Have you ever tried explaining your feelings to someone and you just can’t seem to articulate the words in a way to get the other person to understand how you truly felt? Or have you ever told someone a funny story that, to you was hilarious, but to them wasn’t as funny, and then needing to add the statement, “You just had to be there.” Or maybe someone who is struggling tells you about it, and you want to respond in the perfect way, but you just don’t know what to say back to them.

Sometimes I feel like this when I am talking to God. When I pray, I know how I feel and what my requests are, but sometimes I just don’t know how to pray about it. In these moments, we should remember what Paul says in Romans 8:26. He writes, “In the same way, 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.” Sometimes wordless groans might mean literally crying to God. Maybe it means being filled with so much joy that when praying, all you can say is, “Thank you Lord,” and that just seems like the best words to use at the time. That’s okay! God knows our thoughts and he knows our heart. He understands us better than we understand ourselves. He gets it! So don’t worry about always praying the perfect words in tough or even joyous situations. God knows your heart. He knows the words you will speak before you speak them. He knows what you need before you even ask.

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