My Unsaid Prayer

 By Princy Edwards

The sadness I felt in that moment was deep and painful. My heart was aching with longing for reconciliation. My mind was racing with thoughts about how I can fix the situation while fully knowing that there is nothing I can do. My body felt defeated and beaten down. I felt absolutely, positively hopeless; and so I wept. 

The next day was possibly the best day of 2020 for me. My heavenly Father answered my prayer without me even uttering or thinking a single word of prayer to Him! Little did I know while I was crying yesterday, God was listening to my aching heart, my racing mind, my broken body. He was listening to my unsaid prayer.

 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. 

Rom 8:26 ESV

What a sweet reminder that God is always listening to our hearts when the emotions are too deep that words escape us!

Prayer and Suffering

In a sense, God is answering all our prayers whether we realize it or not. We may not like or understand His answers, but we can rest assured that the answers are for our own good and His glory. The answers He uses are yes, no, and wait. “Yes” is of course the answer we are all clinging to in faith because without faith, you will not receive what you pray for (Matt 21:22 ESV). “No” is often an answer that is hardest to swallow. God uses this answer to let us know that maybe what we’re asking for is harmful or we are asking it wrongly (Jam 4:3 ESV). “Wait” is probably the most frustrating answer especially when we are in the midst of suffering. 

Count it all joy, my brothers,when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Jam 1:2-3 ESV

Jesus uses trials and suffering as a way to draw our eyes to Him and test our faith in Him. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (Heb 11:1 ESV). Faith is believing what the Bible says without evidence. In our journey to become more like Christ and be imitators of Him (1 Cor 11:1 ESV), we become stronger and more steadfast in our faith as we face trials and learn to wait on Him. 

God’s ultimate outcome will be more beautiful than we can ever hope! 

Princy Edwards is wife to Josiah and works full-time in the IT field. She lives in South Carolina where you'll find her cooking up new dishes in the kitchen, reading, or enjoying time with loved ones.