LEARNING DAILY

Romans 8:26-27, In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Jesus told His followers that they would face difficulties as they walked the narrow way. If you have walked with Jesus for any length of time you know that those preaching that all you have to do is give your life to Jesus and give money to them and your life will be prosperous and happy. No, the true followers of Jesus who are trying to walk the narrow way as He instructs will find circumstances they do not understand, times they do not know how to pray and difficulties of various kinds.

What happens when the difficulties, circumstances, and the pressures become so great that one does not even know how to verbalize the needs or desires? It is clear from John 6:63 (yesterday’s blog) that the “the Spirit gives life and the flesh profits us nothing”; God sent Believers the Holy Spirit to help them both spiritually and physically. Believers look forward to eternity in God’s kingdom when the cares and trials of this world are finished. But until that time, we continue to walk on the narrow way, experiencing the “stuff” we do with the rest of creation. In Romans 8:22 Paul writes that “the whole of creation groans and labors with birth pangs”. That means all creation groans because of undesired circumstances. All creation eagerly awaits the glory of God’s people through Christ’s return to establish His kingdom. Until our bodies are redeemed, we must rely on the Holy Spirit (who was sent by God when we gave our life to Christ to save us) to help us in and through our weaknesses.

Christians groan because of sin’s presence in the world and because of sins power in us and around us. How does one know how to pray regarding this? At times, I don’t know and rely on the Holy Spirit to intercede for me with “groans”, those unspoken thoughts and feelings that my words cannot express, to the Father in heaven. The Holy Spirit is the connection from me to the Father and provides the words I need to communicate with Him. The Holy Spirit petitions the Father on behalf of our needs “according to the will of God” (v.27).

The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity meaning the Holy spirit is God. The Father knows the mind of His Spirit in us; they are eternally connected. God continually searches our hearts. The Holy Spirit forms our unspoken “groaning” into prayers that conform to God’s will (verse 27). God receives our prayers directly from our hearts. That does not mean we do not need to try to pray. It means that the Holy Spirit is interceding or helping us pray and to pray within the will of the Father. He knows our needs because of the Holy Spirit; therefore, we do not need to worry about the groans when we do not know how to pray about situations and circumstances we face.

We serve and follow a great God who certainly understand our needs and situations and circumstances better than we do. We need to be thankful He sent the Holy Spirit to help us walk and talk with Him!