, but we have the helpers and defenders, the Holy Spirit, who can help us with our weaknesses. Paul says we may not know what to pray, but the Holy Spirit looks for our hearts and mediation on our behalf (Romans 8:26-27). To find our hearts and petition us according to God’s will, how beautiful it is that spirits are always at work.
You bow your head before the Lord in your prayer and say, “Lord, help me, I don’t know what to say, do you know my heart?” We can seduce you to think these are prayers of defeat, but these are the prayers of faithful people who will empower us and call for the spirit to align our will with the will of the Father. The next time we feel overwhelmed by many requests and unable to express our particular needs, we search our hearts for us and call out to the spirit who speaks to God.
Let’s pray:
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the gift of prayer. Never accept our ability to communicate with you as a given. Lord, there are demands from both our homes and our communities, and from all over the world that we can lift up to you. There are those who are hurt, souls that need to be saved, people who need to be healed. Prayer is endless. We know that you are the God you see and that you see these requests and answers according to your will. Lord, we ask that you lean against the Holy Spirit when we cannot speak or petition on behalf of others. We allow the spirit to help us with our weaknesses and to mediate our hearts and minds. Thank you for your helper to guide us, guide us, comfort and peace. Help us to wait for pain and trial carefully. Don’t despair. Stick to Christ’s eternal hope. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GetTyimages/Kieferpix
Laura Bailey is an author and biblical teacher who encourages women to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Her recent book, embracing eternity here and now, explores how the timeless truths of the Church can help us today live a more peaceful, purposeful and abundant life.
She lives in northern South Carolina with her husband and three young girls. She is the director of the Ministry of Women at her church. Her passion is to teach the Bible to women and equip them to live in an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at the next event or learn more: www.laurarabailey.com Connect via Facebook and Instagram.
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