The lectionary epistle for this Sunday is from the eighth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, in which the apostle breaks the bitter news that even the most pious of us haven’t the foggiest clue how— really and truly— to pray.
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought.”
Though we are bereft of the proper knowledge, this is not bad news. The Spirit gifted to us through baptism’s anointing is not simply a squatter, along in us for the ride. The Spirit prays in us who know not how to pray.
Every prayer is miracle.
“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.”
Here is an old sermon on the lectionary text in which I channeled my inner Bob Newhart to convey the extraordinary claim embedded in Paul’s theology of prayer.
What Do Our Prayers Sound Like to God?