Prayer Block
Fall 2023
According to an article on a university’s website, writing expert Mike Rose stated that writer’s block can be defined as: “the inability to begin or continue writing for reasons other than a lack of basic skill or commitment.” As much as I enjoy editing Current, I acknowledge recurrent writer’s block when it comes to this editorial. Although I may question my skill, I don’t doubt my commitment. But the words just don’t come! Ideas don’t arise and when they do, they are slow to develop.
Rose’s definition of writer’s block is a fitting parallel to the spiritual block that can afflict the prayer life of believers. There can be commitment to pray. There is the skill or ability to pray which comes from the Holy Spirit whose presence enables us to cry “Abba Father” (Romans 8:15). But the words don’t flow, and we find ourselves struggling with “prayer block.” At such times we should be greatly encouraged by the ministry of the Spirit as outlined in Romans 8:26.
It is not an easy text, but there are some pointers to help us grasp its meaning. The unuttered groanings referenced in this text arise in our inability to know what to pray for. As we see from verse 27, these groanings occur in our hearts. Due to our spiritual weakness we find ourselves ignorant of the right prayers. In deep trials, saints of old have recorded times when they couldn’t express the words in prayer but simply fell before God and sighed. Our text should encourage us with the thoughts that in those times, the Spirit comes as our helper and intercedes for us. He works in our hearts to produce the groanings, and then as Intercessor, brings those groanings to the Father.
Spiritual prayers are prayers according to the will of God. The Spirit, as God Himself, cannot pray outside the revealed will of God. Hence these prayers are wrought in the form of the prayers mentioned as being heard in 1 John 5:14—prayers according to His will. B.B. Warfield wrote that the Spirit’s intercession, “is not an intercession through us as mere conduits, unengaged in the intercession ourselves; it is an intercession made by the Spirit as our helper and not as our substitute . . .The Spirit intercedes for us then by working in us right desires for each time of need; and by deepening these desires into unutterable groans. They are our desires, and our groans. But not apart from the Spirit. They are His; wrought in us by Him.”
We often think of the Lord as our helper. Isn’t it a blessing to consider this very specific form of help? We ought to try and form words in prayer, but in times of heaviness and perplexity, we must remember that the Spirit works in us and helps us—especially when we encounter prayer block.