Prayer Partner

Yesterday I was reflecting on the nature of language as a bridge and it is still on my mind. I have worked in several situations in which, despite my limited knowledge of Spanish, I was still the one who had the best chance of communicating when someone came in who spoke only Spanish. When two people speak different languages, an understanding gap remains, unless there is an effective interpreter to intercede. Given my rudimentary skills, the gap always remained.

As we celebrate the Holy Spirit this Sunday on the Feast of the Pentecost, we will take the second scripture lesson, one of the profound passages of Paul’s Letter to the Romans. In it, Paul teaches us something about our communing and communicating with God. It is the language of prayer that allows for our connection. As human beings, we can bring nothing more than our humanity to the possibility of our relationship with God. In our finite state, God makes up the difference, allowing for communion. God gives the possibility for prayer.

When we haven’t a clue what to pray, the Spirit, who knows us through and through, and knows the whole of our condition, beyond what words can say, is our prayer partner. Through the divine Person of the Holy Spirit, we have the one who intercedes for us and allows the relationship to flourish. Here are two verses from the passage:

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

Let’s face it, we know even ourselves only in part. The Spirit is the interpreter and then some. Even the desire to pray is likely to have been prompted by God. This is about generosity, not control. We are not marionettes with strings, but we can be helped to move toward resolution of inmost needs, even when we don’t have those needs well identified. We exercise our movement to God out of our freedom, and the Holy Spirit comes alongside us as the perfect advocate and counselor. Obviously, the Spirit speaks God’s language, being God. Paul is saying here that the Spirit also speaks our language even the inaudible groanings of our inner being so that a dynamic and life-giving relationship can progress.

Never resist the wisdom in prayer to simply listen to the silence, hold space for the Presence of God, and acknowledge your being coming from the Source of all Being. In beginning it, keep God, the Holy Trinity in mind. As quiet as that prayer is, a conversation is happening, the kind the Holy Spirit alone can facilitate. We have prayer partners of all kinds through our lives, and the one most unique, the one who intercedes for us, with sighs too deep for words, is God, the Holy Spirit.