By Dr Edward Tamale Ssali
Scripture: Romans 8:26; Mark 5:24–34
“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).
Mark 5:24-24: “And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.
And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years,
and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.
She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.
For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.”
And immediately the haemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, “Who touched my garments?”
And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
And he looked around to see who had done it.
But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.
And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
When words fail
In 2021, I faced a crisis twin pregnancy. One of the babies was declared not viable, and I was advised to end her life to give her twin a better chance of survival. My family and I chose instead to entrust their lives into the hands of the God who had created them.
What may surprise some is that while their lives hung in the balance, I did not pray in the way most would expect. I could form prayers in my mind; beautifully crafted, poetic, heartfelt words, but the thought of speaking them aloud made me feel sick. Words felt inadequate, too small to capture the depth of my anguish.
I did not want to clutter the space between God and me with words that seemed hollow. I longed for a clear, direct path, with nothing between us except the miracle I was desperately hoping for.
Praying without words
This raises a question many of us face: how can you pray when you can barely breathe? What if you crawl to the feet of Jesus but cannot even lift your head to speak?
Some theologies suggest that unless you approach God boldly and with confidence, he will not respond. Yet this is not the Jesus of the Gospels. Time and again, He met people in their need without formal declarations of faith. Sometimes He healed without even being asked.
The woman who reached out
Consider the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had endured endless suffering, rejection, and despair. She had spent everything she had on doctors, only to be told: “There is nothing we can do.” But when she heard about Jesus, hope was stirred in her.
She thought: “If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.” She did not cry out for His attention or make a public show of faith. She simply reached out in silence—and immediately, her bleeding stopped.
Jesus noticed. He turned in the crowd, asking: “Who touched me?” When the trembling woman confessed, He responded with compassion: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
Her faith was not in her words but in her reach. That was enough.
The Spirit intercedes
This story reminds us that Jesus does not require eloquent prayers to act on our behalf. In times of suffering, when words fail us, God is not hindered. Romans 8:26 assures us that in our weakness, when we do not know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
God does not need cunning words or clever negotiations. We do not have to prove anything to Him. Sometimes He invites our spoken prayers. Sometimes He invites us to bring our petitions. But sometimes, all He asks is our reach.
Faith beyond words
When words fail, faith remains. Even if it is a trembling hand stretched out in hope, it is enough. For the Spirit prays for us, Jesus notices us, and God responds with grace.
