There can be only one

“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” (Job 7:11 ESV)

Job spoke his heart to God, and while God reminded Job of his place, Job spoke what was in his heart. Job was honest in his moaning to God.

Very often, we do the opposite. We look at our relationship with God as fragile. We have the Holy Spirit who cleans up our moaning to God. Paul refers to this in Romans 8:26, “Now likewise also, the Spirit joins to help us in weakness; for we do not know the things which we should pray for as it behooves, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession with inexpressible groanings.” We may express grief, but the Spirit asks for the needed intercession, which may go beyond our words in our anger or grief.

We must speak plainly to God, not veiling our words with what we think sounds “religious” or elevating our supplication to meet what we see as God's magnificence. Speaking your mind brings you closer to God. He is there for you to lean into in times of trouble. By trying to be fancy or “proper” in prayer, you distance the emotional content of your prayers to God. So, be liberated and authentic in your communication with God.

When we pray to God, we should speak to Him as though He were sitting next to us. Your father is your confidant and your salvation in all things. And do not worry, for the Spirit will temper your words. No other intercessor is available to us except Christ through the Spirit.

Prayers to others are doctrinally wrong, as no one, not the apostles, Mary, no one has intercessory access to Christ on our behalf and is not worthy of prayer. Mary should have our admiration for her obedience to God, but she is not an intercessor to us. Jesus made this clear in Luke 11:27-28, “As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” 

Pastor Sam Allberry said, “Jesus says that better even than being his mother is being his follower. Better than having him as a son is having him as a master. Paul wrote, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5 ESV)

If we need prayer, we must openly express our groanings so they reach God's ears.

Grace and Peace!