CALLING some time ago on a dear old Christian lady who was ill, and who is nearly blind, she spoke to me of her daughter, who but a short time before God had called home. She said, “I do miss her so; she always used to read with me every morning and evening, and she had a real gift in prayer. Now, I don’t feel myself that I can always give expression to the thoughts that are in my heart; I can’t shape them into words.”
“Well,” I said, “it is well to remember that He knows the desires of the heart, and in the eighth chapter of Romans, you know, it speaks of the Spirit making ‘intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.’”
“And,” I added, “do you know what the next verse says? It struck me very forcibly the other day.” And I repeated to her the 27th verse: “And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit; because He maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God.”
“Do repeat it again, please,” came the request; and I did so.
Then she said, “I never noticed that verse before. God knows the mind of the Spirit, and He will not ask anything which is not good for us, or, according to God’s will; and He also searches our hearts and knows just what we are wanting to ask for, both for ourselves and for our dear ones, and often does not give us what we ask because it is not according to God’s will; it’s just wonderful.”
We had a little further talk about Him Who has graciously provided One to make intercession. After prayer together that He would teach us more of Himself, I left.
It was some weeks before I was able to call again. She is too blind to recognize faces, and when I asked, “Do you remember me, Mrs. A―?” she said, “I don’t think I do”; but when I told her, she took my hand in both of hers and exclaimed, “Oh, yes, I know your voice now, and I’m so glad you have come, for I’ve been wanting to tell you that I can see it all clearly now — He maketh intercession for us according to the will of God. It has been such a comfort to me, when I could not give expression to what is in my heart.”
Dear fellow-Christian, do we realize as we should that “He ever liveth to make intercession for us,” and that it is “according to the will of God?” It is not a “gift in prayer” that we need, for a mere flow of language may be mistaken for this. But the Spirit working in us teaches us what to pray for. Then, our requests will be according to God, and as a consequence we may confidently expect the answers (1 John 5:1414And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (1 John 5:14)).
E. N.
“Whenever the hour of trial comes, parley not with trial; but take it at once to Christ. Remember, whatever your trials are, the merciful High Priest is the gift of God the Father’s love to meet those very trials.”