Prayer is easier for some than others.
It’s become easier for me over the years, as the fancy walls of religion fell and I saw visions of a humble, dusty traveler from Nazareth kneeling on the ground and washing my feet... I began to talk to this man friend to friend, the Son of God, in tones of a normal conversation. Happy, sad, confused, mad- I could just tell him; no call or text necessary. He’s just always there.
Doesn’t mean things will always go right.
That life isn’t hard.
Doesn’t get lonely.
But He’s there-
Standing there, ready to catch every single tear.
They’re numbered, your tears- He cares that intimately.
Psalm 56:8 tells us, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears your bottle, you have recorded each one in your book.”
Have you ever had one of those cries just too deep for words, sometimes where even the tears run out and you’re just groaning in your spirit? Jesus himself experienced such an emotion; in John 11:33 we are told Jesus “groaned in the spirit” upon news of his dear friend Lazarus’ death. Whether this was due to the loss of Lazarus himself, seeing everyone mourn, their lack of faith, or otherwise I do not know- but this I do know, we have a friend who identifies with this emotion and who intercedes for us before the throne of God.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I don’t even know what to pray. Especially in the times of these deep emotional groanings, it’s hard to find words. Amazingly, Paul tells us in Romans 8 that we have an actual power in the groanings of our spirit- that the Holy Spirit “intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (verse 26).
Maybe your spirit isn’t groaning today; maybe you just don’t know what or how to pray. Can’t quite find the words, or don’t have the energy.
I was maybe five or six years old when I remember my mother giving me the three word advice that’s carried me through so much of life-
“Just pray ‘Jesus’.”
The power of the name of Jesus:
The power of the whole Word of God, in one breath.
God’s calling card.
The name of healing. The only name with the power of life. The name which makes the Devil tremble and flee.
The name of victory.
“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” –Philippians 2:9-10
And if there’s one thing you can teach your kids-
Just Pray “Jesus.”
