Invitation to Pray
Needing God When You Don’t Know What to Say
We didn’t have people over often when I was growing up. The pressure that came with having people over felt heavy—too heavy to be inviting.
Perfection was the expectation. Baseboards cleaned, the thin lines of grout between tiles scrubbed, and bathroom counters left spotless, as though we’d never even considered leaving an empty tube of toothpaste behind. The responsibilities felt overwhelming and the tasks endless. Invitations were rare. Somewhere along the way, I realized I had begun to approach my relationship with God the same way— hesitant to invite Him in unless everything felt in order.
I know I am supposed to spend time with Him, but there is a space between the endless questioning and the deafening silence of all that isn’t said.
In this season, I continue to process situations I am not sure what to do with. I know I should be talking to God and coming to Him in prayer, but I feel so overwhelmed that when I want to speak, words don’t come.
Romans 8 reminds us that our troubled souls can find comfort in the Lord. “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words,” (Romans 8:26).
The Spirit intercedes on our behalf, knowing the silent words of our hearts and speaking them louder than the silence that lingers on our lips. How comforting it is to serve a God who knows my heart and still wants to hear my words.
Perfect words are not the goal with prayer. The goal is simply coming to God, even with empty words, and sitting with Him, trusting that He knows and hears all that isn’t said, and leaning into the very fears I am too scared to speak.
When I feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, I can start with what I do know:
“God, you are good, and your ways are good. Help me to follow you.”
Then, I can be honest about how I feel:
“I’m confused and don’t have words. I feel overwhelmed and don’t have the right words to say.”
I can ask Him for direction:
“God, would you direct and guide me?”
And then I can end with praise:
“Because You are high and above it all. I need you to intercede.”
Maybe prayer doesn’t begin with the right words to say, but with the belief that God is listening – even to the words we are too afraid to speak out loud. It is trusting that God is present in the silence.
God does not wait for things to be perfectly placed before He extends an invitation for us to be with Him. He wants to be welcomed into the messy clutter of our lives, so that His perfect presence can fill the silence of our unfinished prayers. We don’t need to be perfect to be welcomed – we just need to start by opening the door.
