Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Guided by the Spirit" for Monday, 9 June 2014 - Read Romans 8:22-27

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Guided by the Spirit" for Monday, 9 June 2014 - Read Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. 23 Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? 25 But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience. 26 In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. 27 He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.
The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.(Romans 8:26 (NRSV))
Our village in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo lies in a mountainous region of equatorial tropical forest. There is a story about a seven-year-old boy who was sent by his parents to the nearest village to look for firewood. On his way, he met a lion. Frightened, he stopped and couldn’t move. However, the young boy remembered the prayer he was taught by his parents; he closed his eyes and prayed like this: “O Lord, bless this food before we eat it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” Miraculously, when he opened his eyes, he could not see the lion, and he continued on his way. His short prayer, uttered out of context, was nonetheless answered. His prayer was no better than anyone else’s. For each of us the Holy Spirit intercedes and shapes our prayers. Prayer does not depend on particular words or repetitive sentences. Prayer is guided by the Holy Spirit. How many times have we found ourselves praying for something other than what we intended? That is the Spirit working through our prayers. None of us knows how to pray without the help of the Holy Spirit.
The Author: Milly Ibanda (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Thought for the Day: Our prayers are shaped and made powerful by the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Dear Lord, may your Holy Spirit lead our prayers and teach us to pray every day. Amen.
Prayer focus: Prayer groups
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