It came out of the blue.
I was driving down a busy highway. Cars pressed on every side. A semi rumbled beside me. Tears flooded. The tears had come on with no warning as I listened to a simple worship song.
Lord, what is happening?
I can only describe the feeling as desperation. Not misery. Not torment or despair. Instead, I was suddenly aware of how much I needed Jesus. How much we all need him. It had been a crazy, busy day. A crazy, busy week. In the midst of all my doing, the Holy Spirit was leading to a place of sweet desperation. I realize those words don’t often go hand-in-hand, but I had been praying a specific prayer recently.
Lord, don’t let me just talk about the Holy Spirit. Let me live this.
You see, we can get so caught up in talking about God, or our faith, that intimacy finds it way to the back burner. God was taking me up on my prayer, but not in the way I thought he would.
Not in the place I thought he might.
For the next several minutes, I wept and prayed. Sometimes with words. Other times with such a deep longing that I didn’t have the words.
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. Romans 8:27 (NIV)
I believe the reason the Holy Spirit so graciously bombarded me in the car was because I was so busy doing, that I had almost forgotten how to just be.
Maybe today you are busy doing. Those things you are doing are really great. You are making a difference as a woman, as a mom, in your community, your world, your church, or for that cause. Keep up the good work, sis. I love that you are such a world changer.
[bctt tweet=”What we do for God is so much sweeter when it pours from that place of intimacy. https://wp.me/p4jbdw-4Cx #SpiritLedHeart ” username=”suzanneeller”]
But please, let’s not forget that doing isn’t what matters the most. There’s a sweet desperation and awareness of how much we need the Lord lingering just beyond that busyness. Waiting just for you.
Ask for it.
I can’t tell you what that will look like, but I do know when you seek it, you’ll find it.
Holy Spirit, today I hold up every part of who I am. All that I am doing. I’m desperate for you to interrupt my life and my plans, just to draw me closer to the heart of my Heavenly Father. I may not have all the words, but you know what he longs from me.
Suzie
Q: Sometimes we simply don’t know how to pray. How does Romans 8:27 comfort you in those times?
Related Resources
The Spirit-Led Heart: Living a Life of Love and Faith Without Borders
You’ll wish you could dip the entire book into a bowl of highlighter ink! ~ Christy Rodriguez, Brave Girl Ministries.
This message resonates within my soul. Thank you for sharing this word. I am guilty of too much busywork and not taking time always to listen to that still small voice. Even though my planning and organizing is for my Church am I doing it for the right reason? Has God been trying to get my attention and telling me to just be?? I think so. I thank God for your words that led me to a breakthrough as I am commenting. Praise Jesus!
I don’t know why my comment came up anonymous? This is Suzieq
Sometimes mine come up anonymous and I wrote the blog. : ) Technology!
That is so true. Sometimes we just need to relax. Take a breather and listen to what God is saying.
I find Romans 8:27 very comforting. I am probably speechless more times during my prayers than I am actually speaking. I have a hard time putting into words what I want to say during prayers.
The problem with me is I am not busy enough. I find myself getting depressed. But the Holy Spirit and Jesus help me through. When I feel this coming on, I look at the “picture” of Jesus I have on my wall. Thank you for your posts and emails. I find them very uplifting. God bless you.
Karen, what are the things that bring you joy? Is there something you can do, with the limitations that you currently have? Not looking to fix this, as I know that’s not why you shared, just honestly asking because I care.
im a recovering alcoholic. Bipolar worth ms. My daughters haven’t spoken to me in 13 years. I volunteer. But have no friends and do not date. I keep to myself and my rosary.
Karen, Bless your ❤️ heart! I am also an alcoholic in recovery and I take medication daily for debilitating depression.
But, first and foremost I am a Child of God!! I will join our Lord in his Kingdom someday! And no matter what else is going on in my life I keep my focus on Him, lest old habits or thinking haunt me
If you need someone to share with other than the support group you have now please respond and we shall become friends. It is not necessary to walk through life alone.
Your sister in Christ, Suzieq
Suzi my mouth fell open when I read the title of your entry. I just posted on my FB page the other day how I am running hard after the ministry that I feel God has called me to do. So hard that my personal time with Him has gotten less and less in the mornings. I would pray for Him to guide the words I was going to put in my next blog post, the inspirational quote and photo for instagram, the captivating message for my blogs FB page… but my quiet time was suffering. I’m so thankful for God allowing me to come to this realization before to much time had lapsed. Thank you so much for your timely and very relatable message. Blessings.
So very true! Lately I have been so busy that I have been putting time to be in the Word on the back burner. It seems like lately God has been getting my leftovers instead of my first fruits. I’m slowly trying to make time in the mornings to read His Word and talk to Him more of a priority again. Life just seems to get in the way so often anymore. Its hard to slow down and take time to pray and be still before God. I don’t like forgetting Him or having Him just be another thing on my list. I’m trying to get better at this. Thank you for this post. Its very comforting and helpful.
Jesus is never too busy for us, we shouldn’t be for Him.
It is so easy to be busy and doing things that I feel the Lord wants me to do. He desires only our fellowship and worship though. I must give Him time and immerse myself into the Word. I was convicted that my sister who is suffering from fibromalgyia takes time to read the Word in the morning and will not watch TV or get her breakfast until that time with the Word and the Lord is accomplished. I need to follow her example and put the Lord as my priority. I have some deferred desires that keep me trying to planning how to achieve them, but without the Lord’s guidance and peace, there is no way I can find the way. Prayer and trusting the Holy Spirit to convey my inner desire to Him must be my way of approach. Nothing is blessed without the Lord’s presence. He is my Lord who desires that I abide in Him and not try “doing” things in my own strength.
Romans 8:27 comforts me because I love knowing that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and that it’s okay to not have words to pray. Sometimes life knocks you down that hard.
Are you peeking into my life? “I was so busy doing, that I had almost forgotten how just to be.” Somehow I let 2018 be a year of doing not being. It may have been what God wanted it, it felt God led, but going into 2019 I hear something else from God. My Mantra for 2019 is “Letting Go to Take Hold of God.” I miss him. So I bravely go forward letting go of the things that are getting in the way of me being with God. Of course, it goes against who I am and the message I usually give, but I know it is from God.
Thank you for your beautiful post.
Romans 8:27 reminds me I don’t have to have words to commune with God. My favorite way to pray is to say the name of “Jesus.”