INTERCEDING SPIRIT

Introduction: About 20 years ago, I read George Muller’s autobiography, and it profoundly impacted my prayer life, my faith life, and the vision of Clearview Church. When we were in England couple of months ago, we drove over two hours west of London just to go by his museum and orphanage which is still operating today. As we are progressing in our series through Romans, we come now to the subject of prayer. Again, this series began as a preparation for our end-times series to give us the proper foundations on key doctrines. In today’s message, we are focused not just on prayer but on the Holy Spirit’s prayer for us. This is more than just ordinary prayer. This is prayer on a deeper level. When we don’t even know how to pray in a situation, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, takes over for us in prayer.

Romans 8 (page #1742) 26 “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. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Context: As you know, Paul wrote Romans to the first century church in Rome that was divided between Jewish background and Gentile background believers over the use of the Law. While maintaining the distinction between Israel and the church, which we will see in much detail in Romans 9-11, Paul was teaching them concerning their common salvation in Christ. We were all born in the family of sin and death. When we come to Christ, we die with Christ, we are buried with Christ, and we rise to walk in newness with Christ. By faith we are to stand in this fact. Now begins our sanctification process. Positionally, we are sanctified, but, experientially, we are to grow in Christ. We begin to learn that we are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” This is where the Holy Spirit teaches us to live the crucified life with Christ where we deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow him. This is also where the Holy Spirit teaches us that to be joint heirs with Christ means we are yoked with Christ – “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you…” Last weekend, God laid on my heart to preach a very application-oriented message titled “When Life is Messy,” where we learned that this life of suffering can indeed get very messy. Someone wrote to me: “I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your message last Sunday. Indeed, life can get very messy at times! Your statement ‘the abundance that God has for us usually comes at the end of a very demanding, messy, complicated life’ was so powerful and inspiring. I don’t want the spotless, sterile, barren life!” Thank you for sending that email!

Application: Are you yoked with Christ? Have you denied yourself, picked up your cross, and are following Christ? Are you by faith standing in the fact that you died, you were buried, and you have risen with Christ? Are you saved?

Let’s move forward – To help us navigate through this messy, complicated, and demanding life, God has given us his direct line – Prayer. Listen again, Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought…” Prayer is God’s invitation to call on him in times of need for help, for guidance, and for his presence. If you grew up in church, like I did, I’m sure you sang that old hymn – “What a friend we have in Jesus” by Joseph Scriven.

What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge–
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.

Jesus also knows our every weakness, Of course, in his deity, he knows us, but, in his humanity, he has lived in our world of sin and suffering. Hebrews 4       15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses (the same word as in Romans 8:26) –but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” As the Enemy comes to accuse us before the Father, Jesus stands to intercede for us before the Father.

There was an earlier manuscript version found of this hymn that has a fourth quatrain, which read as follows:

Are we cold and unbelieving,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Here the Lord is still our refuge:
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

How do you pray when you are cold and unbelieving and you cannot take it to the Lord in prayer? If you know anything about Joseph Scriven’s life, he had many reasons to be cold and unbelieving. His life had many tragedies. His first fiancé died by accidentally drowning. He went to Canada from Ireland and led a Plymouth Brethren fellowship. He ministered to railway construction workers. Few years later, his second fiancé died in an illness. He had to live by the help of others. In fact, he was found dead in a spillway of a grist mill. Only God knows if it was accidental or a suicide.

Contrary to the song, there are times when we are unable to take it to the Lord in prayer. Life is too messy, too complicated, and too demanding! We find ourselves in a place of confusion, doubt, frustration, and discouragement where prayer doesn’t come very easily. Thank God, not only “Jesus knows our every weakness,” but the Spirit knows our weaknesses as well and he intercedes for us. 26 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.”

Background: The word “weaknesses” = asthenia.” It comes from “sthenos” = strength; so asthenos is weakness, sickness, failing, powerlessness, limitations, etc.), You and I as Christians have weaknesses where we are not in full control of our ability to think straight and our unable to pray as we ought:

• Physical weaknesses – our blood pressure goes up and our blood pressure drops, our sugar goes up and our sugar drops, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. We become anemic, dehydrate, get sick, and the list goes on. 
• Emotional weaknesses – we get emotionally drained, confused, loose our temper. We feel unloved, feel insecure, feel depressed, and the list goes on.
• Spiritual weaknesses – we struggle with old habits, indwelling sin, selfish nature. We don’t know how to love others; we don’t know how to let go of the past, we don’t know what the future holds, we don’t know what the best road is to take, we don’t know God’s will for our lives, we don’t have the faith we need to keep going and the list goes on.

Listen again – Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought…” One mark of growth in the Christian life is not knowing how to pray.

For e.g. Children always know what to ask for. They ask whatever they want, and they expect whatever they ask. “I am hungry. Can I have ice cream?” “I am tired. Do I have to go to school?” “That toy on TV—can I have it?” Grownups know better. We know that we cannot ask just whatever comes to our mind. We know that everything has a price and consequences.

#1  Sometimes we don’t know what’s best for us.

In matters of relationships, careers, and financial decisions, the answers are not that simple. Life is much more complicated. We don’t know what is best for us. We don’t know what to ask for in prayer. Sometimes the more something means to us, the harder it is to pray for it.

For e.g. It is so much easier to pray for some missionary down in Africa. How much harder it is to pray for a brother or a sister who is suffering with cancer.

By the way, aren’t you glad that God didn’t answer all of your prayers?! Can you imagine where you would be today if God had answered some of your prayers? “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”- There’s Garth Brooks for you.

#2  Sometimes we don’t realize what is best for others.

What we pray for affects other people. I can say “God stop the rain” but the farmer is saying “Please Lord – send some rain.”

We cannot pray in isolation. Our prayers do intersect and interact. As we grow as a Christian, our prayers do not begin with “my father” but “our father.”

Not only that but we don’t know how to pray for others.

For e.g. Sometimes people will ask me to pray but I don’t know exactly how to pray for that situation. They will ask for prayer in a relationship and I agree but I don’t know how to pray. Is this person ready for a relationship? Is the other person ready for a relationship? Should this person finish school? Should this person get a job? What job? I don’t know how to pray.

That’s why most of this “name it and claim it” stuff is junk. There is no Holy Spirit in it. There is nothing but self in it. We don’t get anything from God. We only get disappointed, turn bitter, and leave a bad testimony.

Warren Wiersbe said, “More people have quit praying because of disappointments in prayer more than anything else.”

The Spirit knows them all, but He does not condemn us for our weaknesses. Instead, He comes to help us with them. The word “helps” has the picture of someone helping another to carry a heavy load. Imagine someone trying to drag an enormous log. He can barely move it. Then someone comes and picks up one end and together they carry it.

How does this prayer of intercession by the Holy Spirit help us? He knows the mind of God. He knows our past. He can see our future. He knows what is best for us. He knows what will bring the best for everyone involved. He knows what will grow God’s Kingdom.

Romans 8:26 “…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.”

Background: At this point in the passage, people leave the Bible and make their own assumptions. They will say – “Groanings that cannot be uttered” – that is speaking in tongues. Read that again carefully: but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us (Meaning: the one who makes intercession is not you. He is the Holy Spirit) with groanings which cannot be uttered (Literally – wordless groaning). 

What are groanings? The Greek word is “stenagmois” means deep sighs. When you and I sigh, we do it out of frustrations, anxiety, and doubts. When the Holy Spirit sighs, it is not out of any kind of anxiety, but it is the sigh of a burden. He knows and senses how we are feeling and carries those feelings into the Trinity.

Also, all this is in wordless groaning. Meaning: You and I cannot even hear the sighs or the words. This conversation is taking place in the Trinity. It never even reaches our consciousness. But it reaches the Father. Listen to verse 27 “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Meaning: When we are weak and we don’t know what to pray, the Father looks deeper to hear the prayer of the Spirit. He answers the prayer of the Spirit because the prayer of the Spirit is God’s perfect will for us.

How does the guidance then come to us? Couple of weeks ago, we looked at Romans 8       14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Here, our spirit is connected with the Holy Spirit. His purpose is to give you guidance. He has already brought you to Christ. He has enabled Christ to forgive you, to save you, and to cleanse you. Now, you are regenerated through the Spirit. His purpose is to guide you in the midst of the messy, complicated, and demanding life.

The Enemy wants to bring chaos, doubt, frustrations, hopelessness, and turmoil.

For e.g. Nicole and I just celebrated our wedding anniversary. As some of you the pictures, we went to Cozumel where the water is crystal clear. But the water around Cozumel gets rough at times because of boats, jet skis, people swimming, and children splashing. If you throw a rock in it, it won’t even make a ripple. But it gets so calm in the evening when everything is quiet, that even if you drop a hair, you will see a ripple. When your spirit and God’s Spirit bearing witness are so calm within you, a least little touch makes a ripple. The Holy Spirit is in position to give you guidance. He begins to deal with things in your life. Sometimes, in exposing your own sins. Then you learn to thank God even for those things that were messy, complicated, and demanding at the time. Then you can say with Paul in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” You and I cannot have the assurance that God will bring something good out of something bad without the Holy Spirit showing it to you.

To the contrary, listen to Jacob in Genesis 42:36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.” Jacob had plenty of reasons to say that. Jacob also had plenty of reasons not to say that.

Invitation: Who would you like to be like Jacob or Paul? Are you saved?