First Saturday Prayer - August

Romans 8:26-28

This morning, I want to encourage you with something that has brought me a lot of comfort over the years.

I think every one of us has had moments where we didn't know what to pray.

Not because we didn't know how to pray.

But because we didn't know what to pray.

Maybe you've prayed things like...

"Lord, should I stay or should I go?"

"Should I take this job?"

"Should I keep praying for this healing?"

"Lord... what are You doing?"

Those moments can leave us feeling like we're failing spiritually.

But listen to what Paul writes in Romans chapter 8 verse 26

New Living Translation Chapter 8

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.

Did you catch that?

Paul doesn't say our weakness is that we don't know how to pray.

He says our weakness is that we don't always know what to pray.

Life has a way of putting us in situations where we simply don't know God's will.

And here's the encouragement.

God isn't frustrated by that.

He's not disappointed in you because you're confused.

He's already made provision for your weakness.

Paul says that when we don't know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God.

Think about how comforting that is.

When your prayers feel incomplete...

The Holy Spirit is praying perfectly.

When your words run out...

The Holy Spirit continues speaking.

When all you can pray is, "God... I don't know what to do..."

He does.

That's why Paul immediately follows that with one of the most well-known promises in all of Scripture: Romans 8:28

New Living Translation Chapter 8

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Sometimes we read that verse and think it means everything that happens is good.

That's not what Paul says.

He says God works everything together for our good.

Even the things we don't understand.

Even the prayers that seem unanswered.

Even the seasons where we can't see what He's doing.

Because while we may not always know what we want...

The Holy Spirit always knows what we need.

So if you came in this morning carrying uncertainty...

If you're facing something where you honestly don't know what to pray...

Take comfort.

Your weakness is not a surprise to God.

The Holy Spirit is faithfully interceding for you.

And your Father is faithfully working—even when you can't yet see how.

We are entering into 21 days of prayer, and as we get into corporate prayer time I’d like to request that you also pray for a few things along with me. We are going to put up some topics we can pray through together after you pray over the specific needs requests of the church.

A Heart That Hears God

Lord, remove distraction.

Quiet our minds.

Give us ears to hear.

Help us recognize Your voice.

Spiritual Maturity

Lord...

Grow us.

Convict us.

Make us obedient.

Help us stop settling.

The Church Becoming the Church

Unity.

Humility.

Servanthood.

Compassion.

Courage.

Make us look more like Jesus.

5. Boldness

This is a huge theme you've talked about.

Gospel conversations.

Courage.

Compassion.

Lost people.

6. Families

Fathers

Mothers

Marriages

Children

Homes

Not simply protection.

Formation.

7. The Presence of God

Don't let us become busy without You.

Don't let us become effective without Your presence.

We'd rather have Your presence than our plans.

8. Holiness

Search us.

Purify us.

Reveal compromise.

Give us courage to repent.

9. The Lost

Break our hearts for people.

Help us stop seeing enemies.

Help us see captives.

10. Revival Beginning With Us

Revive me.

My family.

Our church.

Our city.