A friend died last week. He was not someone my family spent time with regularly, but he held a special place in our heart. He had impacted our lives intermittently but powerfully. I hope when I come to the end of my journey here on earth that a lot of people will say that about me— that I may not have impacted their lives on a daily basis, but when I did, I did so powerfully.

When I first heard the news about this friend’s death, I was shaken. I found myself wanting to pray for his wife and family but not knowing exactly what to pray. Sure, I asked God to comfort the family, to strengthen them in their time of sorrow, to help them rest in His peace in the days ahead; but that did not seem to be enough. After a few quiet moments, I realized that I had to ask the Holy Spirit to pray through me because I did not know what else to say when praying in my own understanding.

“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.”  ~~Romans 8:26 NLT

“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”  ~~1 Corinthians 14:2 NKJV

“Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.”  ~~ 1 Corinthians 14:15 NLT

How does praying in the Spirit help you to be confident that you’re praying what needs to be prayed?