What should you do when you don't know how to pray?
When you don't know how to pray, be quiet and let the Holy Spirit intercede. The Spirit makes groanings or intercession that cannot be uttered. This is not necessarily a tongues experience; the Holy Spirit actually intercedes on your behalf.
Les teaches that there come places in our life where we just don't know how to pray. We have an idea of what we want, but we can't put it into words. In that situation, he says, just be quiet, just shut up, and let the Holy Spirit commune for you. He explains this is not necessarily a tongues experience; that's not what Paul's talking about. But we get to this place where the Holy Spirit actually intercedes on our behalf. He also notes this is a different intercessory power than John talks about in 1 John 2, where John addresses believers as his little children and urges them not to sin, stressing that grace is not license.
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
More Questions
What does Romans 8:26 mean when it says we don't know what to pray for?
Paul is saying that there are times in life when we just don't know how to pray—we have an idea of what we want but cannot put it into words.
What does the Holy Spirit do when we cannot pray?
The Holy Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.