Help in Praying

Sometimes it strikes me as a bit of an odd thing. Here we are, we just read four paragraphs from the middle of a great big book, and now we're trying to unpack and understand what it says. In order to do that, we need some context to grasp the stream of thought that these four paragraphs are part of. So, if you have a Bible nearby, take a look at the final paragraphs of Romans chapter 7. Reading chapter 8 afterwards is helpful in understanding what happened or what was said in Romans chapter 7.

In Romans 7, Paul talks about his own personal struggle with sin. He writes, "I have the desire to do what is good, but I can't carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing." I know that feeling; can you relate? Sometimes, by 10 o'clock in the morning, you're thinking, "Wow, I haven't done the good I wanted to do. I got sidetracked, went down a bunny trail, and now I haven't followed through with what I intended." It's uncomfortable to be in that position where you've missed the mark.

Don't you hate it when you catch yourself disobeying God's instructions for holiness? Don't you hate it when you find yourself doing wrong and evil instead of the good you had the best intentions of accomplishing? It becomes even more awkward because God is holy, righteous, and altogether just. He doesn't leave evil unpunished. Sin always leads to death—either through punishment or by the very nature of making bad choices, which inevitably leads toward death.

In this passage, Paul laments his disobedience and the fact that he deserves punishment. He throws up his hands and exclaims, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?" Can you relate to that lament? That feeling of being stuck in brokenness and disobedience? Fortunately, there is a rescuer. And that’s the good news of the gospel.

Because of God's great love for the world—and for each of you—we are not left to face the punishment for our sins alone. Jesus came into His creation to rescue us from sin, brokenness, and judgment. Truly God and truly human, Jesus is the perfect intermediary who can stand between us and God, mediating and restoring our broken relationship. That’s exactly what Paul celebrates in the next verse: "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ."

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The record of all our wrongdoing, all those poor choices that led us astray instead of doing the good we intended, is washed away in Jesus Christ. Those black marks are wiped clean as if you'd never sinned or been a sinner. No condemnation for those in Christ because, through Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death.

He has set us free. We are no longer stuck in that endless cycle of disobedience and its consequences. We are free because Jesus conquered sin and death. He died on the cross—the death we deserved—and three days later, He rose from the grave. That’s what we celebrate at Good Friday and Easter. We comemorate this victory every Sunday, rejoicing in the risen Christ.

But that’s only the beginning of the good news. The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—describe Jesus’ death and resurrection for our salvation. Then, the Gospel according to John and the book of Acts detail the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus’ frightened disciples to boldly proclaim His victory over sin and death across the Roman Empire and beyond. Only through the Holy Spirit could they confidently preach and make more disciples. That’s why we will celebrate next Sunday—the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples—when tongues of fire appeared among them and rested on each of their heads as they were anointed.

Take a copy of the daily readings on your way out and reflect on how that fire symbolized God’s presence in both the Old and New Testaments. Next week, we will explore the significance of those tongues of fire at Pentecost Sunday.

Because of Jesus’ ascension after His resurrection—when He was seated at the right hand of God—God the Father and Jesus pour out the Holy Spirit to work powerfully among His people. In Romans 8, Paul marvels at how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, even expressing our desires in words that are beyond our own understanding. The Spirit mediates between us and God, knowing our hearts.

Life for Christians is not without difficulty, even when our relationship with God is secure. Friction, tension, and hardship persist because the world remains stained by sin. Paul acknowledges this reality, describing how creation itself is in bondage to decay, suffering frustration as part of the curses mentioned in Genesis 3.

How God frustrated childbirth and parental relationships, allowing thorns and thistles to grow in our fields and gardens, is a reality that creates frustration. These frustrations drive us to reach out again to God, seeking hope and help as we battle these hardships. They are present in our lives and in our world so that we are pushed back to God, reminding us to look to Him for support and assurance.

Paul vividly describes how creation itself is in bondage to decay. It is in bondage to decay—things break apart, relationships fall apart, and the very fabric of our world is subjected to corruption and decline. He paints a powerful image of the whole creation groaning as in the pains of childbirth. It’s not a pretty picture, is it? The world groaning in pain—difficult and uncomfortable—just like childbirth.

Personally, I am a man and have only held someone’s hand as they went through childbirth. I don't fully know what that feels like (Right, Jordan?), but I know it is not comfortable. If creation is waiting for something greater to be born, then there is discomfort involved, but also great hope and anticipation. Paul speaks about this—the suffering, pain, and friction in a world that is off-kilter, stained by sin. It’s not a pretty sight.

Everyone has powerful stories of blood, sweat, and tears from living in a sin-stained, broken world. It’s the kind of stuff you find in prayer journals or online blogs—traces of pain and heartache. It’s reflected daily in the news: brokenness, hurt, and suffering. Nearly everyone has a story to tell about frustration and hardship in this world.

But Paul’s words are interesting. He says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us.” Despite how difficult those mornings might be—being awake at 3 a.m., tears streaming because of someone’s pain or your own—they are not worth comparing to the glory that awaits in the new creation. There is something in store for us.

This groaning of the world in childbirth is giving birth to something so amazing and glorious that it cannot be compared. Creation eagerly waits and works for the revealing of God's children. Think of a four-year-old excitedly seeing a big box wrapped with ribbon and a bow, with their name on it, eager to rip the paper off and discover what’s inside. That’s how creation longs for what we will receive when Christ returns.

All of creation—soil, trees, stars, animals—will be liberated and set free from bondage to decay. Not just God's children, but also the sun, moon, animals, rivers, lakes, and oceans will be brought into the freedom and glory of God's renewed creation. The glory that will be revealed in this renewed world far exceeds the current suffering; it’s not worth comparing.

Does that excite you? Do you share that eagerness and expectation for what God has in store? Because the promise is that this glory will far surpass any present pain or hardship. But perhaps you’re thinking, “Well, that future glory sounds wonderful, but I am still suffering right now.”

Paul acknowledges this reality. He writes, “We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” That vivid language of groaning inwardly describes how we often feel—stressed, overwhelmed, in pain.

I’ve experienced that myself, whether visiting loved ones in hospitals or mourning at funerals. It’s painful. We all have those moments of tension and misunderstandings, and sometimes life in this broken world just feels overwhelming. There’s no proper way to express that pain—sometimes only an “Argh!” can convey how we feel.

Yet, we eagerly await the full realization of God's promises: our adoption as His children and the redemption of our bodies. Now, I understand that "adoption to sonship" might sound exclusive. In the Roman Empire, it was rare for women or daughters to receive inheritance—they were often left out of such blessings. But in God's family, all believers—male and female, slave and free—are adopted as dearly loved children of God. Because of Jesus Christ, you inherit all of God's blessings and good gifts. You are treated as sons would be treated in the Roman culture—privileged and honored—even if you are a slave or a woman.

Still, we feel the tension. Jesus is victorious over sin and death, but He has not yet returned to restore all creation. Our baptism is God's assurance— His seal of the covenant—that we are already His children, but we have not yet received all the benefits. There is more in store; more waiting to be revealed. We are still expecting, still enduring the pains of childbirth, which can sometimes be extremely uncomfortable.

But the glory that is going to be revealed cannot compare to the suffering. And so, it is truly encouraging to read about the victory and salvation we have in Jesus Christ. He doesn't offer only future hope of glory, and then we just need to grin and bear it now. No, He offers us assurance and strength in the present.

This brings us to the passage I really want to focus on. I know we’re twenty minutes in, and I am just now getting to the text. But listen: "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God."

That’s why we’re studying this passage in the final sermon of our series on prayer. Because we live in the pain of childbirth—blood, sweat, and tears. And sometimes, when we’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t even know what to pray for, we depend on God to understand what is truly in our hearts—our hopes, dreams, and complaints.

God’s Word assures us, here and elsewhere, that the Holy Spirit brings those feelings and desires before the throne of God. Even those things we struggle to articulate, the Spirit carries for us. When you’re awake at 3 in the morning, or standing beside a loved one in a hospital bed, and it doesn’t look good, you might say, "God, I just don’t know how to express what I’m feeling. I don’t even know what to hope for or pray for."

But the Holy Spirit has you. He takes all those feelings, hopes, and desires—those words you lack—and He presents them before God in heaven. He understands completely the brokenness and heartache in His world—that’s why Jesus came to rescue us. His heart was breaking for His creation too.

Sometimes, we wonder, “Why doesn’t God do something? Why doesn’t He solve this problem?” As we mentioned last week, when we bring our prayers and petitions, sometimes the answer is yes—He will take care of it right away. Sometimes the answer is no—it's not going to happen. And other times, the answer is not yet. So, we keep praying, keep hoping, and keep hanging on.

The Holy Spirit helps us through all of this because we are dearly loved by God. He has brought us close to Him through Jesus Christ. How close? Next Sunday, we celebrate how close we are—when we eat and drink at the Lord’s Supper, tangible reminders of how near God has brought us. We are part of the kingdom of God, part of His family, part of the body of Jesus Christ. That’s how close we’ve been brought.

And we look forward to the day when, amid the pains of childbirth, we will see what is being revealed. We have the promise of glory— of being made whole, of relationships repaired and restored, and of a world set straight. No more thorns and thistles will grow; no need for Roundup, because the land will be fruitful. If there is childbirth in the new creation, it will not have the pain or struggles of this life. The curses—those conflicts between parents, the strain and discord—will be lifted. All things will be made right, and it will be glorious. We will be glorified too.

I don’t know if all the pains, aches, and struggles will simply disappear, but we will have new, glorified bodies. That’s marvelous to imagine. Think about what Jesus demonstrated in His glorified body: He walked into locked rooms, appeared to His disciples, and ate and drank with them. He was on the road to Emmaus, and when those two disciples hurried back to Jerusalem, Jesus was right there beside them.

You can read about this in Luke chapter 24. The glory that will be revealed is going to be truly awesome. So hold on tight. Bring your prayers, your petitions, your hopes. And when you run out of words, trust the Holy Spirit to intercede for you. He knows what is on your heart. He understands what’s on God's mind. He mediates between you and the Most Holy God.

Keep praying. Hold on to these promises. Keep talking to God. Amen.