Are there days when you don’t have words? Maybe you don’t know the right thing to say in a situation or conversation. Or perhaps you don’t have the words to pray about the thing that looms in front of you. We have One who will go before the Father on our behalf. 
“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 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” (Romans 8:25-26).
- The Spirit of God prays for us.
- This is in the context of hope as we wait
- in assurance of our redemption
- for our adoption as children of God to become finalized in glory (Romans 8:18-23).
- We do not always know how to pray.
- Even the Spirit’s prayers for us may not have words.
*What do you do when you don’t have words?
*How do the prayers of God’s Spirit give us hope?
Jesus said,
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth…. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:16-17, 26).
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).
- Jesus, our high priest, sent the Holy Spirit to help us.
- A priest goes before God on behalf of people.
- Jesus brought our case before God and between them they settled it. Once and for all.
- Jesus opened the way for us to come before God (Luke 23:45).
- The Holy Spirit helps us when we do not have words to approach a Holy God.
- When we ask God for words, He will give what we need (words or actions) for the situation.
- We have received mercy and continue to receive mercy and grace as we come to God.
*When have you come before God asking the Spirit to pray on your behalf?
*When have you asked God for words and He has helped you?
“you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).
“…you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
- According to Peter, we are priests for God.
- John agreed,
“and (Jesus) has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 1:6).
“And they [the twenty-four elders] sang a new song… You have made them the persons Jesus purchased with His blood] to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God” (Revelation 5:9,10).
- We were chosen through “thoughtful and deliberate consideration” by God; we were in His mind.1
- The word “priesthood” means to officiate as a priest.2
- We carry spiritual sacrifices to God when we declare His praises (Hebrews 13:15).
- We offer ourselves and our whole life as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1).
- God desires that we show mercy as a sacrifice to Him (1 Samuel 15:22, Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13).
- Reviewing this concept led me to this encouraging perspective written by Denise Loock.3
*What does it mean to you to be a priest for God?
*How does the truth that God chose us affect our role as His priest?
*How can we offer spiritual sacrifices to God this week?
*How can we show mercy through relationship this week?
“My covenant was with him [Levi], a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth” (Malachi 2:4-7).
- According to Malachi, a priest proclaims and teaches truth and turns people from sin.
Our role as priest is clearly defined. 
- Declare God’s praises.
- Offer our life to God.
- Show mercy.
- Proclaim truth.
- Teach others about God.
- Encourage people to turn away from their sin to walk with
- Give mercy and grace to others as we have received from God.
Tall order. Micah summarized it this way:
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
- Whenever I read the word “humble,” I’m reminded of this definition: “make room.”
- Make room in our lives for God as we try to do what He has called us to do.
- We build our priesthood on the foundation of our precious cornerstone, Jesus Christ.
*What does it mean to build our priesthood on the foundation of Jesus Christ?
*How can we fulfill our role as priests in our daily life?
- Spiros Zodhiates Th.D., The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament (Chattanooga, Tennessee: AMG Publishers, 1992), 545
- Ibid., 757
- Denise Loock. “I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice.” The Open Bible. November 22, 2016. Accessed May 9, 2023 https://openthebible.org/article/i-desire-mercy-not-sacrifice/
Wonderful post, Tracie. I especially like the “make room” aspect re’ humility. Thank you.
That definition seems to fit (as a definition / replacement for comprehension)
in many places I encounter the word humility. Thanks for reading. 🙂