If the Spirit Himself speaks in wordless groans, then perhaps our non-speaking friends are actually closer to the language of heaven than we are.
There is a sacred mystery in the way God communicates with us. In Romans 8:26–27, the Apostle Paul writes:
“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 through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
Wordless groans. Deep, holy communication that transcends language.
As Christians, we often place a high value on verbal expression. We teach, preach, sing, and pray with words. But Scripture reminds us that the Spirit, the perfect communicator, does not always speak with words. Sometimes, divine communication is deeper than language. Sometimes, it is simply felt. Known. Heard in the silence of the soul.
This truth invites us to reframe how we see and value people who are non-speaking.
Too often, individuals who are non-speaking, whether due to autism, cerebral palsy, genetic conditions, or other disabilities, are pitied, underestimated, or even ignored. There is a false assumption that if someone can’t speak, they must not understand. But what if we’ve had it backwards?
What if, in God’s kingdom economy, it is the non-speaking who are fluent in the language we’ve forgotten—the language of Spirit-led groaning, of wordless prayer, of deep knowing beyond speech?
What if they are not less connected to God, but more?
It’s time for the Church to lead the way in assuming competence. That means we believe, from the start, that every individual, regardless of their ability to speak, has something to say, something to contribute, and someone they are becoming in Christ. We don’t wait for words before we give value. We recognize the image of God in every person, especially those the world often overlooks.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” He didn’t add, “but only if they can speak.”
To assume competence is to treat non-speaking individuals as full participants in our communities, our conversations, our worship, and our lives. It is to honor the idea that they may understand far more than we know—and that they may be speaking in ways we’ve never learned to hear.
Let this truth challenge us: The Holy Spirit Himself communicates in groans too deep for words. So, let us not demand spoken words before we listen. Let us not tie a person’s worth to their ability to speak. And let us never underestimate the spiritual depth and value of our non-speaking friends.
Instead, let us open our hearts to learn from them. To sit beside them. To worship with them. To assume competence. And perhaps, in doing so, we might begin to understand something deeper about the language of heaven, where every voice is heard, even the silent ones.
