Devotion was written by Rey Roloff, Arms of Love Foster Care Licensing Worker.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray fort. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. – Romans 8:26

Read 1 Samuel 1:8-18

Have you experienced times when praying that all you can muster up is a sigh, a deep breath or even a groan? Have you experienced times of prayer that all you can do is sit in the presence of the Lord without any words coming from your mouth? Paul alludes to this in Romans 8:26. In the book of 1 Samuel, we read how Hannah prays earnestly for a son and at one point she prayed and spoke in her heart but her lips did not move (v.13). She explained to the prophet Eli, who thought she was drinking wine because no words were coming out of her mouth, how she was pouring out her soul before the Lord (v.15). These passages remind me that when I don’t know what to pray for or if I am drained emotionally or physically where I cannot speak, it is okay to be silent before the Lord. God knows my heart and requests. The Holy Spirit intercedes for me in my sighs, my groaning, and my silence.