"With Groanings Too Deep for Words..."

"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.   

And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, 

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

~Romans 8:26-27

I blogged about these verses a couple of months ago.  They've become very precious verses to me in the last few years.  I've actually had conversations with three different friends about them in the last couple of weeks, during one of which I said, "I can't wait until Bro. Kent gets to that point in Romans!"  (Our pastor is preaching verse-by-verse through Romans on Sunday mornings.)   So...this morning we got there. :)   God has had those verses...as well as the subject of prayer in general...heavily on my mind for the past week or so.  I love God's perfect timing! 

Here are some notes/thoughts from this morning's sermon.  They are very rough, and anything that doesn't make sense would be my note-taking, not Bro. Kent's sermon...I lost my train of thought while scribbling a few times this morning (brain fog strikes again! :-/ )

God is revealing to us that the Holy Spirit actually prays for us, all the time. 

    ---The assurance that He Himself is praying for us when we don't know what to pray...

God grants help (through the Holy Spirit) because we are weak. 

    ---This promise is ONLY for Believers.  If you have not repented of sin and received God's free gift of salvation, this promise does not apply.  

    ---We are all weak.  There is no place that our weakness shows up any more than in our prayer lives.  Often our prayers end up being very vague, general, and almost pointless. 

    ****A suggestion:  Study the prayers of Paul in the New Testament.  Specific and powerful.

    ---We are weak, but we have the most amazing God!!  He understands our weakness and intercedes for us...praying to Himself for us.  Again...it is all God, God, and God, and grace, grace, and grace.  He saves us, He keeps us, someday He will take us to Heaven...and in between, He prays for us!!  Holy Spirit and Jesus both pray for us...Bible says Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father praying for us...

"The Spirit Himself..."

     ---Holy Spirit first convicted and applied the saving work to your life

     ---Holy Spirit opens your understanding to the Word

     ---Holy Spirit prays for us continually

     

"With groanings that cannot be uttered..."

     ---Not some weird secret language, but communication between the Trinity...God praying to God...in a way that is completely beyond our understanding...for us!  

     ---A comfort in times when we are not physically able to pray, or when we don't know how to pray...especially in difficult circumstances

     ---If we become angry with God over our circumstances, we need to stop and repent...fast..."in sackcloth and ashes".  God loves us with a love we cannot begin to understand...He is making provision for us in ways we cannot begin to understand.  He is working for our best *always*, no matter what our circumstances.

God gives us *perfect* help through the ministry of the Holy Spirit

    ---Always perfect prayer

    ---Always according to the Father's will, because HS and the Father are One.

***We must trust the Father...every day, in *every* situation.

***If we have not repented and accepted His gift of salvation, that must come first.

***Believers should be greatly encouraged by the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is continually lifting us to the Father in prayer.

What a glorious comfort!!