The Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. It is God that writes intercession upon men's hearts. All true prayer comes from Him, but especially that least selfish and most Christ-like form of prayer called intercession, when the suppliant forgets all about himself and his own needs, and all his pleading, his tears and his arguments are on behalf of others.
You have brought your ### before the throne of Glory. Now pour out your soul in vehement prayer and say to the Lord, "We will wait upon You." It was a grand prayer, yet, at first, this was the only answer that Jeremiah received to it. Prayer, mighty prayer, will yet prevail if it has but time! If this is the dark suggestion of the Evil One, "Forsake the closet! Give up private devotion," I pray you, spurn the thought with all your might and still cry, both in the daytime and at night, for the Lord will still hear your prayer!
Sometimes there may be great sin in the prayer, itself! Are not our greatest sins often connected with our holiest things? Sometimes, then, failure in prayer may be caused by sin. I think this is one great reason for unanswered prayer, namely, that it is a chastisement for sin committed or an admonition against sin harbored. Perhaps the hindrance lies not in your ###, but nearer home. Do not abhor us for Your name's sake, do not disgrace the Throne of Your Glory: remember, break not Your Covenant with us. Go straight to God and say, "O Lord, You know what I need!"
Do not give up praying because you feel you cannot pray, but pray twice as much, for you need more prayer and, instead of being less with God, be more! Do not let a sense of unworthiness drive you away. David once said to God in prayer, "Do as You have said." When a man has promised you something that you really need, you take him by the button-hole and you say to him, "Now, you promised to give me that." Get the promise and then offer the prayer, and the prayer will be answered as sure as God is God!
He adds, "my prayer returned into my own bosom." Even if the answer tarries, the exercise itself brings a reward. Earnest intercession will be sure to bring love with it. I do not believe you can hate a man for whom you habitually pray. Pray for one another earnestly, habitually, fervently, and you will knit your hearts together in love as the heart of one man. Intercessory prayer has stayed plagues, it has brought down blessings, it is exceedingly prevalent.
We need to lament more deeply our manifold deficiencies. You will need great Grace for this, my ###. Therefore pray, "Quicken me in Your way." Quickened in private prayer, quickened in all forms of worship. His prayer was answered, but it was not answered in the way he expected it would be. Yet the answer came. So imitate the prayer of Jacob in its humility of spirit. The whole prayer is highly argumentative. True prayer is just pleading with the Most High, spreading our case before Him, and then pressing our suit with all the arguments we can muster! Cease not, therefore, to pray for your ###. Prayer, mighty prayer, will yet prevail if it has but time.