When You Can’t Find the Words

I had a bad dream last night. I can’t even remember what it was about now. I don’t have nightmares very often, thank goodness, but apparently this one was bad enough that my husband had to wake me up. And I’m really glad he did.

Even though I can’t remember exactly what was happening in the dream, I do remember trying desperately to call out for help. My husband said I was trying to yell words, but nothing understandable was coming out. He described it as mostly a bunch of garbled, gargling sounds. Lovely, right?

Whatever imaginary crisis my sleeping brain had cooked up, I apparently knew one thing: I needed help. And my husband heard me.

He didn’t understand what I was saying. He didn’t know what I was dreaming about. I didn’t have to clearly pronounce, “Excuse me, Mickey, but I seem to be experiencing a rather unpleasant nightmare. Would you mind waking me?” He just knew I needed him. So he woke me up.

As I lay there afterward, relieved to discover that whatever terrible thing had been happening wasn’t real, a thought came to me. Sometimes that’s what prayer looks like too.

There are times when the words come easily. We know exactly what we’re asking God for, and we can pour our hearts out to Him. But I’ve also had times when I didn’t know what to say. Maybe you’ve been there too.

Sometimes life hurts in ways we can’t put into sentences. Sometimes we’re worried about someone we love. Sometimes we’re waiting for an answer that isn’t coming as quickly as we’d hoped. Sometimes we’re scared, discouraged, or weary, and all we can manage is, “Lord, help me.” And sometimes even those three words feel like too much.

There’s a verse in Romans that I’ve read many times, but my strange little middle-of-the-night episode made me think about it differently.

“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” — Romans 8:26

Wordless groans. Well, after last night, I certainly understand those a little better. What comforts me about that verse is the reminder that God isn’t waiting for us to get the words right. He already knows.

He knows the fear we can’t explain. He knows the burden we haven’t told anyone about. He knows what we’re asking before we can figure out how to ask it.

My husband couldn’t understand a single thing I was trying to say last night, but he heard enough to know that I needed help. How much more does our Heavenly Father hear us?

Maybe today you’re carrying something you haven’t known how to pray about. You don’t need a beautifully worded prayer. You don’t need to explain every detail or find the perfect Scripture. Just call out to Him—even if all you have is a sigh, a tear, or “Help.”

He understands the words that never make it out of our mouths. And sometimes, I think those may be some of the most heartfelt prayers we ever pray.

Sept 9, 2026 Morning Brew