Could I Pray for You?

by Chey Anne Tamashiro

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." –Romans 8:26

Saying a prayer in front of a group of people has always made me uncomfortable. My mind goes blank, I second-guess every word, and I worry about sounding awkward. I’ve listened to people in our church pray so beautifully, and I think to myself, “I can’t pray like that.”

Maybe you've felt the same way I have. But recently, something happened that changed how I think about praying out loud for someone else.

A little over a month ago, my mother-in-law passed away unexpectedly. It was a difficult and emotional time for our family. Our 11-year-old daughter wasn't with us when it happened. She'd been spending the last month of summer break traveling with my parents. We knew we'd have to tell her eventually, but we struggled to find the words.

During those days, friends who knew what we were going through lifted us up in prayer. Those prayers carried me through that difficult time. I found comfort in knowing others were bringing our family before the Lord.

One prayer in particular stayed with me: "Lord, help them find the words."

Four days after my mother-in-law passed, we were reunited with our daughter. There isn't an easy way to tell a child that someone they love is gone, and no words can soften that kind of heartbreak.

I paused for a moment and remembered that prayer again: “Lord, help them find the words.”

I don’t remember what I said. But in that moment, somehow, it came to me. I do remember feeling the strength and comfort to be honest, present, and gentle.

After I told her, she crawled onto my lap and held me tight. Then I asked, "Could I pray for you?"

She looked up at me in surprise and nodded.

I didn't have the words, but I felt the Holy Spirit with me and stopped worrying about sounding awkward…I just needed to pray.

I asked God to comfort her and surround her with His love. I asked Him to reassure her that we would be okay and that we would get through this as a family. And I thanked Him for sending her the best, most loving Grammy.

As I prayed, I noticed a change. Through the tears, her breathing became steadier. Her body relaxed, and the grip she had around me loosened. In that moment, I realized prayer wasn't about me getting the exact words right, it was about bringing her before the Lord, just as others had done with me days before.

Romans 8:26 reminds us that we don’t always know what to pray for. In our weakness, the Holy Spirit meets us there. We don’t have to have the perfect words. We can simply come to God as we are.

A few days later, my daughter told me she had "happy tears" because "Grammy is with Jesus."

Prayer didn't remove the grief; it gave her a place for her grief to go. Isn't that a beautiful gift?

We may not know how to help someone, but through prayer we can bring those big emotions to God. We can remind them that they don't have to go through this alone: the grief, the fear, the anxieties, and the hopes.

My mother-in-law faithfully prayed for the people she loved. Her prayers were an act of love. Having walked through this season of loss, I understand what a blessing it is to be prayed for, and what a gift it is to pray for others.

I'm still not completely comfortable saying a prayer in front of others, and maybe you feel the same way. We may not always know what to say, but we don’t have to get the words perfect.

Take a breath, pause, and trust the Holy Spirit to meet you there. God knows what your loved ones, or even a stranger you meet, needs. Sometimes all it takes is the courage to ask, “Could I pray for you?”

Dear Lord, please help us have the courage to pray out loud for those who need You, and to worry less about finding the perfect words, trusting the Holy Spirit to meet us when we don’t know what to say. Thank You for those who pray for us when we are struggling. Thank You for the gift of prayer as a way to come to You and to bring others before You when life feels heavy. Amen.