Lauren and I sat in the doctor’s office yesterday morning. From her place on my lap, she turned up with fever glazed across her cheeks and over her eyes, and softly asked me this question:

“Would you pray for me, Mommy?”

Right away I wrapped my arms around her, and we prayed for God to make her well and to give the doctor wisdom to help in that process.

There have been many times in the past few days that Lauren has asked me this same question. She’s been wrapped up in covers or snuggled with me on the couch, and so miserable and worn out that she needed someone else to pray for her to her Heavenly Father.

As I’ve been asking God for her fever to break, I know I’m not alone in prayer.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

– Romans 8:26-27

Here on earth, the Holy Spirit living within me, who knows the deepest part of my heart, is pleading to God for His will to be done. When we don’t know what or how to pray, the Spirit speaks for us in words we cannot understand. What the Spirit requests is answered.

But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

– Hebrews 7:24-25

Also in heaven, Jesus, our high priest, lives to intercede for us. Forever and always, Jesus speaks to God from His right-hand for our good and because of His grace.

God moves heaven and earth in prayer for his children.

As God’s child, He is praying for you, right now. The Spirit, who knows what you would never say aloud, that deepest hurt or longing, is crying out to God for His will to be accomplished in you. The resurrected Jesus, who conquered sin and the grave, is interceding for you.

When you have no more words and no more strength, crawl up onto your Father’s lap, and ask this question:

“Would you pray for me?”