Running Out of Ideas

My daughter Rainey and I have a bedtime ritual. A father/daughter covenant prevents me from divulging the ceremonial specifics, but I can tell you about our prayer time. She likes for me to start and then we take turns thanking God for things and asking Him for blessings. The signal that she is ready to wrap it up is when she starts to thank God for "just everything" or "just everybody." But the other night after we had gone back and forth a few times she looked up at me and whispered, "Dad, I'm running out of ideas."

I've been there. Wanting to pray, needing to pray, but not having the words. Paul let's us know that it's okay:

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 with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

I'm not sure that concept is fully understood by father or daughter, but it's still pretty cool.