AN ACCEPTABLE PRAYER

People often tell me of being in an awkward situation when they didn't know what to say. Especially in times of tragedy or catastrophe we become speechless. Under such circumstances, generally. it is better to say nothing. And there are times when we go into our closet to pray and want to pray for something or about something and we find ourselves in the above condition. We just don't how to express ourselves. But in that situation, we can be assured that whatever we say and however we say it, if we are on praying terms with God and have the right attitude of heart, it will be heard and understood in the way our heart desires.

In Romans 8:26 Paul gives us that assurance: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." The translators thought that the Holy Spirit was under consideration in this verse therefore they capitalized the word, spirit.

But the spiritual mind of man is begin discussed throughout the seventh and eighth chapters. The spirit of man is at war with the flesh and through Jesus Christ the spiritual man emerges and overcomes the flesh.

Then in verse twenty-seven he says, "And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." The unutterable groanings are those of man. So the search is not of the heart of the Holy Spirt but he searches the heart of the spiritual man and his spiritual disposition makes his petitions sensible and understandable because he prays according to God's will.

The same reasoning would be true with the man who leads the public prayer. His prayer need not be with flowery language or perfect grammar. As long as he has a spiritual heart, that good heart will make his petitions acceptable before the throne of grace.

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