Luke 18:15 - Baby Prayers

Have you ever wondered what it takes to pray meaningfully, especially when you have a difficult time finding the right words? I'm not talking about using "church-y" words and pious tones in order to impress God. But sometimes it's difficult using everyday English to tell God exactly what you're thinking and feeling.

The Bible says that God the Holy Spirit Himself "...intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." (Romans 8:26, New American Standard Bible, 1995)* Still, we want to make sure that we send at least a few half-way intelligent sentences wafting toward heaven.

I've had plenty of opportunity in the past few months to hear my grandchildren cry. They can sound so very pitiful. You wish they could talk. Are they hungry? Tired? Frustrated? Needing a diaper change? Sick? Feeling a tooth coming in? Or simply frustrated?

In Jesus' time on earth, "they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them," to bless them, to pray for them. (Luke 18:15, English Standard Version). There are various paintings of Jesus blessing the children. I don't recall any depicting Him holding infants--but undoubtedly He did. And undoubtedly some of them cried. 

Let me ask a rhetorical question: Does Jesus understand the cries of infants?

I am not suggesting that we don't attempt to put our prayers into words. There are many, many beautiful, articulate prayers found in the Bible that we can echo as our own. If I begin praying, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name..." many people would know the next line, if not the whole prayer.

At the same time: babies that cry, dementia patients who are unintelligible, other people who are rendered speechless... God hears them all.

Thank You, God, that You hear us when--for whatever reason--we can't hear ourselves think. Give us the words we need to pray, but give us faith to trust that You are bigger than our vocabulary, and You hear us even before we form a word. (Psalm 139:4) Amen.

*Thursday, August 20, 2020 - Romans 8:26 - Wordless Prayer

Shutterstock photo found at https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-hard-to-ignore-a-babys-cry-according-to-science-63245  No, it's not my granddaughter. Mine is much prettier when she cries.