Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 , KJV



I was sitting in a coffee shop, writing and enjoying some down time, when a sweet-faced, older man approached my table.


He smiled and made an attempt at conversation, but because of an infirmity, whether physical or physiological—perhaps emphysema or even Alzheimer’s—he was unable to speak plainly. I heard only a series of breathy, garbled sounds and then, “Thank you.”


Returning his smile, I asked that he repeat his remarks. Yet, once again, only two words were intelligible.


“Thank you.”


I nodded, hoping he didn’t know I hadn’t understood. But he clearly did, and he walked away frustrated. My heart broke for both of us. We had failed to communicate.


Sometimes we have the same frustration when we seek to share our most earnest feelings with God. How do we put into words the hurts and hopes and desires of our heart? How do we sufficiently express our insecurities and anxieties about life? How do we fully thank Him for what He has given us?


We feel incapable.


Yet, He tells us in His Word that, through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, He knows the utterances of our heart. He hears our “thank you’s,” and even though our words may fail, His understanding doesn’t.


~ Kathy Harris