The Intercessory Prayers Of The Holy Spirit

Romans 8:26-27 “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.”

Paul previously said in v18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And in v. 23 that “we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” This groaning is due to the longing to be delivered from the curse of sin and suffering while living in this world. While we wait for the redemption of our bodies we are given encouragement in v. 24 “For we were saved in this hope,” the hope of the redemption of our bodies.

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: “We believe that our bodies also will overcome corruption and death. For the time being this is a hope, because it is not yet present, but it is a future certainty.”

When we believed and confessed that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead for our sins we were saved Rom 10:9, and have been given hope, an expectation that in the future our bodies will be glorified. Our hope is what lifts us up and carries us through our times of suffering.

Likewise Paul says in v.26 “the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.” Our weakness is that we do not know exactly what to pray for or how we should pray, and will from time to time ask God for things that are not according to His will. You’re not alone with having an inadequacy with praying. Knowing exactly what to pray for or how to pray was something that even one of Jesus disciples struggled with (Luke 11:1).

But we have the Spirit within us to help us with our prayers to God. “the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Here the groaning is not speaking in tongues. The groanings which cannot be uttered, the Greek words is stenagmos alalētos it means unspoken words, no speaking of any kind. So, it cannot mean speaking in gibberish tongues. Every believer has had deep feelings of hurt that were inexpressible to communicate with words and those groans were not the glossolalia ecstatic speech for Paul says 1 Cor 12:30 that the gift of tongues do not belong to all.

Let me ask you this question. Have you ever prayed because you were hurt or in fear and found yourself at a lost for words? Or even found yourself just weeping and groaning. Well, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and can take the inexpressible words in our heart and articulate them to God, for the Holy Spirit knows the inner intentions of our heart. Isn’t a wonderful to know that under certain circumstances that we may not always know how to pray according to God’s will, that the Spirit with groanings which cannot be uttered will translate the words from our heart and conform them to God’s will.

Romans 8:27 “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.”

We can take a great amount of encouragement knowing that despite our weakness in praying that God who knows our hearts also knows the mind of the Spirit, so when the Spirit is interceding for us His prayers are always answered because He always prays according to the will of God.

Dear beloved we may not think that our prayers are sufficient, that they lack the right words, be encouraged for we have Jesus who intercedes for us (Heb 7:25) the Holy Spirit also intercedes by praying to God for us according to the will of God and those will always be answered.