Praying for….. From the Edges – Walking with Jesus.

From the Edges – Walking with Jesus

Praying for ……….

Pastor Calvin Cook – July 2, 2024

Scripture focus – Romans 8:26-27  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. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

It is a particularly noisy morning here. It seems that the noise and traffic outside is particularly louder than it usually is at 4:50AM. I find myself searching for a quiet moment to reflect, the music I am listening to is a little louder and I am praying out loud to try and drown out the noise of the world around me.

Though it seems as if my morning sanctuary is being invaded, I am leaning into the Holy Spirit to guide me into this time of self-reflection, prayer, and repose. I thought of yesterday, of conversations, of things that are happening. The ones that lead me toward and forward in my relationship, satisfy me, the ones that draw me away gnaw at my soul only to be recentered through the gentleness of the Holy Spirit speaking new life into my soul. I long in the busyness of life for that peace.

Before I even left the bed this morning I was praying. My new practice of praying has centered not on praying for others before myself. Even though I don’t know the personal standing that others have in their relationship with Jesus, I am praying for many for a complete surrender to the will of God. Before I prayed for myself, I prayed for the situations in the world, for the peace that is so desperately needed. I’m praying for deliverance, deliverance from sin and darkness, deliverance from oppression, deliverance from addiction because we are all addicted to something, deliverance from financial concerns, deliverance from the things that are separating us in relationships with other, most of all for a renewing of our mind.

While I’m praying, there are times I stumble and need to confess and get back into focus, “not my will but your will – thy will be done.” It is in these places, times, and moments that the Holy Spirit takes over to remind me what is truly prayer worthy. It is in these times that Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf and prays. As the Holy Spirit prays, I am guided back to will of God. This is the place where anxiety ceases and where the perfect will of God is revealed.

Now this morning as I leave this place of sanctuary that I worked so hard to create, I have to enter into the complete will of God. That is going to be tough because I like myself and my ways an awful lot and it is I that gets in the way of seeing the complete good and perfect will of God. That is why I need to realize the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to guide me.  And by the way, the Holy Spirit is there to guide you as well.

What will you be praying for?