Prayer in very unlike most other communication. Why do I say that? Because, when I pray, I can expect that the One being addressed will understand our inarticulate groans and translate them into effective prayers! Just imagine for a moment a loving parent listening to a small child’s confused complaint. The child is having difficulty expressing how he feels or what has happened to him. The parent is to respond to what is deeply wished for, but is not well expressed. For parents this is no easy task; but they respond to the heart.

However, our heavenly Father is not perplexed by our inarticulate expression. He understands our heart completely. Romans 8:26 tells us “We do not know what we ought to prayer for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” That which we find ‘inexpressible’ and may come out of our mouth with a loud, pained groan, is completely understood by God, through His Holy Spirit. He understands completely! That is so profound and wonderful that it is almost too much for us to grasp!

Let me give you another wonderful picture of what God does with the ‘inarticulate’ expression of tears. Tears are designed to bring us relief, but God is very aware of our tears. Tears can often be heart-felt prayer, even when we don’t know it.

Psalms 56:8,9 “You put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. In God I have put my trust.”

God has put a way within us to communicate with Him that we are not even aware of! How wonderful is God to provide a pathway to His Throne through tears and groaning which will move His heart and bring an answer to prayer. This expression of ‘calling out to God’ for help was seen in the life of Hannah and it brought forth fruit in her life. Sometimes when you don’t know what else to do, just try tears……Effective prayer is not always well articulated, but it is heart felt and it moves God.