Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder
May 1, 2023
This Week's Anchor
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in
accordance with the will of God.”
Romans 8: 26-28 (NIV)
Have you ever had the humbling experience of going to God in prayer and having nothing but tears? Simply put, sometimes words will evade us on our faith journey. As a young girl growing up in the church, I was adamant about learning to pray. At the time, I viewed the most important part of prayer to be what I verbally expressed, and as I grew into young adulthood, I felt a lot of pressure to pray the “right” way. Oh, how I thank God for the way that a little time and a lot of life have challenged many of the misconceptions I had about my faith relationship growing up. With spiritual evolution, I’ve come to realize that prayer is more than words—it’s a posture. It involves getting into His presence even when you don’t have the words because though our words might fail us, the Holy Trinity won’t.
Before we talk more about the power of intercession in prayer, I first want to talk about the power of tears. In our culture, the expression of crying is one of the most taboo topics, and for this reason, many of us have an interesting relationship with tears. Some of us might either identify as someone who doesn’t cry enough or as a person who feels they cry too easily. At times, we can feel ashamed of our tears. Even in my practice as a counselor and psychotherapist, I’m always amazed at the many clients who apologize for crying in a session—if the therapy office isn’t the place where we can freely cry, where can we?! Humor aside, our society often associates negative characteristics with crying (i.e., it’s embarrassing, it means you are weak, it’s indicative of you falling apart, you can’t cry and think clearly or continue a conversation and/or task). Yet, I would like to petition you that our tears are more than this.
At their basic function, our tears represent the release of energy. That energy can flow out from our body into open space, it can be absorbed in tissue or clothing, or in some of the most beautiful moments in our lives, it can move another person or being. One of the most inspiring Bible narratives that illustrates the power of tears travels back to the story of sisters Mary and Martha, and their beloved brother Lazarus (John 11). In this story, Mary and Martha are grieving the loss of Lazarus and tearfully confide in Jesus amid their pain. The scripture states, “When Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in the spirit and troubled.” Later in this chapter, we see one of the few documented moments of Jesus weeping himself. Not long after Jesus was moved to tears, He petitions to God and performs the amazing miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. The moral of this story: even Jesus wept in prayer to God, and when He did, something powerful happened.
Unfortunately, we don’t have Jesus in physical form with us as Mary and Martha did to intercede on our behalf. However, this week’s anchor scripture gives us a snapshot of one of the greatest gifts God and Jesus have given us in the present day—the Holy Spirit. This scripture in Romans 8 reminds us that we aren’t expected to show up strong, with it all figured out in prayer. When we are weak, vulnerable, and without words to convey our concerns, the Holy Spirit helps and intercedes for us in alignment with God’s will. Not only does the gift of the Holy Spirit speak to us, but it can also speak for us.
Sometimes we can’t find the words, and guess what? We aren’t always expected to. Sometimes we are weak, and guess what? We are often expected to be. The weaker we are, the stronger the Holy Trinity can show up in our lives. We have Jesus as one of the greatest models of empowered vulnerability. Our tears are sacred, and they can move mountains. So, this week, if you find yourself without words as you enter prayer, let your soul speak through tears if needed, and allow the Holy Spirit to be your loyal advocate.
Reflection
What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What is your relationship with tears/crying? What challenges do you have with getting into the presence of God when you don’t have words? What do you need from the Holy Trinity to support you in this?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?
Related Scriptures to Ground You Through this Week
John 11: 32-44
Romans 8: 28-30
Romans 8: 37-39
Philippians 4: 6-7
James 1: 2-4
Psalms 30: 5
My Through-the-Week Reflection Guide
A Song of Inspiration
Quote of Love & Liberation
“I did my best, and God did the rest.”
Hattie McDaniel
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