Can Human Beings Confuse God?

Daily Devotional – Friday, December 8, 2023
Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Romans 8:26 (NKJV)

I am in a public service vehicle. A man is speaking to his friend on the phone. There is no privacy on the call. All of us in the minivan are forced to listen. I try to ignore the call until the caller tells the person on the other side of the line, “You know we normally confuse God with our prayers.” Apparently, when we are not clear on what we want, we create a dilemma for God.

Incoherent Mumblings

What a ridiculous claim, I tell myself. How can a human being confuse the all-knowing God? Even before I start digesting the matter, another thought intrudes. What if this man’s assertion is true? How many times do I go into prayer and end up mumbling incoherently? Indeed, when I look back at some of my prayers, I cannot remember exactly what I was saying, despite being the petitioner.

Humanly speaking, then, my fellow passenger is right to say our prayers can be confusing, but does the confusion apply to God? What do the scriptures say? “Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26).

Can Human Beings Confuse God?

Indeed, our prayers need some repackaging, and that is where the Holy Spirit comes in. He takes your incoherent words and packages them into clear and sensible ideas that resonate with God’s will. After that, He intercedes for you to ensure you get what you really need. In essence, our prayers can be confusing, but not to God, because the Holy Spirit is at hand to interpret our thoughts and emotions.

If you start praying or complete your prayers and you cannot remember what you prayed for, worry not. If you open your mouth but no words come out of it and you do not know how to put your petitions into words, take heart. You cannot confuse God with your prayers because the Holy Spirit reads your mind and summarizes your needs in the best language.

Prayer
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for turning my confusion into coherent statements that express my deepest desires.