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. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28 NIV
We are in the middle of a global pandemic with the coronavirus. As I write this, we have been directed to socially distance ourselves from others. Businesses have closed their doors, people work from home, and restaurants must adjust the ways they serve their patrons. Thousands of people around the globe have contracted this disease, which at times has been fatal. It has put a lot of fear into people not knowing what the future has in store for them. Will they and their loved ones stay healthy—will they continue to have employment?
When the needs of the world are so overwhelming, we can be at a loss for words when we pray. We are weak and suffering and need widespread healing to save lives. We turn to you Lord in our helplessness. Thankfully, we are not praying alone; The Holy Spirit intercedes for us. As we do not know God’s will in this situation, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to bring our requests to God in harmony with His will. His will may be for us to act instead of crying for help. Or we may even be the help that someone else is crying out for through their prayers.
We have the opportunity during these times to serve those in need. It may mean food for the hungry or comfort for the scared. It may be shopping for the elderly, so they don’t have to go out, risking possible exposure to the virus. God is working through us to bring goodness in these trying times.
In fact, God works in “everything”, not just isolated incidents, for our good. This does not mean that everything that happens to us is good, but He will turn every circumstance around for our long-term good. As our scripture for today says, those who love God have been called according to this purpose. God’s ultimate goal is for us to be like Christ. We can accomplish this by accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, reading and following the Word, spending time in prayer, being filled with the Holy Spirit and doing God’s work.
Dear Heavenly Father, please direct us according to your will to bring about good during this pandemic. Please keep us healthy so we can serve others. You are always here for us Lord and we thank you. Please give us the resources and guidance over the next few weeks to let others see you in us and our actions. With you by our side, we can work together for good. Amen.
