Praying When Our Words Fail Us

Scripture — Psalm 5:1 (NRSV)

Give ear to my words, O LORD;
give heed to my sighing.

Devotion

What is prayer? The most basic answer says that prayer is talking to God. Sometimes we talk to God through singing. Sometimes we talk silently with words that are not actually spoken out loud. Sometimes we spend more time listening than talking when we pray. But most of the time, prayer is talking to God.

Yet there are times when our words fail us. These may be times of ecstasy when we cannot find words to communicate our joy (for example, 1 Peter 1:8). More commonly, we run out of words in times of turmoil and struggle, times when we feel discouraged and hopeless. In times like these, we can lose hope. It can feel as if God is a million miles away or as if God has turned away from us.

How can we pray when our words fail us?

The opening of Psalm 5 helps to answer this question. This psalm begins, “Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.” The noun translated here as “sighing” (hagig) appears one other time in Scripture. In Psalm 39:3 it is rendered, “While I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue.” The Hebrew-English dictionary defines this word as “murmuring, whispering, musing.” Given the dire situation of David in Psalm 5, the New Living Translation prefers “pay attention to my groaning.” Modern translations suggest a non-verbal sort of communication, whether in pain (groaning), exhaustion (sighing), or quiet reflection (musing). The psalm writer wants God to pay attention to his words and also to the cries of his heart that can’t be expressed in words.

Prayer in Scripture is more than speaking words to God. It is opening our inner life to God. It is pouring out our hearts to God because God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8). In times when we have spent ourselves, our prayers may come in the form of sighing. In times of agony, our prayers may sound like groaning. In times of exultation, they might sound like cheers at a football game. Yet, no matter the sounds we make, or even when we make no sounds at all, God not only “listens” to our prayers, but also helps us to pray “with sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

In this season of Lent, you will pray with words. That’s as it should be. But as you consider your mortality, as you confront your weakness or struggle with your pain, know that God “hears” your prayers that don’t get expressed in words. Though your words might fail you, God never does.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: God Hears the Groans of the Poor.