“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26
September 25, 2024
On our best days do we know how to pray as we ought to? Just as the prospect of future glory brings the suffering Christian comfort, so the praying of the Holy Spirit brings us comfort. As one preacher has put it, “I can’t think or pray or feel as I ought. What shall I do?” Because of our finiteness – ignorance of what to pray for and how to voice those requests – the Holy Spirit voices requests for us. Weakness is not the same as sin. Sin is a hindrance to prayer, but that is not what Paul is saying at this point (Psa. 66:18; 1 Pet. 3:7). Sleeplessness, brain fog, blood pressure issues, diabetes, arthritis can add to our struggle in praying as we want to. Job, Elijah, and even Jesus, to some extent, struggled in their praying (Job 7:20-21; 1 Kgs. 19:4; Matt. 26:36-46). Have you been in those situations? Will I get well or not? Will the pain go away or not? Will my cancer go into remission? Take heart. “If you can’t pray like you want to, pray as you can. God knows what you mean. And you have good help – the Advocate who is God’s Son and the Paraclete who is God’s Spirit. They will take your feeblest prayer and make it perfect.” Vance Havner.
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Christ’s sufferers have the help of the Holy Spirit in their life with a dying body.