The holy spirit intercession

THE HOLY SPIRIT INTERCESSION
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in
our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray
for, but the Spirit himselfintercedes for us through
wordless groans."
Amplified: So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid
and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know
what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we
ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our
supplicationand pleads in our behalfwith
unspeakableyearnings and groanings too deep for
utterance. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
NLT: And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For
we don't even know what we shouldpray for, nor how
we shouldpray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with
groanings that cannot be expressed in words. (NLT -
Tyndale House)
Phillips:The Spirit of God not only maintains this
hope within us, but helps us in our present limitations.
For example, we do not know how to pray worthily as
sons of God, but his Spirit within us is actually

praying for us in those agonisinglongings which never
find words. (Phillips:Touchstone)
Four Ways the Holy Spirit Intercedes for Us
Postedon November 6, 2011
by Stephen Nielsen
The Holy Spirit is the person of God who intercedes for us on earth. Here is a
picture of His intercession.
1. He prays for us. A big part of the intercessionof the Holy Spirit is His
prayer for us. While Jesus is praying for us in heaven, the Holy Spirit is
praying for us here on earth in our hearts.
Romans 8:27 says that He intercedes for us “according to God.” Most
translations say that He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
However, a literal translation should read “according to God”, leaving out
“the will of”. William Newelstates,“We feelthat the introduction of the
words ‘the will of’ before the word God, merely obscures the meaning.” He
states that the phrase “according to God” is a more “all inclusive” and
“blessedexpression.” Newelsays it this way: “We know not how to pray as
we ought; but the Spirit makes intercessionin us, ‘according to God,’
according to His nature (of which we are partakers);according to our needs,
which He discerns;according to our dangers, which He foresees—according
to all the desires He has towards us.”
And how does He pray for us? Romans 8:26 says “But the Holy Spirit prays
for us with groanings that cannot be expressedin words” (NLT). These
groans I think are the deep, inexpressible sighs and feelings of love He has for
us. He loves us with an everlasting love; and He longs for that day of our full
redemption (Rom. 8:23).

Now His prayers for us are not at all separate from ours. In fact, His
groanings are the same groanings we have. When we groanin prayer He
groans in prayer; and when He groans in prayer we groanin prayer. ForHe
dwells in us. And when He prays for us He prays in us and through us.
Therefore, His prayers become our prayers. Thus wheneverwe pray we are
praying “in the Spirit.”
2. He teaches us. The Holy Spirit is our teacherin all of life. He helps us to
understand the Word—allthat God has said to us and is still saying to us.
From the Word He shows us what the will of the Fatheris; and He brings us
to His side. He also teachesus how to be patient and how to abide in Christ.
He teaches us to pray. The Bible tells us (in Romans 8:26) that the Holy Spirit
helps us in our weakness. Inthis context, the weaknessis that we do no not
know what we should pray for; hence, it is how we are in the flesh without the
filling of the Spirit. But when we set our mind on the things of the Spirit
(Rom. 8:6), and when we by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body, then
we make ourselves available and teachable so that He can teachus how to
pray.
When the Holy Spirit teaches us how to pray, it isn’t as if He stands in front of
us, lecturing us; but rather, He teaches us as our private tutor, someone who
is always with us and near us. He is in fact in us, bringing us close to the
Father and the Son. Yes, the Holy Spirit is the agentthat carries us to the
Spirit of the Father and of the Son (Rom. 8:9). And so He brings us into the
fellowship of the Godhead. There He teaches us the will of the Father, shows
us the love of the Son, and makes us feelHis own groanings.
3. He aids us. Along with praying for us, the Holy Spirit helps us, or aids us
in bearing our trials and in prayer (Rom. 8:26). Intercessionisn’t just
praying for another, it is coming along side and helping. In His aid to us He
comforts us, speaks to us, and strengthens us. He is our friend who helps us

bares our burdens. Sometimes He says to us, “Climb on my back and I will
carry you. We will go together. We will pray together.”
He is also our creatorwho breathes His life and His prayers into us. As E.M.
Bounds has said, “We pray by Him, through Him and in Him. He puts the
prayer in us and we give it utterance and heart.”
But in saying that, we must not get the idea that we have no will in our
praying—that because He breaths His prayers into us, we have no choice but
to pray whatever He prays. That is not the case atall. He gives us a clear
choice all along the way. We choose to abide in Him. We choose to follow
Him. We choose to pray according to His will. When He breathes His prayer
into us, it is what we have desiredall along. So, we don’t just pray what He
desires. Theyare in fact our desires as well.
4. He brings our prayers to God and interprets them to God. Do you ever
worry that your prayers are not adequate, that you don’t pray too well? Well,
we don’t have to worry about that, because the Holy Spirit interprets to the
Father what is really on our heart. This is partly what it means in Romans
8:26 when it says that the Holy Spirit “makes intercessionforus.” What I
think He actually does is He makes sense out of everything we pray and He
straightens out and corrects everyprayer so that they come out perfect,
according to how we really feel. Yes, the Spirit expressesto the Fatherour
own feelings much better than we ever could; and the Fatheraccepts them as
our own prayers.
Three Reasons the Holy Spirit Prays for Us
In the process ofprayer, the Holy Spirit plays a role both unique and
unexpected. Romans 8:26-27 puts it like this.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Forwe do not know what to
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings

too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows whatis the mind of the
Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Just as creationgroans waiting for the fullness of redemption, and just as
believers groan waiting for redemption from their earthly bodies (Romans
8:22-23), so the Holy Spirit groans in prayer! Three truths concerning the
Spirit’s ministry of prayer for us are here to be uncovered.
The Spirit Prays for Us Because We Are Weak
The Spirit who resides within “helps” us. He comes to our aid, rescues us,
makes our prayers acceptable to God the Father, and helps shoulder our
heavy burden. This is the ongoing ministry of the Spirit in our “weakness,”
our human frailties.
It is important for us to recognize that physical, emotional, and spiritual
weaknessesrevealhuman frailty, yet are not necessarilythe result of sin.
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, experiencedhuman frailty—enabling him to
“sympathize with our weaknesses”—yethe never sinned (Hebrews 4:14-15).
The omniscient Holy Spirit knows our weaknessesas well. He is the “Spirit of
adoption” whom we have received from God and “by whom we cry, ‘Abba!
Father!’” (Romans 8:15).
The Spirit Prays for Us Because We Are Ignorant
Often we “do not know what to pray for” (Romans 8:26). Sometimes we are
aware of our ignorance, like the disciples who asked, “Lord, teachus to pray”
(Luke 11:1). But often we are blind to it, like the sons of Zebedee who came to
Jesus with their mother to demand a position of leadership—in response Jesus
said, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup
that I am to drink?” (Matthew 20:22).
The Spirit prays for us because our knowledge is incomplete. Matthew Henry
writes, “We are shortsighted… like foolish children, that are ready to cry for
fruit before it is ripe and fit for them.” One of my young daughters loves to
eat pears, but she does not know how to tell when they are ripe. As a result she

will often grab a hard, greenpear off the kitchen counter, take one bite, and
leave the restbehind claiming “it is too hard.” We often do the same. We want
the fruit Godis preparing for our future, but we want it now, before it is ripe.
We do this because we are ignorant of what is best for us, and therefore don’t
know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit prays according to perfect
knowledge. He prays with “groanings too deep for words.” The Spirit pleads
on our behalf in longings that are verbally inexpressible. This is his silent
prayer ministry.
The Spirit Prays for Us Because God’s Knowledge is Perfect
Paul continues in Romans 8:27, “He who searcheshearts knows whatis the
mind of the Spirit.” The omniscient Fatheralways knows what the Spirit is
thinking. So the Spirit’s prayers include groanings that literally cannotbe
expressedin words, but at the same time the Fatherknows and understands
the thoughts of the Spirit without the need for words. The Spirit of God knows
the thoughts of God (1 Corinthians 2:11), and the Father knows the thoughts
of the Spirit. The two are always in full agreement.
What then is the role of words in prayer? The same as the role of words in
human communication generally. We do not have God’s unlimited intellect, so
we generally need words to help us capture thoughts in a more tangible form.
Mostof the time we also need words to communicate reasonablywell with one
another and with ourselves. This is why the Bible has come to us as it has—the
Spirit “translating” God’s thoughts to us in the form of words (1 Corinthians
2:13, 2 Peter1:21).
Knowing that God’s thoughts have been revealedto us by the Spirit in the
written Word of God, we can have greatconfidence that the words the Spirit
prays on our behalf to the Fatherare always perfectly in accordwith
Scripture. The same cannot be said of our own prayers, as R. C. Sproul
admonishes,
Professing Christians oftenask God to bless or sanctiontheir sin. They are
even capable of telling their friends they have prayed about a certain matter
and God has given them peace, despite whatthey prayed for was contraryto
his will. Such prayers are thinly veiled acts of blasphemy, and we add insult to

God when we dare to announce that his Spirit has sanctionedour sin by
giving us peace in our souls. Such a peace is a carnal peace and has nothing to
do with the peace that passes understanding, the peace that the Spirit is
pleasedto grant to those who love God and love his law.
It should come as no surprise that sinful, rebellious people are capable of
sinful, rebellious prayers. We canpray with our mouths, “Thy will be done,”
but mean in our hearts, “My will be done.” This is where the Spirit helps us
immensely. Galatians 4:6 says, “Godhas sent the Spirit of his Son into our
hearts.” The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. The Spirit and the Son make
our prayers acceptable to the Father according to his will. In other words, we
pray, then on the basis of those prayers the Sonand Spirit pray for us to the
Father on our behalf in perfect accordancewith the Father’s will.
Jesus is our substitute, our representative before the Father, and only on the
basis of his work on the cross canwe ever come before God. The same is true
of our prayers! Just as we are unfit to come before the Fatheron our own
behalf, neither are our prayers! They must be sanctifiedand purified—
“translated,” so to speak—bythe Spirit and Son before they can come before
the Father. If no unholy person cancome before God, then neither can any
unholy prayers. This is what it means to say that the Spirit intercedes for us
“according to the will of God.”
Dr. Paul Tautges is the husband of Karen and father of ten wonderful
children, two of whom are married. He serves as seniorpastorof Cornerstone
Community Church, ClevelandOH, and is the author of numerous books.
This series has been adapted from chapter one of his book,
The Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness, Part1
Resource by John Piper

Scripture: Romans 8:25–27 Topic:The Trinity
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we waitfor it with patience. 26
too deep for words. 27 And he who searcheshearts knows whatis the mind of
the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of
God.
Christianity is the only religion in the world that affirms that there is one, and
only one, true God, and that there are three divine persons in the one God:
God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. This is
calledthe doctrine of the Trinity. The church did not come to embrace the
doctrine of the Trinity because there is a sentence in the Bible that says:
"there is one God existing as three persons equal in divine essence, but
distinct in personhood." There is no sentence like that in the Bible. Rather the
reasonthe church has embraced this doctrine is because the Bible
unwaveringly speaks ofone true God, not three Gods, and yet reveals the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit as God, and as distinct persons.
If this perplexes you, keepin mind: We are in no position as creatures to
dictate to our Creatorwhat he may or should be like. God is absolute reality.
He was there before anything else was, and he did not come into being, but
always was. Therefore nobodymade him the way he is, and there is no reason
he is the way he is. He simply is. That is his name: "I Am Who I Am" (Exodus
3:14). Our role is not to say what can and can't be in God, but to learn who he
is and who we are, and to shape our lives according to his reality – his will. We
submit to the way he is. He doesn't submit to the way we are or the way we
think he should be.
One of the places where the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is
revealedmost fully is in Romans 8. We are focusing on his work today in
verses 26-27, but it would be goodfor us to see what has been revealedso far
about the work of the personof the Holy Spirit. What emerges in this chapter

is that the Spirit is not just some force or powerof Godthe Father, but a
person who works along with the Fatherand in relation to the Father.
Here's an overview of what the Spirit does for us. And one of my goals in
mentioning these things is that you might love the Spirit. Jesus saidthat the
first and greatestcommandment is to love God with all that you are. The
Spirit is God. Therefore, you should love the Spirit – as a person. Not as a
force or power, but as a person who thinks about you and has emotions for
you and works foryou – indeed, as we will see in a moment, prays for you.
According to verse 2 the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets you free
from the law of sin and death.
According to verse 4 the Spirit helps you fulfill the just requirement of the
law.
According to verse 6 the Spirit give life and peace.
According to verse 11 God will raise you from the dead by the Spirit who
dwells in you.
According to verse 13 the Spirit helps you put to death the deeds of the body.
According to verse 14 the sons of God are led by the Spirit.
According to verses 15-16 the Spirit bears witness in us that we are the
children of God and so gives us assurance ofour salvation.
According to verse 23 the Holy Spirit is the foretaste and guarantee of our
final redemption.
And now in verses 26-27 the Spirit helps us when we don't know how to pray
as we should. That's what we want to look at this morning.
God.

The word "likewise"atthe beginning of verse 26 means that Paul has been
giving help to us in what he has been saying and now he wants to give us some
more help by explaining that the Spirit himself helps us. The wayhe has been
helping us is by telling us why our sufferings are worth enduring for Christ.
All of verses 18-25 give reasonsfor why we should hold fastto our hope in the
midst of futility and decayand groaning and death. Now Paul says, "likewise"
– in the same way – the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.
So I want to ask three questions that I think this text answers. 1)What does
the Holy Spirit pray for us? 2) How does the Holy Spirit pray for us? 3) Why
does the Holy Spirit pray for us? We will answerthe first question today and
the other two next week.
1. What Does the Holy Spirit Pray for Us?
First of all, notice that this is, in fact, the way that the Spirit helps us in our
weakness,namely, by praying for us. "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our
weakness.Forwe do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
Now what does the Spirit ask for when he intercedes for us? There are three
ways the text points to an answerfor this question: 1) It says the Spirit asks
for things that we don't know we should ask for. Verse 26:"We do not know
how to pray for what we ought." 2) It says the Spirit asks forthings that we
don't know to ask for because ofour weakness. Verse 26:"The Spirit helps us
in our weakness." 3)It says the Spirit asks for things that are in accordwith
the will of God. Verse 27b: "The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to
the will of God."
Now think about what those three facts imply. When it says the Spirit prays
for things we don't know to pray for, that rules out a lot of things. We
certainly know we are to pray for holiness and faith and hope and joy and all
the fruits of the Spirit and every other unqualified commandment in the Bible.
There is absolutelyno doubt that we are to pray for whateverGod commands
us to do. The revealedwill of God is not in question. If God has plainly told us

in the Bible to pursue something – like love or faith or righteousness or
holiness or courage – then we know we are to pray for it.
What Don't We Know What to Pray for?
But this text says that the Spirit is helping us by praying for us when we don't
know what to pray for. Now when is that? What sorts of things don't we know
what to pray for? What are we not sure about? Here's where the word
"weakness"in verse 26 becomes important, and the contextof what has gone
before.
Paul says, "Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness."The uncertainty
about what we are to pray is because ofour "weakness." Now the word
"weakness"in the New Testamentcanbe weaknessowing to our limited
human nature (Romans 6:19), or weaknessowing to sickness(Luke 5:15) or
weakness owing to adversity (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). But considerthe context
of verses 18-25, especiallyverse 23, "We groaninwardly as we wait eagerly
for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." The context is the
groaning of decay and futility and misery in the world. It's the groaning of
bodies that are not yet redeemed. In verse 10 Paul said the body is as goodas
dead. In verse 11 he said that the Spirit will one day raise our mortal bodies
from the dead. But for now, the body groans under the curse of the fall (v. 20).
So in verse 18-25 Paulis helping the groaning saints by holding out hope to
them as they wait for the redemption of their bodies. Then in verse 26 he says,
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness." Ihave been helping you in
your weakness withthe promises of a great future. Now likewise the Spirit
helps us in our weakness. Whatweakness? The one I have been talking about
– the sicknessandfutility and frustration and decay and misery of life on the
way to heaven.
So what is it that we don't know what to pray for in this weakness?I think the
answeris: we don't know the secretwill of God about our sicknesses andour
hardships? We don't know whether we should pray for healing or for strength
to endure. Of course, both are right and it's not wrong to pray for either. But

we long to pray with greatfaith, and we groanthat we are not sure what
God's way will be with this sicknessorthis loss or this imprisonment. We just
don't know.
We cansee some examples of this in Paul's life. Considerhis thorn in the flesh
in 2 Corinthians 12. He askedthree times that it be removed. And finally
Jesus revealedto him that his will was not to take it away. Surely, that
experience would leave Paul wondering with every sickness andpain and
hardship and imprisonment what God's will was:Healing or not? Deliverance
or not?
And when he was in prison in Rome he seemed – at leastfor a time – to be
unsure what to pray for – life and ministry, or death with courage. He said in
Philippians 1:22-24, "If I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful
labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 ButI am hard-pressed
from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that
is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessaryfor
your sake."
Now this is painfully relevant to many in this church now. And it will become
increasinglyrelevant as the price of being a Christian and a missionary
increases in the years to come. Not only are there many who are sick, but
there are some now and there will be many over the next years who are in
danger somewhere in the world, and wonder, "How should we pray?" Should
we pray for a safe escape?Orshould we resolve to stay and pray for
protection? Or should we stayand pray for courage to suffer and even die?
Which Risks?
People ask me about this almostevery time I speak about suffering and
martyrdom and risk-taking. Godcalls us to take risks. Thatis plain from
Scripture (Luke 21:16). But which risks? When do we risk our lives and the
lives of our families and when do we not?
John Bunyan, the pastor who wrote Pilgrim's Progress over300 years ago
stayed in prison for 12 years for consciencesake.He could have gottenout if

he had agreednot to preachthe gospel. He had a wife and four small children,
one of whom was blind. Was this an easydecision? Stayin prison for
consciencesake, orgetout and take care of your family?
And today, you will all face similar decisions, though not all as dangerous.
Should I take this risk or shouldn't I? Should I endangermyself, my family,
my business, my church, etc? Bunyan wrote a book called Advice to Sufferers.
In it he captured the perplexity and uncertainty that we face in danger or in
front of a risk for Christ's sake. He asks, "Maywe try to escape"from the
danger? And he answers:
Thou mayest do in this as it is in thy heart. If it is in thy heart to fly, fly: if it
be in thy heart to stand, stand. Anything but a denial of the truth. He that
flies, has warrant to do so;he that stands, has warrant to do so. Yea, the same
man may both fly and stand, as the calland working of God with his heart
may be. Moses fled(Ex. 2:15); Moses stood(Heb 11:27). David fled (1 Sam.
19:12); David stood(1 Sam. 24:8). Jeremiahfled (Jer. 37:11-12);Jeremiah
stood(Jer. 38:17). Christ withdrew himself (Luke 19:10); Christ stood(John
18:1-8). Paul fled (2 Cor. 11:33);Paul stood (Act 20:22-23). . . . There are few
rules in this case. The man himself is best able to judge concerning his present
strength, and what weightthis or that argument has upon his heart to stand
or fly. . . Do not fly out of a slavish fear, but rather because flying is an
ordinance of God, opening a door for the escape ofsome, which door is
opened by God's providence, and the escape countenancedby God's Word
(Matt. 10:23).
Paul's point is that when you groanwith Christ-exalting desires but
uncertainty how Christ might best be magnified, the Spirit prays for you and
brings it to pass.
How shall we be encouragedby this? How is this a help, as Paul says it is:
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness." He helps us. Are you helped in
this way?
Five Encouragements fromThis Text

Let me close by suggesting atleastfive ways you can be encouragedby this
text if you trust Christ and groanin your heart for his name to be exaltedin
your life.
1. Be encouragedthat you are not expectedto know the will of God in every
respect. Yes his revealedwill for you is always faith and hope and love and
purity. But whether to trust him to deliver from sicknessorhardship or
prison, or whether to trust him to help you die, you do not always know. And
this text says it's OK not to know. There is one who knows. And he is praying
the wayone ought to pray who knows. Don'tadd to your burdens the worry
that you don't know all the will of God.
2. Be encouragedthat in your perplexity and groaning you are not being
watched, you are being understood. God is searching your heart, and he is
finding in your holy groanings a meaning deeperthan words – the meaning of
the Spirit himself. More on that next week.
3. Be encouragedthat God's work for you is not limited to what you can
understand and express with words. Be glad that God is able to do
exceedinglyabove all that you ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Your thinking,
especiallyin times of stress and groaning, is not the limit of God's acting. And
be glad that there is a peace that passes allhuman understanding (Philippians
4:7). God is not limited by your limited mind.
4. Be encouragedthat in your weaknessand sickness andloss and hardship
and dangerthe Spirit of God is praying for you and not againstyou. In verse
31 we will hearPaul exult: "If God is for us, who is againstus?" And here we
see part of that great "for us" in verse 26. The Spirit intercedes FOR us, not
againstus. Be encouragedthat as you cling to Christ and groanfor his
exaltation in your uncertainty and pain, the Spirit is for you and not against
you.
5. Finally, be encouragedthat God the Fatherhears the prayer of the Spirit.
This prayer is for you. And it is always heard! Always answered, Goddoes not
rejectthe prayers of God.

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacherof desiringGod.org and
chancellorof Bethlehem College & Seminary. For33 years, he served as
pastor of BethlehemBaptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of
more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian
Hedonist and most recently Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons.
PIPER
The Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness, Part2
Resource by John Piper
Scripture: Romans 8:25–27 Topic:The Holy Spirit
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26
God.
Our focus againtoday is on Romans 8:26-27. It says that in our weakness, the
Spirit of Godhelps us because we don't know how to pray as we ought, and so
the Spirit intercedes for us with wordless groanings. And it says that God the
Father – the one who searchesour hearts – knows the mind of the Spirit
because the Spirit prays for us according to God's will. So God the Father
always answers the Spirit’s prayers.
Last week we askedthree questions: 1) What does the Spirit pray for us? 2)
How does the Spirit pray for us? 3) Why does the Spirit pray for us?
What Does the Spirit Pray for Us?

I tried to answeronly the first question. What the Spirit prays for us is that
God would bring about the decisions and circumstances thatwould most
magnify Christ in our lives when we are at a loss as to what the specific will of
God is because ofour weakness.I argued that the "weakness"ofverse 26 is
the same as the sufferings and decayand futility and groanings of verses 18-
25. In other words, the sicknessesand calamities and thwarted plans and
persecutions put us in situations where we are simply at a loss as to whether
we should escape dangeror stand, be healedor endure sickness,take a risk or
stay safe.
We don't know. What we do know is that we want Christ to be exaltedin our
bodies whether by life or by death – as Paul said in Philippians 1:20. This is
what it means to be a "saint" – a Christian – and these are the ones the Spirit
is praying for according to verse 27, saints. So this is what the Holy Spirit asks
the Fatherfor, but he knows the will of the Father and he asks thatthe
particular decisions and circumstances come to pass which will in fact
magnify Christ best.
I said that this is relevant to every one of you as you wrestle with various
kinds of sicknessandsuffering, and that it will be increasinglyrelevant as the
price of being a Christian increases.It is an absolutelyurgent issue for some
of our missionaries right now. Should a missionaryleave India? What about
hostilities in other countries. For example, here is part of an email we received
this past week:
Our confiscatedbooksare now being scrutinized for subversive content.
Meanwhile we have submitted a notice to the authorities announcing our
intention to recommence public meetings. When our lawyer servedthe papers
he was told it would have been better receivedif he had come in and cursed at
them. Such is our welcome among the authorities. Please pray for us that we
will have much wisdom. It is not the best timing to have finally had these
papers submitted. . . . As we satand consideredwhom of our localbrothers
and sisters might be able to stand with us we are aware that eachone has a
very valid reasonwhy it would not be a goodidea for them to be arrestedat

present. Is there ever a convenienttime to be arrested? Maybe not, but some
circumstances certainlymake it even more of a problem. We need to hear
from the Lord how to proceed. . . .
Yes, it would be very helpful to hear from the Lord or to have the grace of
complete wisdom. And it is certainly right to pray for that. But it may be that
this situation will be one of those moments when we "do not know how we
must pray" and instead groanover our weakness.Is it not wonderful that
God is not condemning or ever criticizing us here for not having the faith (as
some might put it) to discernhis will.
Paul’s point is to encourage us and help us. Even when we don't know what
we would like to know, and can’t pray with more specificityand assurance of
God's will, we must not lose heart, but trust that God has his purposes in this
and has provided for us in our weakness. The Spirit prays for us.
How Does the Holy Spirit Pray for Us?
Now here’s the secondquestion I raisedlast week:How does the Holy Spirit
pray for us?
In the last part of verse 26 Paul says, "The Spirit himself intercedes for us
with groanings too deep for words." Whatdoes this mean: "With groanings
too deep for words"? Literally it simply says, "with wordless groanings."
What does that refer to? Does it refer to groanings that we make? Or
groanings that we do not make but the Holy Spirit makes? Oris there a third
alternative – the one that I want argue for, namely, these groanings are our
groanings which are also the Spirit’s groanings becausehe inspires and
directs them in us?
Here’s why I think this and why it matters.
If the Holy Spirit is simply communicating with the Father about what we
need, I cannotimagine why he would have to use wordless groans. He knows
exactly what he wants to ask for. There is not the slightestconfusion in his
mind and he is never at a loss for how to communicate with the Father. So I

doubt that these groans are groans that the Spirit addresses to the Father
which are not our groans.
A secondreasonfor thinking this is that the one who hears and understands
and answers these groans is saidin verse 27 to searchour hearts. I think that
points to the fact that the groans are in our heart. That is where they are
experiencedas groanings and heard. "The Spirit himself intercedes for us
with wordless groanings. (27)And he who searches hearts knows whatis the
mind of the Spirit." In other words, the Spirit doesn’t send his groanings to
the Fatherin heaven directly. He registers them in our hearts. That is where
they are experienced as groans – in our hearts. I think this suggests theyare
our groanings, not just the Spirit’s groanings.
A third argument is that groaning in this context is something that marks the
fallen world, and the Spirit is not fallen and does not need to groanlike the
creationand the saints. In verse 22 Paul says, "The whole creationgroans and
suffers the pains of childbirth togetheruntil now." And in verse 23 he says,
"And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groaninwardly." So groaning is part of the weaknessandfutility and
pain and decayof this fallen world. That suggests thatthe groans of verse 26
are also part of this weaknessand fallenness. They are our groans, inspired
and directed by the Holy Spirit.
The fourth argument comes from the analogyof the witness of the Spirit in
verses 15-16, "Youhave not receiveda spirit of slaveryleading to fear again,
but you have receiveda Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out,
"Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are
children of God." Who is saying, "Abba! Father!" here? Well we are. But not
only we. This is the witness of the Spirit. This heartfelt cry that God is our
Father is inspired and directed by the Spirit. It is his witness!
So here we have a helpful analogyand parallel with the groaning of the Spirit
in verse 26. The Spirit groans the same way the Spirit witnesses:he inspires
the groaning, and he inspires the witness. The groaning is his groaning, and
the witnessing is his witness. But we experience the witness of the Spirit as the
heartfelt, authentic welling up in us of a cry, "Abba, father!" And we

experience the groaning of the Spirit in the welling up within us of groanings
for the glory of Christ, but in ways and means that we do not know.
So my answerto the question: How does the Spirit pray for us, is that he
moves powerfully in our hearts to create groanings – his groanings
experiencedas our groanings – which are basedon two things: 1) a deep
desire and ache of heart that Christ be magnified in our lives, and 2) a
weakness thatleaves us baffled and unknowing as to how this is going to
happen or should happen. So we are not sure how we are to pray, but we are
sure that we want Christ to be magnified in our bodies.
The Fathersearches ourheart and he hears this groaning. He hears the
Christ-exalting yearning in it, and he hears the Spirit’s clearintention that
certain decisions and circumstances come aboutin the exactway that will
bring the most glory to Jesus.
One of the reasons this matters so much is that it means that in the very
moment of some of our deepestfrustrations, our groanings are the very work
of God's Spirit FOR us and not againstus. Remember, Paul is helping us
endure the suffering and futility and decayand groaning of this world – that
is the point of all these verses!And here he encourages us by saying that our
weakness in this world will always include some ignorance about what the will
of God is and how to pray. Yes, we should strive to know what the will of God
is (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 5:17). But no we should not expect to always
know it or to know it infallibly. We are weak and sinful, and Paul helps us
understand how God is for us even in those moments.
Why Does the Holy Spirit Pray for Us in This Way?
Now, there is one lastquestion: Why does the Holy Spirit pray for us in this
way? You recallI said this is very strange:God praying to God according to
the will of God. What’s the point? God the Father knows what his will iis
before the Spirit asks him to do it.
The answerto this is part of the much largerquestion: Why did God will that
there should be such a thing as prayer? Why did he decide to design the

universe in such a way that he would do things in response to the prayers of
his finite creatures? To answerthis I venture five statements as summary
theologyof prayer. I assume that to know more of God's purpose will deepen
our commitment to pray and help us glorify God for why he does what he
does.
God createdthe universe and all that is in it to display the riches of the glory
of his grace.
Isaiah43:6-7: Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the
earth, 7 everyone who is calledby my name, whom I createdfor my glory,
whom I formed and made."
Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14:to the praise of his glorious grace…to the praise of his
glory…to the praise of his glory.
Romans 9:23: …in order to make knownthe riches of his glory for vessels of
mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory
Therefore all persons should act in a way that calls attention to the glory of
God's grace.
Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they
may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all
to the glory of God.
The obedience and service of God's people will glorify him most when they
consciouslyand manifestly depend on him for the grace and power to do what
they do.
1 Peter4:11 Whoeverspeaks [must do so]as one who speaks oracles ofGod;
whoeverserves, as one who serves by the strength that God'supplies – in
order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him
belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12:To this end we always pray for you, that our God
may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for goodand

every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may
be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace ofour God and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer for God's help is one way that God preserves and manifests the
dependence of his people on his grace and power. The necessityof prayer is a
constantreminder and display of our dependence on God for everything, so
that he gets the glory when we get the help.
Psalm50:15: Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you
shall glorify me.
John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Fathermay
be glorified in the Son.
When the Spirit inspires and directs the groanings in our hearts, the ultimate
purpose of the universe happens: God gets the glory because Godthe Spirit
creates the groanings in us; Godgets the glory because Godthe Father is the
one who hears and performs what the Spirit asks;God gets glory because God
the Sonpurchased for sinners every blessing they ever receive;and God gets
glory because our hearts are made the theaterfor this divine activity, so that
we know and experience God's gracious intercessionforus and consciously
give him thanks and praise.
Conclusion
When you feel very weak, becauseofsuffering or decay or sicknessorfutility
or persecutionor failed plans or baffling decisions, don't despair, as if God is
angry with you or at your inability to know what to do or what to pray. At
that very moment, experience the wordless groanings ofyour heart as
groanings for the glory of Christ. And trust the Spirit of God to intercede for
you about the specifics. Trusthim, that because he is praying for you, your
Father will bring about decisions and circumstances that will magnify Christ
in the best way– in the very midst of your ignorance and groaning.

What a gracious and merciful God we have. He has planned for all our
weakness andnothing can separate us from his love! PIPER
When the Holy Spirit Groans in Prayer
The indwelling Spirit of God works in us in pray to cry out “Abba,” “Father,
Daddy.” He helps us to endure sufferings so that we may patiently look
forward to the final redemption of our bodies when we will see Jesus “with
glory that is burst upon us” at His coming.
We are commanded in the Scriptures to “pray continually” (1 Thess. 5:17).
When we pray we are petitioning the sovereignCreatorof the universe and
speaking to Him personally as we present our adoration, confessions,
thanksgivings, and supplications to Him. He patiently listens to us and
responds to us consistentlyout of His infinite wisdom.
Since that is true why is it so hard to pray? Why is prayer a problem even for
mature Christians? The apostle Paulsays it is because of“our weakness.”
Phillips translates Romans 8:26, “The Spirit of God not only maintains this
hope within us, but helps us in our presentlimitations.” The wonderful thing
is His intercessionsfor the saints are always in harmony with God’s will. He
comes to our aid in our infirmities.
Paul does not saythe Holy Spirit removes our “weaknesses,”but that He
“helps” us. We live our whole Christian life in conditions of humility and
weaknesses. The Holy Spirit comes along side as our Helper and gives us
wisdom and strength. He helps those who cannot help themselves.
What is the problem? We do not know what we should ask God. What is His
sovereignwill for us, our family, our ministry, etc.? We often do not know
what we need, nor do we know what is best for us.

Every Christian experiences these weaknessesand it is this that makes prayer
difficult. Have you not experiencedon numerous occasions how difficult it is
to stop and pray in your busy schedule, and then when you are in His
presence in prayer it is so sweetand wonderful you do not want to stop? Your
spirit refuses to leave the sacredplace. The Holy Spirit helps us in the
weaknesses. He “intercedes” forus with groans that words cannot express” (v.
26). The all-powerful Holy Spirit is our Helper. He comes to our aid for access
to the Father(Eph. 2:18).
The apostle Pauluses the word sunantilambanetai that denotes a person
coming alongside anotherto take part of a heavy load to help him bear it.
Jesus had the same idea in mind when He calledthe Holy Spirit Parakletos,
“one who is calledalongside of another” to help in time of need. The Holy
Spirit comes along side to help us in our weakness. How hopeless we are, yet
He bears our burdens. The emphasis Paul is making is this is a divine work,
not half-divine and half-human.
We do not know what to pray for in the midst of our suffering the heavy load
so He gets up under it with us and bears it along. He identifies with us in our
weakness.
We do not know how or what to pray for in those difficult moments of
suffering, but He does because He knows us intimately and He knows
perfectly the will of God, and our weaknesses. Prayercovers everyaspectof
our need, and our weakness is made clearby our not knowing what to pray
for now. We so often do not have the whole picture. We see only the hurt,
pain, suffering, etc. The Holy Spirit comes to our help and makes intercession.
In fact, we have two divine intercessors:Jesus Christis at the right hand of
the Fatherin heaven interceding on our behalf (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; 1 Jn.
2:1), and the Holy Spirit in our hearts is also interceding (Jn. 14:16, 17). The
Holy Spirit intercedes with groanings which cannotbe uttered that ascendto
the throne of grace.

The Spirit Himself “intercedes,”pleads on our behalf. It is a beautiful word
picturing the rescue by someone who “happens on” a person who is in trouble
and “in his behalf” pleads with “sighs that baffle words.”
God the Father searchesthe heart (v. 27;1 Chron. 28:9; Ps. 139:1, 23;Jer.
17:10;1 Cor. 4:5; Heb. 4:13). The mind of the Spirit Himself makes
interpretation for the saints according to the will of God. The personwho
makes the intercessionis a member of the Trinity. We do not know what the
will of God is, but He does.
What are these “groanings”?Theseinarticulate groans do not escapethe
omniscient ears of God. They are perfectly intelligent to Him and always
according to His perfect will. They are initiated by the Holy Spirit and borne
to the presence ofthe Father. Becausethey are the intercessions ofthe Holy
Spirit, they are acceptable to the Father.
The God “who searchesour hearts knows the mind of the Spirit” and answers
according to God’s will. Since His way is perfect we are always assured of His
very best for us. “We do not know what we ought to pray for,” but the Holy
Spirit always knows, and God the Father will always answerHis prayer.
Selah
Messageby Wil Pounds (c) 2006
The Holy Spirit's Intercession
April 11th, 1880
by
C. H. SPURGEON
(1834-1892)

"Likewise the Spirit also infirmities: for we know not what we should what
pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercessionfor us with
groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheththe hearts knoweth
what is the mind of the spirit, because he maketh intercessionforthe saints
according the to will of God."—Romans 8:26,27.
The Apostle Paul was writing to a tried and afflicted people, and one of his
objects was to remind them of the rivers of comfort which were flowing near
at hand. He first of all stirred up their pure minds by way of remembrance as
to their sonship,—forsaith he "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God." They were, therefore, encouragedto take part and lot
with Christ, the elder brother, with whom they had become joint heirs; and
they were exhorted to suffer with him, that they might afterwards be glorified
with him. All that they endured came from a Father's hand, and this should
comfort them. A thousand sources ofjoy are opened in that one blessing of
adoption. Blessedbe the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
we have been begotten into the family of grace.
When Paul had alluded to that consoling subjecthe turned to the next ground
of comfort—namely, that we are to be sustainedunder present trial by hope.
There is an amazing glory in reserve for us, and though as yet we cannot enter
upon it, but in harmony with the whole creationmust continue to groan and
travail, yet the hope itself should minister strength to us, and enable us
patiently to bear "these light afflictions, which are but for a moment." This
also is a truth full of sacredrefreshment: hope sees a crownin reserve,
mansions in readiness, andJesus himself preparing a place for us, and by the
rapturous sight she sustains the soul under the sorrows ofthe hour. Hope is
the grand anchor by whose means we ride out the present storm.

The apostle then turns to a third source of comfort, namely, the abiding of the
Holy Spirit in and with the Lord's people. He uses the word "likewise" to
intimate that in the same manner as hope sustains the soul, so does the Holy
Spirit strengthen us under trial. Hope operatedspiritually upon our spiritual
faculties, and so does the Holy Spirit, in some mysterious way, divinely
operate upon the new-born faculties of the believer, so that he is sustained
under his infirmities. In his light shall we see light: I pray, therefore, that we
may be helped of the Spirit while we considerhis mysterious operations, that
we may not fall into error or miss precious truth through blindness of heart.
The text speaksof"our infirmities," or as many translators put it in the
singular—of"our infirmity." By this is intended our affliction, and the
weakness whichtrouble discovers in us. The Holy Spirit helps us to bear the
infirmity of our body and of our mind; he helps us to bear our cross, whether
it be physical pain, or mental depression, or spiritual conflict, or slander, or
poverty, or persecution. He helps our infirmity; and with a helper so divinely
strong we need not fearfor the result. God's grace will be sufficient for us; his
strength will be made perfect in weakness.
I think, dear friends, you will all admit that if a man can pray, his trouble is at
once lightened. When we feelthat we have powerwith God and can obtain
anything we ask for at his hands, then our difficulties cease to oppress us. We
take our burden to our heavenly Fatherand tell it out in the accents of
childlike confidence, and we come awayquite content to bear whatever his
holy will may lay upon us. Prayer is a greatoutlet for grief; it draws up the
sluices, and abates the swelling flood, which else might be too strong for us.
We bathe our wound in the lotion of prayer, and the pain is lulled, the fever is
removed. We may be brought into such perturbation of mind, and perplexity
of heart, that we do not know how to pray. We see the mercy-seat, and we
perceive that God will hearus: we have no doubt about that, for we know that
we are his ownfavoured children, and yet we hardly know what to desire. We
fall into such heaviness of spirit, and entanglementof thought, that the one

remedy of prayer, which we have always found to be unfailing, appears to be
takenfrom us. Here, then, in the nick of time, as a very present help in time of
trouble, comes in the Holy Spirit. He draws near to teachus how to pray, and
in this way he helps our infirmity, relieves our suffering, and enables us to
bear the heavy burden without fainting under the load.
At this time our subjects for considerationshall be, firstly, the help which the
Holy Spirit gives; secondly, the prayers which he inspires; and thirdly, the
successwhichsuch prayers ore certainto obtain.
I. First, then, let us considerTHE HELP WHICH THE HOLY GHOST
GIVES.
The help which the Holy Ghostrenders to us meets the weaknesswhichwe
deplore. As I have already said, if in time of trouble a man can pray, his
burden loses its weight. If the believer can take anything and everything to
God, then he learns to glory in infirmity, and to rejoice in tribulation; but
sometimes we are in such confusionof mind that we know not what we should
pray for as we ought. In a measure, through our ignorance, we never know
what we should pray for until we are taught of the Spirit of God, but there are
times when this beclouding of the soul is dense indeed, and we do not even
know what would help us out of our trouble if we could obtain it. He see the
disease, but the name of the medicine is not knownto us. We look over the
many things which we might ask for of the Lord, and we feel that eachof
them would be helpful, but that none of them would preciselymeet our case.
For spiritual blessings whichwe know to be according to the divine will we
could ask with confidence, but perhaps these would not meet our peculiar
circumstances. There are other things for which we are allowedto ask, but we
scarcelyknow whether, if we had them, they would really serve our turn, and
we also feel a diffidence as to praying for them. In praying for temporal things
we plead with measuredvoices, everreferring our petition for revision to the

will of the Lord. Moses prayedthat he might enter Canaan, but God denied
him; and the man that was healedaskedour Lord that he might be with him,
but he receivedfor answer, "Go home to thy friends." We pray evermore on
such matters with this reserve, "Nevertheless, notas I will, but as thou wilt."
At times this very spirit of resignationappears to increase ourspiritual
difficulty, for we do not wish to ask for anything that would be contrary to the
mind of God and yet we must ask for something. We are reduced to such
straits that we must pray, but what shall be the particular subject of prayer
we cannot for a while make out. Even when ignorance and perplexity are
removed, we know not what we should pray for "as we ought." When we
know the matter of prayer, we yet fail to pray in a right manner. We ask, but
we are afraid that we shall not have, because we do not exercise the thought,
or the faith, which we judge to be essentialto prayer. We cannot at times
command eventhe earnestnesswhichis the life of supplication: a torpor steals
over us, our heart is chilled, our hand is numbed, and we cannot wrestle with
the angel. We know what to pray for as to objects, but we do not know what to
pray for "as we ought" it is the manner of the prayer which perplexes us, even
when the matter is decided upon. How can I pray? My mind wanders:I
chatter like a crane; I roar like a beast in pain; I moan in the brokenness of
my heart, but oh, my God, I know not what it is my inmost spirit needs;or if I
know it, I know not how to frame my petition aright before thee. I know not
how to open my lips in thy majestic presence:I am so troubled that I cannot
speak. My spiritual distress robs me of the powerto pour out my heart before
my God. Now, beloved, it is in such a plight as this that the Holy Ghostaids us
with his divine help. and hence he is "a very present help in time of trouble."
Coming to our aid in our bewilderment he instructs us. This is one of his
frequent operations upon the mind of the believer: "he shall teach you all
things." He instructs us as to our need, and as to the promises of God which
refer to that need. He shows us where our deficiencies are, whatour sins are,
and what our necessities are;he sheds a light upon our condition, and makes
us feel deeply our helplessness,sinfulness, and dire poverty; and then he casts
the same light upon the promises of the Word, and lays home to the heart that
very text which was intended to meet the occasion—the precise promise which

was framed with foresight of our presentdistress. In that light he makes the
promise shine in all its truthfulness, certainty, sweetness,and suitability, so
that we, poor trembling sons of men, dare take that word into our mouth
which first came out of God's mouth, and then come with it as an argument,
and plead it before the throne of the heavenly grace. Our prevalence in prayer
lies in the plea, "Lord, do as thou hast said." How greatlywe ought to value
the Holy Spirit, because whenwe are in the dark he gives us light, and when
our perplexed spirit is so befoggedand becloudedthat it cannot see its own
need, and cannot find out the appropriate promise in the Scriptures, the Spirit
of God comes in and teaches us all things, and brings all things to our
remembrance, whatsoeverour Lord has told us. He guides us in prayer, and
thus he helps our infirmity.
But the blessedSpirit does more than this, he will often direct the mind to the
specialsubjectof prayer. He dwells within us as a counsellor, and points out
to us what it is we should seek atthe hands of God. We do not know why it is
so, but we sometimes find our minds carriedas by a strong under current into
a particular line of prayer for some one definite object. It is not merely that
our judgment leads us in that direction, though usually the Spirit of God acts
upon us by enlightening our judgment, but we often feel an unaccountable
and irresistible desire rising againand again within our heart, and this so
presses upon us, that we not only utter the desire before God at our ordinary
times for prayer, but we feel it crying in our hearts all the day long, almost to
the supplanting of all other considerations.At such times we should thank
God for direction and give our desire a clearroad: the Holy Spirit is granting
us inward direction as to how we should reckonupon goodsuccess in our
pleadings. Such guidance will the Spirit give to eachof you if you will ask him
to illuminate you. He will guide you both negatively and positively. Negatively,
he will forbid you to pray for such and such a thing, even as Paul essayedto
go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered him not: and, on other hand, he will
cause you to hear a cry within your soul which shall guide your petitions, even
as he made Paul hear the cry from Macedonia, saying, "Come overand help
us." The Spirit teaches wisely, as no other teachercan do. Those who obey his
promptings shall not walk in darkness. He leads the spiritual eye to take good

and steadyaim at the very centre of the target, and thus we hit the mark in
our pleadings.
Nor is this all, for the spirit of God is not sent merely to guide and help our
devotion, but he himself "makethintercessionforus" according to the will of
God. By this expressionit cannotbe meant that the Holy Spirit ever groans or
personally prays; but that he excites intense desire and createdunutterable
groanings in us, and these are ascribedto him. Even as Solomon built the
temple because he superintended and ordained all, and yet I know not that he
ever fashioneda timber or prepared a stone, so doth the Holy Spirit pray and
plead within us by leading us to pray and plead. This he does by arousing our
desires. The Holy Spirit has a wonderful powerover renewedhearts, as much
poweras the skillful minstrel hath over the strings among which he lays his
accustomedhand. The influences of the Holy Ghostat times pass through the
soul like winds through an Eolian harp, creating and inspiring sweetnotes of
gratitude and tones of desire, to which we should have been strangers if it had
not been for his divine visitation. He canarouse us from our lethargy, he can
warm us out of our lukewarmness, he can enable us when we are on our knees
to rise above the ordinary routine of prayer into that victorious importunity
againstwhich nothing can stand. He can lay certain desires so pressingly upon
our hearts that we can never rest till they are fulfilled. He can make the zeal
for God's house to eat us up, and the passionfor God's glory to be like a fire
within our bones; and this is one part of that process by which in inspiring our
prayers he helps our infirmity. True Advocate is he, and Comforter most
effectual. Blessedbe his name.
The Holy Spirit also divinely operates in the strengthening of the faith of
believers. That faith is at first of his creating, and afterwards it is of his
sustaining and increasing:and oh, brothers and sisters, have you not often felt
your faith rise in proportion to your trials? Have you not, like Noah's ark,
mounted towards heaven as the flood deepenedaround you? You have felt as
sure about the promise as you felt about the trial. The affliction was, as it

were, in your very bones, but the promise was also in your very heart. You
could not doubt the affliction, for you smarted under it, but you might almost
as soonhave doubted the divine help, for your confidence was firm and
unmoved. The greatestfaith is only what God has a right to expectfrom us,
yet do we never exhibit it except as the Holy Ghoststrengthens our
confidence, and opens up before us the covenant with all its seals and
securities. He it is that leads our soul to cry, "though my house be not so with
God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenantordered in all things
and sure." Blessedbe the Divine Spirit then, that since faith is essentialto
prevailing prayer, he helps us in supplication by increasing our faith. Without
faith prayer cannotspeed, for he that waverethis like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed, and such an one may not expectanything of the
Lord; happy are we when the Holy Spirit removes our wavering, and enables
us like Abraham to believe without staggering, knowing full well that he who
has promised is able also to perform.
By three figures I will endeavour to describe the work of the Spirit of God in
this matter, though they all fall short, and indeed all that I can saymust fall
infinitely short of the glory of his work. The actualmode of his working upon
the mind we may not attempt to explain; it remains a mystery, and it would be
an unholy intrusion to attempt to remove the veil. There is no difficulty in our
believing that as one human mind operates upon another mind, so does the
Holy Spirit influence our spirits. We are forcedto use words if we would
influence our fellow-men, but the Spirit of God can operate upon the human
mind more directly, and communicate with it in silence. Into that matter,
however, we will not dive lest we intrude where our knowledge would be
drowned by our presumption.
My illustrations do not touch the mystery, but setforth the grace. The Holy
Spirit acts to his people somewhatas a prompter to a reciter. A man has to
deliver a piece which he has learned; but his memory is treacherous, and
therefore somewhere out of sight there is a prompter, so that when the

speakeris at a loss and might use a wrong word, a whisper is heard, which
suggeststhe right one. When the speakerhas almostlost the thread of his
discourse he turns his ear, and the prompter gives him the catch-wordand
aids his memory. If I may be allowedthe simile, I would say that this
represents in part the work of the Spirit of God in us,—suggesting to us the
right desire, and bringing all things to our remembrance whatsoeverChrist
has told us. In prayer we should often come to a dead stand, but he incites,
suggests, andinspires, and so we go onward. In prayer we might grow weary,
but the Comforter encouragesand refreshes us with cheering thoughts. When,
indeed, we are in our bewilderment almostdriven to give up prayer, the
whisper of his love drops a live coalfrom off the altar into our soul, and our
hearts glow with greaterardour than before. Regardthe Holy Spirit as your
prompter, and let your ear be opened to his voice.
But he is much more than this. Let me attempt a secondsimile: he is as an
advocate to one in peril at law. Suppose that a poor man had a greatlaw-suit,
touching his whole estate, and he was forcedpersonally to go into court and
plead his own cause, andspeak up for his rights. If he were an uneducated
man he would be in a poor plight. An adversaryin the court might plead
againsthim, and overthrow him, for he could not answerhim. This poor man
knows very little about law, and is quite unable to meet his cunning opponent.
Suppose one who was perfectin the law should take up his cause warmly, and
come and live with him, and use all his knowledge so as to prepare his case for
him, draw up his petitions for him, and fill his mouth with arguments,—would
not that be a grand relief? This counsellorwould suggestthe line of pleading,
arrange the arguments, and put them into right courtly language. Whenthe
poor man was baffled by a question askedin court, he would run home and
ask his adviser, and he would tell him exactlyhow to meet the objector.
Suppose, too, that when he had to plead with the judge himself, this advocate
at home should teachhim how to behave and what to urge, and encourage
him to hope that he would prevail,—would not this be a greatboon? Who
would be the pleader in such a case? The poorclient would plead, but still,
when he wonthe suit, he would trace it all to the advocate who lived at home,
and gave him counsel:indeed, it would be the advocate pleading for him, even

while he pleadedhimself. This is an instructive emblem of a greatfact. Within
this narrow house of my body, this tenement of clay, if I be a true believer,
there dwells the Holy Ghost, and when I desire to pray I may ask him what I
should pray for as I ought, and he will help me. He will write the prayers
which I ought to offer upon the tablets of my heart, and I shall see them there,
and so I shall be taught how to plead. It will be the Spirit's ownself pleading
in me, and by me, and through me, before the throne of grace. Whata happy
man in his law-suit would such a poor man be, and how happy are you and I
that we have the Holy Ghostto be our Counsellor!
Yet one more illustration: it is that of a father aiding his boy. Suppose it to be
a time of war centuries back. Old English warfare was then conducted by
bowmen to a greatextent. Here is a youth who is to be initiated in the art of
archery, and therefore he carries a bow. It is a strong bow, and therefore very
hard to draw; indeed, it requires more strength than the urchin can summon
to bend it. See how his father teaches him. "Put your right hand here, my boy,
and place your left hand so. Now pull"; and as the youth pulls, his father's
hands are on his hands, and the bow is drawn. The lad draws the bow: ay, but
it is quite as much his father, too. We cannot draw the bow of prayer alone.
Sometimes a bow of steelis not brokenby our hands, for we cannot even bend
it; and then the Holy Ghostputs his mighty hand over ours, and covers our
weakness so thatwe draw; and lo, what splendid drawing of the bow it is
them! The bow bends so easilywe wonder how it is; awayflies the arrow, and
it pierces the very centre of the target, for he who giveth have won the day,
but it was his secretmight that made us strong, and to him be the glory of it.
Thus have I tried to set forth the cheering factthat the Spirit helps the people
of God.
II. Our secondsubjectis THE PRAYER WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT
INSPIRES, orthat part of prayer which is especiallyand peculiarly the work

of the Spirit of God. The text says, "The Spirit itself makethintercessionfor
us with groanings which cannot be uttered." It is not the Spirit that groans,
but we that groan; but as I have shown you, the Spirit excited the emotion
which causes us to groan.
It is clearthen the prayers which are indited in us by the spirit of God are
those which arise from our inmost soul. A man's heart is moved when he
groans. A groan is a matter about which there is no hypocrisy. A groan
cometh not from the lips, but from the heart. A groanthen is a part of prayer
which we owe to the Holy Ghost, and the same is true of all the prayer which
wells up from the deep fountains of our inner life. The prophet cried, "My
bowels, my bowels, I am pained at my very heart: my heart maketh a noise in
me." This deep ground-swellof desire, this tidal motion of the life-floods is
causedby the Holy Spirit. His work is never superficial, but always deep and
inward.
Such prayers will rise within us when the mind is far too troubled to let us
speak. We know not what we should pray for as we ought, and then it is that
we groan, or utter some other inarticulate sound. Hezekiah said, "like a crane
or a swallow did I chatter." The psalmist said, "I am so troubled that I cannot
I have roared by reasonof the disquietness of my heart"; but he added,
"Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee."
The sighing of the prisoner surely cometh up into the ears of the Lord. There
is real prayer in these "groanings that cannotbe uttered." It is the power of
the Holy Ghostin us which creates allreal prayer, even that which takes the
form of a groan because the mind is incapable, by reasonof its bewilderment
and grief, of clothing its emotion in words. I pray you never think lightly of
the supplications of your anguish. Rather judge that such prayers are like
Jabez, of whom it is written, that "he was more honourable than his brethren,
because his mother bare him with sorrow." Thatwhich is thrown up from the
depth of the soul, when it is stirred with a terrible tempest, is more precious
than pearl or coral, for it is the intercessionofthe Holy Spirit.

These prayers are sometimes "groanings thatcannot be uttered," because
they concernsuch greatthings that they cannot be spoken. I want, my Lord! I
want, I want; I cannot tell thee what I want: but I seemto want all things. If it
were some little thing, my narrow capacitycould comprehend and describe it,
but I need all covenantblessings. Thouknowestwhat I have need of before I
ask thee, and though I cannotgo into eachitem of my need, I know it to be
very great, and such as I myself can never estimate. I groan, for I can do no
more. Prayers which are the offspring of greatdesires, sublime aspirations,
and elevateddesigns are surely the work of the Holy Spirit, and their power
within a man is frequently so greatthat he cannotfind expressionfor them.
Words fail, and even the sighs which try to embody them cannotbe uttered.
But it may be, beloved, that we groanbecause we are conscious ofthe
littleness of our desire, and the narrowness of our faith. The trial, too. may
seemtoo mean to pray about. I have known what it is to feel as if I could not
pray about a certain matter, and yet I have been obligedto groanabout it. A
thorn in the flesh may be as painful a thing as a swordin the bones, and yet
we may go and beseechthe Lord thrice about it, and getting no answerwe
may feel that we know not what to pray for as we ought; and yet it makes us
groan. Yes, and with that natural groanthere may go up an unutterable
groaning of the Holy Spirit. Beloved, what a different view of prayer God has
from that which men think to be the correctone. You may have seenvery
beautiful prayers in print, and you may have heard very charming
compositions from the pulpit, but I trust you have not fallen in love with them.
Judge these things rightly. I pray you never think well of fine prayers, for
before the thrice holy God it ill becomes a sinful suppliant to play the orator.
We heard of a certain clergyman who was said to have given forth "the finest
prayer everoffered to a Bostonaudience." Justso! The Bostonaudience
receivedthe prayer, and there it ended. We want the mind of the spirit in
prayer, and not he mind of the flesh. The tail feathers of pride should be
pulled out of our prayers, for they need only the wing feathers of faith; the
peacockfeathers ofpoeticalexpressionare out of place before the throne of

God. Hear me, what remarkably beautiful language he used in prayer!"
"What an intellectual treat his prayer was!Yes, yes; but God looks atthe
heart. To him fine language is as sounding brass or tinkling cymbal, but a
groanhas music in it. We do not like groans:our ears are much too delicate to
tolerate such dreary sounds; but not so the great Fatherof spirits. A
Methodist brother cries, "Amen," and you say, "I cannot bear such
Methodistic noise";no, but if it comes from the man's heart God can bear it.
When you get upstairs into your chamber this evening to pray, and find you
cannot pray, but have to moan out, "Lord, I am too full of anguish and too
perplexed to pray, hear thou the voice of my roaring," though you reachto
nothing else you will be really praying. When like David we can say, "I
opened my mouth and panted," we are by no means in an ill state of mind. All
fine language in prayer, and especiallyall intoning or performing of prayers,
must be abhorrent to God; it is little short of profanity to offer solemn
supplication to God after the manner called"intoning." The sighing of a true
heart is infinitely more acceptable,for it is the work of the Spirit of God.
We may sayof the prayers which the Holy Spirit works in us that they are
prayers of knowledge. Notice, ourdifficulty is that we know not what we
should pray for; but the Holy Spirit does know, and therefore he helps us by
enabling us to pray intelligently, knowing what we are asking for, so far as
this knowledge is needful to valid prayer. The text speaks "ofthe mind of the
Spirit." What a mind that must be!—the mind of that Spirit who arranged all
the order which now pervades this earth! There once was chaos and
confusion, but the Holy Spirit brooded over all, and His mind is the originator
of that beautiful arrangement which we so admire in the visible creation.
What a mind his must be! The Holy Spirit's mind is seenin our intercessions
when under his sacredinfluence we order our case before the Lord, and plead
with holy wisdom for things convenient and necessary. What wise and
admirable desires must those be which the Spirit of Wisdom himself works in
us!

Moreover, the Holy Spirit's intercessioncreates prayers offeredin a proper
manner. I showedyou that the difficulty is that we know not what we should
pray for "as we ought," and the Spirit meets that difficulty by making
intercessionfor us in a right manner. The Holy Spirit works in us humility,
earnestness, intensity, importunity, faith, and resignation, and all else that is
acceptable to God in our supplications. We know not how to mingle these
sacredspices in the incense of prayer. We, if left to ourselves at our very best,
get too much of one ingredient or another, and spoil the sacredcompound, but
the Holy Spirit's intercessions have in them such a blessedblending of all that
is goodthat they come up as a sweetperfume before the Lord. Spirit-taught
prayers are offered as they ought to be. They are his own intercessionin some
respects, forwe read that the Holy Spirit not only helps us to intercede but
"makethintercession." Itis twice over declaredin our text that he maketh
intercessionfor us; and the meaning of this I tried to show when I described a
father as putting his hands upon his child's hands. This is something more
than helping us to pray, something more than encouraging us or directing
us,—but I venture no further, except to say that he puts such force of his own
mind into our poor weak thoughts and desires and hopes, that he himself
maketh intercessionforus, working in us to will and to pray according to his
goodpleasure.
I want you to notice, however, that these intercessionsofthe Spirit are only in
the saints. "He maketh intercessionfor us," and "He maketh intercessionfor
the saints." Doeshe do nothing for sinners, then? Yes, he quickens sinners
into spiritual life, and he strives with them to overcome their sinfulness and
turn them into the right way; but in the saints he works with us and enables
us to pray after his mind and according to the will of God. His intercessionis
not in or for the unregenerate. O, unbelievers you must first be made saints or
you cannotfeel the Spirit's intercessionwithin you. What need we have to go
to Christ for the blessing of the Holy Ghost, which is peculiar to the children
of God, and canonly be ours by faith in Christ Jesus!"To as man as received
him to them gave he power to become the sons of God";and to the sons of
God alone cometh the Spirit of adoption, and all his helping grace. Unless we
are the sons of God the Holy Spirit's indwelling shall not be ours: we are shut

out from the intercessionof the Holy Ghost, ay, and from the intercessionof
Jesus too, for he hath said, "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou
hast given me."
Thus I have tried to show you the kind of prayer which the Spirit inspires.
III. Our third and last point is THE SURE SUCCESS OF ALL SUCH
PRAYERS.
All the prayers which the Spirit of God inspires in us must succeed, because,
first, there is a meaning in them which God reads and approves. When the
Spirit of Godwrites a prayer upon a man's heart, the man himself may be in
such a state of mind that he does not altogetherknow what it is. His
interpretation of it is a groan, and that is all. Perhaps he does not even getso
far as that in expressing the mind of the Spirit, but he feels greenings which he
cannot utter, he cannotfind a door of utterance for his inward grief. Yet our
heavenly Father, who looks immediately upon the heart, reads what the Spirit
of God has indited there, and does not need even our groans to explain the
meaning. He reads the heart itself: "he knoweth,'says the text, "what is the
mind of the Spirit." The Spirit is one with the Father, and the Father knows
what the Spirit means. The desires which the Spirit prompts may be too
spiritual for such babes in grace as we are actually to describe or to express,
and yet the Spirit writes the desire on the renewed mind, and the Fathersees
it. Now that which God reads in the heart and approves of—for the word to
"know" in this case includes approval as well as the mere act of
omniscience—whatGodsees and approves of in the heart must succeed. Did
not Jesus say, "Your heavenly Fatherknoweth that you have need of these
things before you ask them"? Did he not tell us this as an encouragementto
believe that we shall receive all needful blessings? So it is with those prayers
which are all broken up, wet with tears, and discordant with those sighs and
inarticulate expressions and heavings of the bosom, and sobbings of the heart

and anguish and bitterness of spirit, our gracious Lord reads them as a man
reads a book, and they are written in a characterwhich he fully understands.
To give a simple figure: if I were to come into your house I might find there a
little child that cannot yet speak plainly. It cries for something, and it makes
very odd and objectionable noises, combined with signs and movements,
which are almost meaningless to stranger, but his mother understands him,
and attends to his little pleadings. A mother can translate baby-talk: she
comprehends incomprehensible noises. Even so doth our Father in heaven
know all about our poor baby talk, for our prayer is not much better. He
knows and comprehends the cryings, and meanings, and sighings, and
chatterings of his bewilderedchildren. Yea, a tender mother knows her child's
needs before the child knows what it wants. Perhaps the little one stutters,
stammers, and cannot getits words out, but the mother sees whathe would
say, and takes the meaning. Even so we know concerning our greatFather:—
"He knows the thoughts we mean to speak,
Ere from our opening lips the break."
Do you therefore rejoice in this, that because the prayers of the Spirit are
known and understood of God, therefore they will be sure to speed.
The next argument for making us sure that they will speed is this—that they
are "the mind of the Spirit." God the ever blessedis one, and there can be no
division betweenthe Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. These divine
persons always work together, and there is a common desire for the glory of
eachblessedPersonof the Divine Unity, and therefore it cannotbe conceived
without profanity, that anything could be the mind of the Holy Spirit and not
be the mind of the Fatherand the mind of the Son. The mind of God is one
and harmonious; if, therefore, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and he move you
to any desire, then his mind is in your prayer, and it is not possible that the
eternal Fathershould rejectyour petitions. That prayer which came from

heaven will certainly go back to heaven. If the Holy Ghost prompts it, the
Father must and will acceptit, for it is not possible that he should put a slight
upon the ever blessedand adorable Spirit.
But one more word, and that circles the argument, namely, that the work of
the Spirit in the heart is not only the mind of the Spirit which God knows, but
it is also according to the will or mind of God, for he never maketh
intercessionin us other than is consistentwith the divine will. Now, the divine
will or mind may be viewed two ways. First, there is the will declaredin the
proclamations of holiness by the Ten Commandments. The Spirit of God
never prompts us to ask for anything that is unholy or inconsistentwith the
precepts of the Lord. Then secondly, there is the secretmind of God, the will
of his eternalpredestination and decree, ofwhich we know nothing; but we do
know this, that the Spirit of God never prompts us to ask anything which is
contrary to the eternal purpose of God. Reflectfor a moment: the Holy Spirit
knows all the purposes of God, and when they are about to be fulfilled, he
moves the children of God to pray about them, and so their prayers keep
touch and tally with the divine decrees. Ohwould you not pray confidently if
you knew that your prayer correspondedwith the sealedbook ofdestiny? We
may safelyentreat the Lord to do what he has ordained to do. A carnal man
draws the inference that if God has ordained an event we need not pray about
it, but faith obediently draws the inference that the God who secretlyordained
to give the blessing has openly commanded that we should pray for it, and
therefore faith obediently prays. Coming events casttheir shadows before
them, and when God is about to bless his people his coming favour casts the
shadow of prayer over the church. When he is about to favour an individual
he casts the shadow of hopeful expectationover his soul. Our prayers, let men
laugh at them as they will, and say there is no power in them, are the
indicators of the movement of the wheels of Providence. Believing
supplications are forecasts ofthe future, He who prayeth in faith is like the
seerof old, he sees thatwhich is to be: his holy expectancy, like a telescope,
brings distant objects near to him. He is bold to declare that he has the
petition which he has askedof God, and he therefore begins to rejoice and to

praise God, even before the blessing has actually arrived. So it is: prayer
prompted by the Holy Spirit is the footfallof the divine decree.
I conclude by saying, see, my dear hearers, the absolute necessityof the Holy
Spirit, for if the saints know not what they should pray for as they ought; if
consecratedmen and women, with Christ suffering in them, still feeltheir
need of the instruction of the Holy Spirit, how much more do you who are not
saints, and have never given yourselves up to God, require divine teaching!
On, that you would know and feel your dependence upon the Holy Ghostthat
he may prompt the once crucified but now ascendedRedeemerthat this gift of
the Spirit, this promise of the Father, is shed abroad upon men. May he who
comes from Jesus lead you to Jesus.
And, then O ye people of God, let this last thought abide with you,—what
condescensionis this that Divine Personshould dwell in you for ever, and that
he should be with you to help your prayers. Listen to me for a moment. If I
read in the Scriptures that in the most heroic acts of faith God the Holy Ghost
helpeth his people, I can understand it; if I read that in the sweetestmusic of
their songs when they worship best, and chant their loftiest strains before the
MostHigh God, the Spirit helpeth them, I can understand it; and even if I
hear that in their wrestling prayers and prevalent intercessions Godthe Holy
Spirit helpeth them, I can understand it: but I bow with reverent amazement,
my heart sinking into the dust with adoration, when I reflect that God the
Holy Ghosthelps us when we cannotspeak, but only groan. Yea, and when we
cannot even utter our groanings, he doth not only help us but he claims as his
own particular creationthe "groanings that cannotbe uttered." This is
condescensionindeed! In deigning to help us in the grief that cannot even vent
itself in groaning, he proves himself to be a true Comforter. O God, my God,
thou hast not forsakenme: thou art not far from me, nor from the voice of my
roaring. Thou didst for awhile leave the Firstborn when he was made a curse
for us, so that he cried in agony, "Why hast thou forsakenme?" but thou wilt
not leave one of the "many brethren" for whom he died: the Spirit shall be

with them, and when they cannotso much as groanhe will make intercession
for them with groanings that cannot be uttered. God bless you, my beloved
brethren, and may you feel the Spirit of the Lord thus working in you and
with you. Amen and amen."
O BIBLE.ORG
Lesson50:The Spirit Helps Us Pray (Romans 8:26-27)
RelatedMedia
In a messageatthe 2011 Desiring GodPastor’s Conference, Francis Chan
told of many answers to prayer that he has received. He said that for those
who know the living God, this should be the norm. We should have such
frequent answers to our prayers that we’re surprised when an occasionalone
goes unanswered.
If you can relate to what Chan was saying, perhaps you should be the one
giving this message onprayer, because to be honest, my experience is almost
the opposite of Francis Chan’s. I don’t keepdetailed records, but I seemto
strike out in prayer so often that it’s a big deal when I connectfor a hit. My
batting average wouldn’t getme into the minor leagues, muchless the majors!
So maybe before you ask me to pray for you, you should shop around!
Seriously, I need all the help I canget to learn how to pray rightly. And so our
text, while it has some puzzling details, overallis a greatencouragement. Paul
is saying,
Knowing that the Holy Spirit tenderly prays for us in our weaknessshould
encourage us to pray.

Paul Miller, who also spoke atthe same Desiring God conference, estimates
from surveys that he has takenat his prayer seminars that about 90 percent of
evangelicalsdo not have a meaningful daily prayer life. (I would encourage
you to listen to his messageand read his helpful book, A Praying Life
[NavPress].)If you find prayer to be difficult, then Romans 8:26-27 should
encourage you.
Douglas Moo (The Epistle to the Romans [Eerdmans], p. 526)summarizes
Paul’s thought in these verses:
Paul is saying … that our failure to know God’s will and consequentinability
to petition God specificallyand assuredlyis met by God’s Spirit, who himself
expresses to Godthose intercessorypetitions that perfectly match the will of
God. When we do not know what to pray for—yes, even when we pray for
things that are not best for us—we need not despair, for we candepend on the
Spirit’s ministry of perfect intercession“onour behalf.”
As I said, Paul’s overall intent is clear: He wants to encourage us, especially
when we feelour own weakness,becausethe Holy Spirit is praying for us.
Even though we do not know how to pray as we should, we should be
encouragedto keeppraying. But there are a number of details in these verses
that are difficult to understand. I’ll try to explain them as best as I canas we
work through the text and hope that the explanatory detours do not distract
from the overallencouragementfor your prayer life.
The first difficulty is to determine what “In the same way” refers to. Some
authors connectit to the theme of “groaning.” In 8:22, the whole creation
groans;in 8:23, we ourselves groanas we waitfor the completion of our
adoption as God’s children. So, “in the same way,” the Holy Spirit “intercedes
for us with groanings too deep for words.”
Others saythat “in the same way” links 8:26-27 with the other references to
the Holy Spirit in chapter 8 (2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, & 16). “In the same way,
the Spirit also helps our weakness” (8:26).
Still others argue that the connectionis with hope. We can be encouragedin
our trials because ofthe hope of future glory (8:18-25); in the same way, we

can be encouragedin our weakness by the Spirit’s intercessionfor us (8:26-
27). I am inclined to either the secondor third view. Either Paul is connecting
8:26-27 with all the other references to the Spirit in this chapter, or he is
linking it with the encouragementand hope of 8:18-25. But either way, he
wants us to feel encouragedby the factthat the Spirit is praying for us, so that
we will be encouragedto keeppraying. Note two things:
1. All of us are weak, which is why we need to pray.
A. A sense ofour weaknesswilldrive us to pray.
Sometimes a small pronoun in the Bible can make a lot of difference. Paul did
not write, “… the Spirit also helps your weakness,” but rather, “the Spirit also
helps our weakness.” Pauldid not set himself on a pedestalas an example of
spiritual strength. Rather, he included himself with us as one who was weak.
A main reasonthat we do not pray as frequently or as fervently as we should
is that we do not recognize how weak we really are. If we knew ourselves to be
weak, we would constantlybe coming to the Lord and crying out for His
strength. Jesus did not say, “Without Me, you can getalong with all of the
everyday stuff. But when you gethit with something really big, callon Me.”
Rather, He said (John 15:5), “… apart from Me, you cando nothing.”
We tend to look at the spiritual giants in the Bible and think, “Wow, they
were strong!” Look at Elijah! What a guy! He calleddown fire on his sacrifice
and then slaughtered400 prophets of Baal. Twice he called down fire to
consume a commander and fifty armed men who were sent to arrest him.
Don’t mess with Elijah! And yet James (5:17) tells us, “Elijah was a man with
a nature like ours, and he prayed ….” Elijah was weak,just like we are. But
he prayed to the God who is strong.
Or, considerMoses. He stoodup to the most powerful monarch in the world
by calling down miraculous plagues on him and his kingdom. He parted the
Red Sea so that the Israelites could pass through on dry ground and then he
brought the sea back overthe heads of the pursuing Egyptian army. He
brought waterfrom a rock in the barren desert. At his word, the ground
opened up and swallowedalive those who challengedhis leadership. He
seemedto be a rock of spiritual strength! And yet in the mournful Psalm90,

he laments the frailty and shortness of life. The psalm ends with his pathetic
plea (Ps. 90:17), “Let the favor of the Lord our Godbe upon us; and confirm
for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.” I’ve often
thought, “If Moses neededto beg God to confirm his labors, how much more
do I!” Moses wasaware ofhis own weakness, whichis why he prayed.
Or, look at the Lord Jesus Himself. He alone lived a sinless life on this wicked
earth. He boldly confronted the religious leaders without fearing their threats.
He overturned their money tables and pronounced woes on their hypocrisy. If
anyone seemedto be strong, it was Jesus. And yet He said (John 5:19), “The
Son cando nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father
doing.” He often slipped awayto the wilderness for prayer (Luke 5:16). In His
humanity, Jesus knew that He must depend on the Fatherfor all things. He is
a model for us of praying at all times and for all things (Luke 18:1). Our
weakness shouldcause us to cry out to God in prayer.
Hudson Taylor said(source unknown), “All God’s giants have been weak men
who did greatthings for God because theyreckonedon God being with
them.” We fail to pray because we think that we’re strong enough to handle
life without God. It’s encouraging here in Romans 8:26 that God doesn’t
confront us or condemn us for being weak. Rather, He sends His Spirit to help
us in our weakness.
So, if you say, “I don’t have the strength to resistthe temptation to look at
porn,” then flee to Jesus in your weakness. Cryout to Him for deliverance.
“But, I don’t have the strength to overcome my angry temper.” The next time
you’re about to explode, run to Jesus. Everytime you feelyour weaknessand
inability, callout to Jesus. But, maybe you’re thinking, “But that’s the
problem—I’m not strong in prayer.” Paul says that…
B. Our weaknessextends to our prayer lives.
Part of the weaknessthat Paul refers to is weaknessin prayer: “for we do not
know how to pray as we should.” Again, I’m gladhe said we, not you. Paul
himself didn’t know how to pray as he should. He gives us a glimpse into this
in 2 Corinthians 12. He tells about his ownexperience of being caughtup into
Paradise where he heard inexpressible words, which he was not permitted to

speak. Becauseofthat greatrevelation, to keepPaul from exalting himself,
God gave him what he calls “a thorn in the flesh.” We can speculate on what
this was, but the bottom line is, no one knows for sure because the Bible
doesn’t tell us.
But Paul says that three times he implored the Lord to take awaythis
affliction. But the Lord replied (2 Cor. 12:9), “Mygrace is sufficient for you,
for poweris perfectedin weakness.”Paulconcluded (2 Cor. 12:9b-10), “Most
gladly, therefore, I will rather boastabout my weaknesses,so that the power
of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with
insults, with distresses, withpersecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake;
for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Paul didn’t know what he should pray for in that trial. And that’s the sense of
Romans 8:26. He is not talking about the method or technique of praying, but
rather the content. Paulwrestled with the same thing in Philippians 1:22-24,
where he couldn’t decide whether to pray that the Lord would take him home,
which was Paul’s desire, or preserve his life for further ministry. Moses
entreatedthe Lord to let him enter the Promised Land, but that was not
God’s will (Deut. 3:25-26). Elijah, man of prayer that he was, askedthe Lord
to take his life (1 Kings 19:4). Even Jesus, in His humanity, prayed that if
possible, the Father might allow Him to escapefrom the cross, if it would be
God’s will (Matt. 26:36-46). The point is, we’re all weak in many areas,
including prayer. We often don’t know how to pray as we should. But,
thankfully, God doesn’t leave us to ourselves:
2. God graciouslygives the Holy Spirit to help us by interceding for us in our
weakness.
Romans 8:26b-27:“The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too
deep for words;and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the
Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Again, while many of the details are difficult to understand, Paul’s overall
intent is to encourage us with the fact that God has not left us alone in our
weakness.Rather, His Spirit helps us by praying for us. I’ll try to explain this
with five observations:

A. The Holy Spirit is a person, the third member of the Godhead.
The Holy Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force. He helps us in our
weakness by praying for us, which an impersonal force cannot do. God is one
God who exists eternally as three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; James 2:19; Matt. 28:19). The fact that the Spirit prays
for us shows that He is distinct from the Father, to whom He prays. Also, the
Father knows perfectlythe mind of the Spirit and the Spirit prays perfectly in
accordwith the will of the Father. The Holy Spirit indwells everyone who
belongs to Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:9). And so His ministry of prayer comes from
within us, while Jesus’ministry of intercession(8:34) takes place atthe right
hand of the Father.
B. The Holy Spirit helps us.
The word “helps” occurs only here and in one other place in the New
Testament. The meaning is, someone is carrying a heavy load and another
person comes alongside to take the other end and bear the burden with him.
The other use of “help” is in Luke 10:40, where Jesus is in the home of Mary
and Martha. Mary was sitting at Jesus’feet, but Martha was distracted with
all her preparations. Finally, she burst out, “Lord, do You not care that my
sisterhas left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” She
wanted her sister to help bear the burden of preparing and serving the meal.
The word implies that the Holy Spirit doesn’t do everything, while we sit back
and do nothing. Rather, we are to keeppraying and, if appropriate, keep
working or obeying or whateverthe Bible may tell us to do about our
situation. But as we pray, the Spirit says, “LetMe grab the other end. Let me
help you by picking up your burden and taking it before the Father’s throne. I
know what to pray for when you don’t.” So the Spirit helps us by praying for
us in our weakness. Whatan encouragement!
C. The Holy Spirit helps us by interceding for us on an emotional level.
“The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
What does this mean? We don’t have anything to compare it with, since this is
the only reference to such a thing in Scripture. But, first, we can saywith

certainty that it does not refer to speaking in tongues, as some argue. That
subject is totally foreign to the context here. Also, if speaking in tongues is a
valid gift today, it is only for some, whereas the ministry of the Spirit in verse
26 is for all believers.
As you can predict, there are differing views of what this phrase means. Some
argue that since it is inconceivable that God would groan, this must refer to
our groans, whichthe Spirit translates into specific requests before the Father
(Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans:The Final Perseveranceofthe Saints
[Zondervan], pp. 135-136). In line with this, Thomas Schreiner (Romans
[Baker], pp. 445-446)understands it to refer to groanings that originate from
the Spirit, but are experiencedby believers. The Spirit burdens us with
inexpressible longings to know and do the will of God. He then takes those
burdens to the Fatherin an articulate form on our behalf.
Others argue that the wording of the sentence implies that these are the
groans of the Spirit Himself, of which we are not aware. JohnMacArthur puts
it (The MacArthur Study Bible [Thomas Nelson], p. 1676), these groans refer
to, “Divine articulations within the Trinity that cannotbe expressedin words,
but carry profound appeals for the welfare of every believer.”
While I’m not dogmatic (and I did not find any commentators who suggested
this), my understanding is that the Spirit’s groaning on our behalf is an
anthropomorphism, or more correctly, an anthropopathism, which is to
attribute human emotions to God. For example, when the Bible says that God
repents or changes His mind, it is speaking from a human point of view. To
us, it seems as if God changedHis mind, although His counselis fixed from all
eternity (1 Sam. 15:11, 29). In one of the most outrageous anthropomorphisms
in the Bible, the psalmist compares God to a warrior who awakes frombeing
drunk (Ps. 78:65)!Obviously, God is not sleeping off a hangoverwhen He
does not answerour prayers, but that’s how the psalmist portrays Him.
So here, I suggestthat Paul pictures the Holy Spirit groaning on our behalf to
convey that He takes up our needs at the deepestemotional level and conveys
our hurts and cares to the Father’s throne, all in line with the will of God.
This should encourage us to pour out our hearts before Him (Ps. 62:8).

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