Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
—Romans 8:26
Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation and didn’t know how to get out of it? Have you had trouble praying? It’s the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to help us, but some Christians go through life without receiving His help.
Let’s look at the first part of Romans 8:26: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses: for we don't know how what we should pray for as we ought….” The Greek word from which “helps” is translated presents a picture of two people working together to get a task done. When faced with an overwhelming difficulty, we don’t have the strength to remove that difficulty alone. We need the power of the Holy Spirit working with us. In our weaknesses, prayer becomes a partnership between the Holy Spirit and us. When you truly believe that your prayers cannot be prayed without the help of the Holy Spirit, your prayer life changes.
The Holy Spirit comes to assist us because we are too helpless mentally, physically, and spiritually to confront our weaknesses. Since we cannot remove any weakness without His help, we need all His power to eliminate them from our lives. That’s the reason He comes to bear this responsibility for us. He assists us in removing anything in our lives that weakens us.
“Likewise, the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses: for we do not know what we should pray….” We simply don’t know how to correctly assess or pray about a difficult situation. This verse also says we know not “what” we should pray. That word “what” is a Greek word that depicts something very small. This reveals that we don’t know the little details and the hidden problems in that situation. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot perceive the entire picture. We don’t have the know-how to deal with possible challenges that might come up in that situation.
Verse 26 continues, “For we know not what we should pray for as we ought….” The Holy Spirit has the best way to pray regarding each issue. Not knowing what we ought to pray means that on our own, we can’t pray so that need will be met. Without the Holy Spirit’s cooperation, we don’t know how to pray as each need requires. But God’s Spirit comes to remove our weaknesses and to help us in our inadequacies to know what to pray. He partners with us in prayer to remove any demonic oppression that holds us captive in our weaknesses.
The very end of verse 26 reveals that it’s the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to carry the weight of prayer for us: “But the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The word “intercession” is the Greek word “huperentugchano,” which means to fall in with. When we “fall” into a dilemma, the Holy Spirit “falls in” with us, helping us overcome the obstacle we face. This Greek word also presents the idea of coming together with someone in their experience. He is with us in our circumstances. He supplicates intensely for us “with groaning that cannot be uttered.” The Holy Spirit is always interceding for us. When we are joined with Him in intercession, He rescues us from our weaknesses.
When the enemy creates a pit for you to fall into, and you, being unaware of his scheme, fall right into it, you can do one of two things. You can feel sorry for yourself, complain, and stay trapped there, or you can ask the Holy Spirit to help you. When you invite Him, He begins to supplicate and intercede for you, and to move on your behalf. Right there at the bottom of that pit, the Holy Spirit comes together with you in prayer against the problems that are preventing your deliverance. He meets you right where you are in your trouble and begins to help you in your weaknesses. He says, “I’m going to grab onto this problem with you, and together we’re going to push against it until it is gone.”
Now you experience a surge of renewed strength coursing through you, propelling you to pray! You seize the spiritual weapons God has given you to overcome the enemy! The Holy Spirit takes hold of your weaknesses, and He keeps pushing with you against that problem until it is removed from your life for good.
If you’ve fallen into a deep pit and don’t know how to get out, never forget that the Holy Spirit is right there with you, and He’s prepared to help you. Just begin to pray, knowing that in your weakness, He is strong. He will empower you and remove every obstacle that stands in the way of your deliverance.
No comments:
Post a Comment