" A Cry, Better than Words"

Our son Seth, is not yet speaking more than a "Mama", but that does not mean he cannot communicate. Yesterday evening, I said, "How about I take Anna and Seth for a sled ride in the snow." As soon as I said that, Seth came running to me. He lifted up his arms to tell me to pick him up. When I did not pick him up fast enough, he started to cry.

I said, "Kimberly, could he really have understood my offer to take him sled riding."

To which Seth replied with a loud cry and pointed to the door. "Why, yes, I guess he did understand" and more importantly I understood him.

He cannot yet use words but he is a very effective communicator. In fact, you might argue that his cry is better than words. His cry is loud, strong and confident..."Daddy, I want to go sled riding...you better not be jerking my chain...put on my hat and boots and lets go!" So, we bundled up and went out into the snow-ice and had a blast until...I told him it was time to go back inside...and then, once again, Seth's cry spoke louder than any words.

Do you ever feel like you don't know how to put your prayer into words? Do ever encounter a time when you don't even know what to pray for a situation? Does it ever feel like any words you could come up with are just not enough? If you have ever felt like that, let me ask you one more question: Who said you have to use words to pray? What if a wordless cry reaches the ears and heart of the Father just as good and even better than our most eloquent words.

That is what Romans 8:26-27 says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."

Did you catch that? You do not have to figure out what to pray. Prayer is not about a magic formula of the right words. Prayer is all about relationship...it is you pouring your heart out to God and opening your heart up to God. Some of the best prayers a person may pray are those that use no words. If, I as an earthly father have my ears in tune to my child's cry, how much more does your all-loving heavenly Father hear you when you cry out to him "with groans that words cannot express"?

Go ahead and pray what you cannot say...Did you hear that? I hear the Father running to your cry...now, just lift up your arms and let him pick you up into His.

As you pray today, I ask that you remember a 32 year old woman in our church family and a member named Mickey and her husband Jeremy and son, Justin. Mickey is very ill and in the Critical Care unit. I know they would value your prayers...words or cries on their behalf will be just fine!