Bible Readings
Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7: 24 - 25)
The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)
A Thought
It was such an uplifting experience to join in with the Archbishops’ call to the nation to pray at 7 pm on Sunday and see candles lit in various windows throughout the villages; symbols not only of the Light of Christ shining in dark times, but also of the Christian Church united in prayer across the land. However, have you ever thought what God is doing when we pray?
According to the writer of Hebrews, Jesus is sitting beside God the Father joining in the prayers on our behalf, and our Heavenly Father is listening. At the same time, the Holy Spirit is also involved, helping us when we don’t know how to pray. The Holy Spirit also intercedes for us, interpreting the deep cries of our hearts that we find difficult to put into words, and transforming them into prayers too.
We may all find ourselves alone, anxious and lost for words during the present Coronavirus pandemic, but we can always pray - even when we don’t know how.
A Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for hearing us when we call upon you. We ask for the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us when we struggle in prayer. We continue to cry out to you for healing and deliverance across the world, secure in the knowledge that Jesus also prays with us and for us.
Amen.
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